A look at the weather maps keeps the Northern Expedition in port for another day

A strong pacific front from the Southwest is creating
havoc for the BC Ferries schedule this week
(image from. Environment Canada)

With adverse weather continuing across the Hecate Strait, BC Ferries has announced the cancellation of its plans to attempt the Prince Rupert to Skidegate run today, that run one which had been rescheduled on Monday owing to poor weather.

As a result, the Northern Expedition will make an attempt to cross the Strait on Wednesday with a 2:30 PM departure time a return that same night at 11 from Skidegate for a Prince Rupert arrival at 6AM Thursday.

click to enlarge

However, depending on how the current pacific front system moves through the region, that sailing may itself be up for review; while the Thursday sailings are questionable as well, explained by BC Ferries as part of their Service Notice today.

"Weather is expected to be outside our safety parameters following this round trip, and the Thursday sailings departing Prince Rupert at 10:00 am and Skidegate at 10:00 pm are at risk of being cancelled. 

We will provide an update on the status of these Thursday sailings as soon as confirmation is available. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this service disruption. 

The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us. We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on our service to get to their destinations."

You can access updates on those sailings and other notes this week from the BC Ferries website and twitter feed.

A GALE WARNING has been in place for Hecate Strait since yesterday with winds of 45 knots anticipated for later today along with seas up to 4 metre.

More notes on Marine Transportation on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii can be reviewed here.