QUEEN OF CAPILANO

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Investigation revealed details into ferry alliding with moored yacht in Bowen Island

A Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigation into the 'Queen of Capilano', with 34 people on board, hitting a classical Grand Banks yacht at Snug Cove on Bowen Island has revealed more details about what happened. The vessel had departed from Bowen Island, when it allided with the moored boat at the Bowen Island Marina. The 'Queen of Capilano’s stern smashed through the boat's cabin, tearing off railings, shattering windows, and crushing the door and its frame. The boat subsequently slammed into the dock, causing significant damage to the structure. The ferry was taken out of service later in the morning and held at Horseshoe Bay until the evening. “The passenger ferry reported touching the wooden dock structure and docked pleasure craft, while departing the ferry terminal at Snug Cove, Bowen Island, B.C. due to high wind gusts and issues with the control of the azimuth thrusters,” said the summary. On Feb. 20, the TSB stated that the incident has been classified as a "class 5 occurrence." That's where the incident is not subject to a comprehensive investigation followed by an investigation report. However, these types of occurrences are recorded in suitable scope for possible future safety analysis, statistical reporting, or archival purposes. A summary of the incident stated the accident caused a minor degree of damage. A class 5 occurrence investigation can, in some cases, result in a safety letter highlighting a safety issue. The internal investigation of BC Ferries is still ongoing to understand the contributing factors and the role that weather and mechanical issues may have played. The company continued to cooperate with the TSB and other involved parties to take forward any learnings

Ferry allided with marina dock and yachts due to mechanical trouble

The 'Queen of Capilano' allided with three moored yachts at the Bowen Island Marina dock in Snug Cove on the morning of Feb 2, 2025, after the 7:30 a.m. departure from from Bowen Island. The ferry slammed into the dock, causing significant damage to the structure. With safety as the top priority, the captain made the decision to continue into open water rather than risk further complications in a confined space. The vessel needed to assess the cause of the issue and doing so in open water helped prevent any further incident, and it completed its run to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, along with several more morning runs. But beginning with the cancellation of the 10:15 a.m .sailing from Horseshoe Bay, the vessel remained sidelined until 6:50 p.m. In total 14 sailings between Bowen and the mainland, spanning more than eight hours, were cancelled during the day due to the mechanical difficulty with the propulsion system. The 'Queen of Capilano' conducted sea trials as required by Transport Canada prior to resuming sailings in the evening. Passenger-only water taxis made runs between Bowen and Horseshoe Bay while the ferry was out of service. An investigation has been launched into the accident. Reports with photos and video: https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/bc-ferries-vessel-collides-with-moored-boats-at-bowen-dock-10174745 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-ferries-bowen-island-hits-boats-1.7450625

Front gates forced in gale

The "Queen of Capilano"'s 6:50 p.m. sailing left Horseshoe Bay on time after a dramatic afternoon on Dec 20, 2018. On the 2:20 p.m. sailing wave after wave crashed over the car deck, forcing open the front gates. After the ordeal the Bowen ferry rested in dock for about an hour before returning to Horseshoe Bay without passengers. Several afternoon sailings were cancelled, stranding passengers, including high school students, on the North Shore. Environment Canada still has a gale wind warning in effect in Howe Sound but wind speeds have fallen from 45 knots an hour to 17. Report with photo and video: https://www.bowenislandundercurrent.com/news/the-queen-of-capilano-is-back-in-business-but-she-had-a-dramatic-afternoon-1.23552214