BC Ferries has announced today that it will suspend sailings on the Coastal Celebration starting today until repairs can be completed in dry dock. There will be eight fewer sailings per day between Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay beginning July 20th, while the Coastal Celebration is out of service.
All reserved traffic for today, July 19, will be accommodated on alternate sailings and contacted by BC Ferries Customer Care team to advise of their new sailing time, the company said. Customer Care will contact customers with bookings on all cancelled sailings to let them know if we have space available to move their reservation to an alternate sailing later in the day, or if their booking must be cancelled with fares and/or fees refunded. BC Ferries apologizes for any inconvenience customers may experience as a result of these cancellations.
Customers travelling without a confirmed booking are encouraged to consider travelling as a foot passenger as standby vehicle spaces will be reduced while the vessel is out of service.
The suspected oil leak was reported by crew earlier this week. An underwater dive team determined an ineffective blade seal was the cause. The hydraulic oil leaking from the blade seal is classified as a light mineral oil. Prior to entering dry dock, the vessel will be surrounded by a containment boom. The equipment that is the source of the leak will be shut down while the vessel is waiting for repairs and a spill response teams will be closely monitoring the situation.
BC Ferries is not yet able to confirm that this leak is related to the work carried out during the vessel’s recent annual refit, but a strong possibility exists. BC Ferries and Transport Canada monitored the Coastal Celebration as it performed its regular operations on July 17, 18 and 19 and determined that the vessel be removed from service until its repair was complete.
