Salish-class ferry

The three Salish-class vessels, Salish Eagle, Salish Orca and Salish Raven, have a displacement of 4,227 long tons (4,295 t) and all measure 8,728 gross tonnage (GT) and max 864 tons deadweight (DWT). Salish-class vessels are 107.2 metres (351 ft 8 in) long overall and 100.69 metres (330 ft 4 in) between perpendiculars.[1][2] The ferries have a beam of 23.5 metres (77 ft 1 in).[2] They are powered by dual-fuel engines capable of using liquified natural gas (LNG) or diesel fuel to operate.[3] The engines are rated at 5,952 horsepower (4,438 kW).[1] They were the first vessels in British Columbia to be powered by LNG.[4] They have a maximum speed of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph). Each ship has two car decks.[3] They have capacity for 600 passengers and crew and 138 vehicles measuring 6.1 by 2.6 metres (20.0 ft × 8.5 ft). The ferries have several amenities aboard including a cafeteria, a gift shop and areas for children and pets.[1]

Constructed by Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdańsk, Poland, the three vessels of the Salish class were ordered as replacements for the older Queen of Burnaby[4] and Queen of Nanaimo.[5] Salish Orca was the first completed, in November 2016, and entered service on May 15, 2017.[2][6] Salish Eagle was completed in February 2017 and entered service that June.[5][7] Salish Raven was completed in April 2017 and entered service ahead of schedule on August 3, 2017, after Queen of Nanaimo had significant mechanical issues preventing the ship from continued service.[5][8] Salish Raven[9] and Salish Eagle[1] sail on the Southern Gulf Islands–Tsawwassen route. Sailish Orca sails on the Powell River–Comox route.[10] A fourth Salish-class vessel will be built to replace Mayne Queen on the Swartz Bay-Outer Gulf islands route (route 5A).[11]

On November 1, 2019, Remontowa Shipbuilding signed a contract with BC Ferries to build the fourth Salish-class vessel.[12] Construction for the fourth Salish-class vessel began on February 4, 2020.[13] It will complete sea trials in 2021 before arriving in BC to begin service on the Southern Gulf Islands in 2022.[14]

Shortly after entering service, the Salish-class vessels experienced several problems; the first was that there was no galley ventilation system and at times the cafeteria's kitchen would reach extreme temperatures, making it unsafe for crews to work in the kitchen. In early 2018, all three Salish-class vessels had a galley ventilation system installed, fixing the issue. The ships' external doors and elevators were also known to frequently break down, an issue that has been partially resolved.[15]

On November 7, 2019, Salish Raven suffered a malfunction in one of its propellers at roughly 9:30 am after leaving Pender Island. A tugboat arrived to aid the ferry and all its passengers were disembarked by 1:30 pm. The vessel resumed sailing later that day.[16]