BC Ferries Report Card

VANCOUVER — B.C. Ferries vessels were involved in five near-collisions last year, two of them in constricted Active Pass in the southern Gulf Islands, according to marine reportable incidents for 2009.

That’s the same number as recorded by the fleet in 2008.

The reports, compiled by the federal Transportation Safety Board at the request of the show Vancouver Sun, that on March 13 the 167-metre-long Spirit of British Columbia had a close-quarters situation with the U.S. fishing vessel Falcon at the western entrance to Active Pass.

“The ferry altered hard to starboard to avoid a collision,” the report states.

The 167-metre Spirit of Vancouver Island reported a similar situation with the sailing pleasure craft Callaloo in Active Pass on Dec. 1.

The Spirit of Vancouver Island also had a close call with a pleasure craft on May 15 while approaching the dock at Swartz Bay. “The ferry had to go full astern on its engines to avoid a collision,” the report found.

On June 26, the 54-metre ferry Kahloke narrowly avoided the U.S. fishing vessel Haida Warrior in Lambert Channel, between Hornby and Denman islands.

On Sept. 25, the 139-metre Queen of Alberni reported a close-quarters situation with the crab-fishing vessel Vung Tau off Tsawwassen.

The five incidents are officially labelled “collisions — near.”

B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said the five near-collisions must be compared against the fleet’s 182,500 sailings per year. She described near-collisions as “any time you need to take avoiding action.”

Marshall added it is fleet policy that captains report all incidents to Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board.

She added B.C. Ferries did follow-up investigations on some of the incidents, but refused to provide details.

Among the other reportable incidents involving B.C. Ferries in 2009, a vehicle caught fire Jan. 25 on board the Queen of Vancouver while it was docked at Tsawwassen. Delta fire department put the fire out. Two crew members suffered smoke inhalation.

The Spirit of British Columbia on Oct. 27 “accidentally let go its anchor” while exiting Active Pass, the report found. There were 13 incidents involving mechanical



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