Last of six Island Class ferries ordered by BC Ferries arrives safely

BC Ferries took delivery as scheduled in December 2021 of the last of the six newly built Island Class ferries.

This sixth eco-efficient vessel was officially named Island Gwawis at Victoria’s Point Hope Maritime Shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia, on January 11. The name, which means ‘raven of the sea,’ was chosen in consultation with the Namgis First Nation.

The series of Island Class vessels is replacing larger ships to provide customers with a more frequent service with a higher capacity per hour. Each Island Class ferry has the capacity to transport at least 47 vehicles and up to 400 passengers and crew. The switch is expected to reduce the lineup of waiting vehicles and thereby the congestion on local roads. This will also eliminate the need to use more green space to accommodate traffic.

Once electric charging technology can be installed at terminals, the hybrid vessels will be reconfigured to operate solely as battery-electric ferries powered by renewable hydroelectricity. The six new hybrid ferries allow for both more efficient fleet redeployments and the retirement of existing diesel-fueled vessels.