Salish-class ferry

The Salish-class vessels are three intermediate-capacity ferries operated by BC Ferries and were built in 2016 at Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdańsk, Poland. They were the first dual-fuel powered vessels in British Columbia service, capable of using liquified natural gas or diesel oil to operate. Salish Orca entered service on the Comox–Powell River route in May 2017. Salish Eagle entered service on the Tsawwassen–Southern Gulf Islands route in June 2017. Salish Raven entered service for the Southern Gulf Islands on August 3, 2017. These vessels replaced Queen of Nanaimo and Queen of Burnaby.

Salish Raven docked at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in 2018
Class overview
Name:	Salish class
Builders:	Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A., Gdańsk, Poland
Operators:	BC Ferries
Preceded by:	Burnaby class
Built:	2016, 2020
In service:	2017–present
Planned:	4
On order:	1
Building:	1
Completed:	3
Active:	3
General characteristics
Type:	Ferry
Tonnage:	8,728 GT 864 DWT
Displacement:	4,227 long tons (4,295 t)
Length:	107.2 m (351 ft 8 in) oa
Beam:	23.5 m (77 ft 1 in)
Installed power:	5,952 hp (4,438 kW)
Speed:	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Capacity:	600 passengers and crew 138 vehicles

Description

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]

Vessels

Salish class

Name	Year built	Route(s)	Status	Picture
Salish Eagle	2016	17 (Comox–Powell River)	Active
Salish Orca	2015	9 (Southern Gulf Islands)	Active
Salish Raven	2016	9A (Southern Gulf Islands) / refit relief for various routes	Active

Service history

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]

References

1. "Salish Eagle". BC Ferries. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
2. "Salish Orca (9750270)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
3. Wilson, Carla (June 7, 2017). "Last of three Salish-class ferries arrives". Victoria Times-Colonist. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
4. Thomas, Megan (November 22, 2016). "New Salish Orca ferry en route to B.C." CBC News. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
5. Devlin, Megan (August 1, 2017). "New Salish Raven ferry makes inaugural sailing ahead of schedule". CTV News. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
6. Haagen, Ragnar (May 13, 2017). "Salish Orca ready to set sail in B.C. waters". Victoria News. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
7. "Salish Eagle (9750282)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
8. "Salish Raven (9750294)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
9. "Salish Raven". BC Ferries. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
10. "Sailish Orca". BC Ferries. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
11. "Application to the British Columbia Ferries Commissioner For New Salish Class Vessel and Island Class Vessels Routes 5, 19 and 23 November 5 2018" (PDF). BC Ferries. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
12. "Remontowa Shipbuilding will build another LNG ferry for Canada". Remontowa Shipbuilding. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
13. "Building the Fourth Ferry For BC Ferries". Remontowa Shipbuilding. Remontowa Shipbuilding. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
14. "News Release | BC Ferries Fourth LNG-Fuelled Salish Class Vessel Launched". www.bcferries.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
15. Duffy, Andrew (December 15, 2017). "Glitches on new Salish vessels are to be expected, B.C. Ferries says". Times Colonist. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
16. "Ferry passengers back on land after being stranded off Swartz Bay for more than four hours". Times Colonist. November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.