On 3 September, a BC Ferries’ Queen of New Westminster experienced a critical failure when its starboard propeller detached from its propulsion shaft, triggering a hydraulic oil spill in Tsawwassen, Canada.
The detached propeller, weighing approximately 4,500 kilograms, fell off the ferry and settled on the seabed. The incident triggered a spill of about 800 liters of light hydraulic oil into the surrounding waters. However, subsequent aerial surveys found no visible pollution.
B.C. Ferries immediately took the vessel out of service and commenced recovery operations, which successfully retrieved the propeller after two days. The company is now focusing on assessing the damage, with initial inspections suggesting that structural fatigue may have caused the propeller shaft to fracture.
Repair work is expected to be extensive and could take up to six months, depending on parts availability and manufacturing timelines. This prolonged downtime has led to the cancellation of all Queen of New Westminster sailings until September 30.
