BC Ferries says work will begin Monday to repair the damage to the pontoon at Langdale terminal’s Berth 1.
The structure was damaged when it was hit by the Queen of Surrey as it was coming in to dock on March 16. The incident caused significant damage to the ferry, which has since returned to service, and left passengers stranded on board for around 10 hours.
The damage to the pontoon was not serious enough to make it unusable, however it’s still expected to take at least three weeks to repair.
In a service notice issued May 29, Ferries said it will do the work on weekdays and within the hours set out in local noise bylaws for construction.
The company is brining in a water-based crane, welding and pneumatic equipment and cement trucks will be making concrete deliveries.
“Noise levels are expected to be significant for specific tasks,” said the company. “But all efforts will be made to minimize the durations of these sound generating activities.”
The work is not expected to have any impact on the sailings between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay or Langdale to Gambier and Keats islands and foot passengers will still board from Berth 1, the public float and the usual dock for the Stormaway.
Ferries expects to finish the work by June 21.
BC Ferries is continuing its internal investigation into the March 26 incident. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said after an initial investigation it ruled the incident was a “Class 5 occurrence,” which is one where a formal investigation and report “has little likelihood of identifying new safety lessons that will advance transportation safety.”
