Tugboat brings in B.C. ferry after mechanical failure on busy Easter weekend

A B.C. Ferries vessel had to be assisted into Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver by a tugboat after suffering a mechanical failure at the end of the busy holiday weekend.

The company says the problem with the Queen of Coquitlam's pitch control has been repaired and testing was conducted before its return to service later Monday afternoon.

B.C. Ferries says passengers and vehicles were off-loaded just before 2:40 p.m. PT, and the company hired three water taxis to shuttle travellers who were booked on other sailings.

Two round trip sailings of the ferry between Langdale on the Sunshine Coast and Horseshoe Bay had to be cancelled due to the mechanical issue.

B.C. Ferries says the tugboat was used to assist the ferry out of an "abundance of caution." 

"We know you have important places to be and apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced as a result of the earlier sailing cancellations," the company wrote in a statement.

The 49-year-old Queen of Coquitlam vessel can hold 314 vehicles. 

"Both vessels supporting this route this weekend are approaching 50 years of age," a B.C. Ferries spokesperson wrote in a statement.

"As vessels age, maintenance becomes more frequent and complex — reinforcing the importance of our long-term fleet renewal strategy to improve reliability, add capacity, and better support growing demand."