Salish Eagle to arrive in April and will be in service in summer of 2017
Salish Eagle to arrive in April and will be in service in summer of 2017 VICTORIA – BC Ferries’ Salish Eagle, the second of three new Salish Class vessels, is on its way. The vessel departed Gdansk, Poland on February 11, 2017, for a 10,440 nautical mile journey bound for its new home in British Columbia.
Salish Eagle departs Gdansk, Poland on Saturday, February 11, 2017 – Photo courtesy of Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A
The Transatlantic voyage will take approximately 45 to 55 days, depending on weather. The journey will include stops for refuelling in Santa Cruz, Canary Islands and Panama City, Panama, after transiting the Panama Canal and sailing up the west coast of North America to British Columbia.
Salish Eagle, BC Ferries’ second dual-fuel vessel, is scheduled to arrive in B.C. in April for crew training and familiarization. The ship is scheduled to start service in the Southern Gulf Islands in the summer.
“We are looking forward to introducing all three new Salish Class vessels into service this year, which will serve British Columbians for decades to come,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ President and CEO. “We plan to operate these ships on natural gas, which will improve our environmental footprint and reduce our operating costs.”
The artwork created to adorn Salish Eagle, designed by Stz'uminus First Nation’s John Marston, will be applied on the ship when it arrives in B.C. The winter weather in Poland has temperatures below ideal for the application.
BC Ferries will take final acceptance and ownership of Salish Eagle upon final inspection once the vessel arrives in B.C. Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. is responsible to deliver the ship to B.C. and has contracted with a professional international ship delivery specialist. Some of BC Ferries’ crew members are on various legs of the voyage for training and familiarization.
Under contract to the Province of British Columbia, BC Ferries is the service provider responsible for the delivery of safe, efficient and dependable ferry service along coastal British Columbia.
Source: BC Ferries