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Island Aurora ferry spotted in the Comox Valley

A new ferry is catching the eyes of residents near the Buckley Bay ferry terminal
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The Island Aurora arrived in Port McNeill on Sunday, June 14. (Gaby Wickstrom Facebook photo)

A new ferry is catching the eyes of residents near the Buckley Bay ferry terminal, as the Island Aurora is temporarily at the berth for warranty work.

The second in a series of hybrid-electric ships designed for full-electric operation, the Island Aurora went into service in June 2020 and serves the Port McNeill-Alert Bay-Sointula Island route. It replaced the 51-year-old Quadra Queen II (which became a relief vessel).

RELATED: New BC Ferry ‘Island Aurora’ starts service off Northern Vancouver Island

Astrid Chang, manager of communications for BC Ferries said Buckley Bay is the standard lay-by berth used for vessels out of service in the northern islands. The ferry is there as the corporation is doing warranty work on the ship.

The ferry is set to be out of service from mid-November through mid-December. The warranty work is set to take place at Point Hope Maritime in Victoria and includes upgrades to cabling between main generators and switchboards, work on camshafts, valves and pistons and installation of new life raft doors.

Chang did not indicate how long the vessel will be at the Buckley Bay terminal.



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Erin Haluschak

About the Author: Erin Haluschak

Erin Haluschak is a journalist with the Comox Valley Record since 2008. She is also the editor of Trio Magazine...
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