BC Ferries Salish Eagle Makes 1st Stop on Its Way Home

BC Ferries Salish Eagle, the second of BC Ferries three new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered Salish Class vessels, stopped in Santa Cruz, Canary Islands on February 19 for refuelling and provisioning, and is now en route across the Atlantic Ocean to Panama. The vessel, which started its 10,440-nautical-mile Transatlantic journey from Gdansk, Poland on February 11, is expected to arrive in Panama in two weeks, depending on weather conditions, the Canadian ferry owner and operator said. After transiting the Panama Canal, the ship will sail up the west coast of North America to its new home in British Columbia. The 107-meter long Salish Eagle is scheduled to arrive at its destination in April after a 45- to 55-day voyage for crew training and familiarization. The dual-fuel ship will start servicing the Southern Gulf Islands in the summer of 2017, BC Ferries earlier said, adding that it will take final acceptance and ownership of Salish Eagle upon final inspection once the vessel arrives at its home port. BC Ferries first vessel from the batch, the Salish Orca, arrived in British Columbia on January 11, 2017, after a 50-day journey from Gdansk, Poland. The new ship will start service on the Comox-Powell River route in the spring of 2017. The Salish Class ships will carry 145 vehicles and up to 600 passengers and crew. With a gross tonnage of 8,728 tons each, the vessels feature two car decks and have a service speed of 15.5 knots.