Island 8 stands ready at the Damen Shipyard in Galati, Romania, just before being launched. It is one of the four new Island Class being built to be assigned to the Gabriola and Campbell River ferry routes. BC Ferries photo.
Derek Kilbourn
Sounder News
BC Ferries has now launched its 8th Island Class vessel at Damen Shipyards in Galati, Romania – one of the hybrid-electric Island Class vessels which will be serving either the Gabriola or Quadra island routes next year.
“The launch is just one part of a much bigger story, steeped in tradition and marking meaningful progress for BC Ferries’ Island Class program. We believe that each of these four new ships will bring tangible benefits to coastal communities here in British Columbia,” said Ed Hooper, Head of Fleet Renewal at BC Ferries. “As these vessels get closer to their arrival in BC, we’re hard at work preparing our terminals to welcome them into service.”
The launch marks the structural completion of the hull and the first time the vessel is transferred to the water.
The four new Island Class vessels are expected to enter service in 2026, and will provide continued two-ship service on the routes between Quadra Island (Quathiaski Cove) and Campbell River, and between Nanaimo Harbour and Gabriola Island (Descanso Bay).
Work is slated to begin this fall on the Nanaimo Harbour terminal to prepare it for the arrival of the electric-hybrid Island Class vessels. While there are sailing cancellations which will take place this fall due to the terminal construction, the specific dates and times of those sailings has not been announced.
The current Island Class ships serving those two routes will be used to increase capacity for other ferry-dependent communities.
The Island Nagalis will move to connecting Quadra (Heriot Bay terminal) and Cortes (Whaletown terminal) islands, which BC Ferries says will almost double passenger and vehicle capacity on that route.
To prepare for this change, BC Ferries is undertaking major upgrades at the Heriot Bay and Whaletown terminals, introducing new modernized berths capable of accommodating the larger Island Class vessel. To minimize service disruptions for customers travelling on this route, a temporary operations trestle was recently constructed at the Heriot Bay terminal, a solution developed in partnership with local contractors that is designed to allow ferry service to continue while the original ramp is removed and replaced.
Most of the project’s materials and components are being sourced and manufactured here in British Columbia, with fabrication taking place in Delta, Cowichan Bay, Duncan, and Campbell River.
Construction work at both terminals is well underway, expected to be completed by summer 2026 in time for the arrival of the new Island Class vessels.
BC Ferries says these projects are part of BC Ferries’ ongoing fleet renewal work, a system-wide effort to replace aging vessels and upgrade terminal infrastructure to enable delivery of the modern, efficient, and reliable ferry service that British Columbians expect.
BC Ferries has eight more vessels scheduled to be delivered by 2031, including the four new lsland Class ferries and four New Major Vessels (NMVs).
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