Although Island Ferries has come up against numerous delays and challenges, determination looks to be paying off for in recent news, Island Ferries has announced positive progress in negotiations with the Port of Vancouver and TransLink. This venture will include two new high-speed catamaran ships which are currently being built in Singapore at a cost of $40 million. The anticipated launch date is sometime this summer 2019.
Frequent daily trips are planned between both cities, with voyage travel time one way being a little over one hour with a starting fare of approximately $25. Each vessel will be able to hold 376 passengers and travel speed would be a maximum of 75 km per hour.
The exciting news for passengers is the intention of this new Nanaimo-Vancouver ferry service to be an affordable commuter option. People living in Nanaimo would now have more opportunities to live here and commute to work in Vancouver. Nanaimo has been discovered as a beautiful location to own a home at a fraction of the cost of homes in Vancouver which has some of the most expensive real estate in Canada. Working professionals can settle and raise a family in Nanaimo and still keep their Vancouver vocation.
Day trips would now be extremely easy and weekends away a much more affordable possibility. Enjoy the fun of Vancouver with literally hundreds of indoor and outdoor activities to entertain kids and adults alike. Vancouver’s world class public transit system makes for a very easy and convenient way to travel around the city.
Stay tuned! So many possibilities abound with the anticipated launch of these new high speed ferries!
Resources for this blog are from the following articles: