Coastal-class ferries, also known as the "Super-C class" are three ferries owned and operated by BC Ferries of British Columbia, Canada and were built at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Flensburg, Germany. They are the second-largest ships in the BC Ferries fleet, surpassed only by the two larger, single-ended Spirit-class ferries. At the time of their building, the three ships were the largest double-ended ferries in the world, however the record has since been surpassed.

The three ferries (, , and ) were ordered by BC Ferries to replace the aging V-class ferries. They operate on three of the busiest routes connecting the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island: Tsawwassen↔Swartz, Tsawwassen↔Duke Point, and Horseshoe Bay↔Departure Bay.

Description

The Coastal class of ferries is composed of three ships, Coastal Renaissance, Coastal Inspiration and Coastal Celebration. At launch they were the largest double-ended ferries in the world. The three ships are long overall and between perpendiculars with a beam of . They have a maximum draught of . All three vessels have the same maximum displacement of , but have varying tonnages; Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Celebration have a gross tonnage (GT) of 21,777 The engines are split into two main compartments and each compartment can run independently. This was a controversial decision, which led to Canadian shipbuilders protesting the decision. The first new Coastal-class vessel, Coastal Renaissance, departed for British Columbia on October 27, 2007, and arrived on December 13, 2007. She entered service on the Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay run on March 8, 2008.

thumb|Coastal Inspiration in the [[Strait of Georgia on June 25, 2008]]

Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Inspiration operate on the Duke Point to Tsawwassen route. Coastal Celebration serves the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route. Coastal Renaissance also serves the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route during peak seasons.

On December 20, 2011, Coastal Inspiration collided with the terminal at Duke Point while travelling at , damaging the lower vehicle ramp at the terminal and causing damage to the vessel. 16 were injured in the collision and the bow door, the starboard side shell, and the rubbing plate on the ship were damaged. Coastal Inspiration was then redirected to the Departure Bay terminal with the assistance of a tugboat to disembark passengers and vehicles. The vessel's return to service was delayed at least twice. Repairs are estimated to have cost approximately $3 million. She returned to service on March 4, 2024, after being out of service for just under seven months.

References

  • BC Ferries Newbuild Program