B.C. Ferries vessel will be out of commission for weeks, affecting major Island-Mainland route

One of B.C. Ferries' largest vesselsthat services the busy routebetween Nanaimo and Metro Vancouverwill be out of commission for weeks, the company's president says.

A mechanical issue that occurred with the motor of the Coastal Renaissance forced the ferry operator to cancel four sailings Wednesday evening and another four sailings Thursday.

"This is not a simple fix. This is in fact a very complicated fix that will take an extended period of time," president and CEO Nicolas Jimenezsaid in a Thursday media briefing.

The Thursday sailings cancelled are the 9a.m. and 2p.m. sailings from Duke Point in Nanaimo and the 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. sailings from Tsawwassen in Metro Vancouver.

B.C. Ferries says the Queen of Alberni will sail in place of the ship for the remainder of the day's sailings. The Coastal Inspiration continues to sail as scheduled on the route.

Jimenez says the operator is looking at offering more sailings, perhaps earlier in the morning or later at night, while the Coastal Renaissance is out of commission. The ferry has the capacity to carry 310 vehicles and 1,604 passengers and crew, according to the B.C. Ferries website.

The company says it will contact customers booked on the affectedsailings to let them know if there is space on alternativesailings later in the day or if the booking must be cancelled and refunded.

It's the latest instance of B.C. Ferries cancelling sailings due to mechanical issues this summer, followinga series of problems with the Coastal Celebration vesselthat services the busy Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route.