North Coast ferry passengers face 5-day shutdown

BC Ferries says its only vessel serving the North Coast, the Queen of Prince Rupert,will be out of commission for five days next week because of a leaking engine seal.

The ship will go into dry dock in Alaska on Sunday and not return to the northern route until Friday afternoon.

The corporation said the ferry has been leaking small amounts of oilsince its propellers were damaged by a crab trap last month.

Spokesman Mark Stephanson said Tuesday the ferry is safe to operate untilSunday, calling it a maintenance issue and not a safety issue.

"There areno safety issues at all. This is just necessary maintenance we have to do right now because the leaking sealin of the stern tubes has been leaking since the middle of October."

Stephanson said there will bebarge service for commercial traffic between Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Islands, but there are no plans to accommodate passengers or private vehicles.

The Queen of Prince Rupert has been the only ferry on the North Coast since the Queen of the North sank in March.