The following is a summary of some of the incidents that have occurred involving BC Ferries vessels and/or properties.
Vessels
Coastal Celebration On May 5, 2011, Coastal Celebration damaged the dock at Swartz Bay after the vessel reversed into it for a distance of roughly . An investigation found that this was due to an error on the bridge. No one was hurt in the incident, however, damage to Coastal Celebration and the berth at Swartz Bay cost CAN$470,000 to repair.
On November 4, 2015, while the Coastal Celebration was sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, a man launched one of the ship's 100-person life rafts before jumping overboard. The man then swam to Galiano Island while the ferry recovered the life raft and launched rescue craft to recover the man, who was later arrested on Galiano Island after breaking into a home.
On December 17, 2018, the Coastal Celebration rescued a man from a sinking vessel near Moresby Passage in dark and stormy conditions. All remaining sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay were cancelled that night.
Coastal Inspiration On December 20, 2011, at 2:50 p.m., the Coastal Inspiration crashed into the Duke Point terminal, causing minor injuries to one passenger and crew member. The collision damaged the loading ramp, and foot passengers were held up for an hour before being unloaded; the vessel was rerouted to Departure Bay to unload its vehicle traffic. An electrical component failure in the propulsion control system was blamed for the crash. The ferry was taken out of service for repairs before resuming service on January 20, 2012. The damage caused the Duke Point terminal to be closed for five months, resulting in all services from Tsawwassen being rerouted into Departure Bay. The terminal reopened for service on May 1, 2012.
On August 27, 2020, a man travelling from Duke Point to Tsawwassen on board the Coastal Inspiration fell overboard. He was rescued by a nearby vessel, handed off to a BC Ferries rescue boat, then finally transferred to a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft and transported to shore.
On August 25, 2022, the RCMP were called to meet the Coastal Inspiration after it was forced to turn around and return to the Duke Point ferry terminal in the middle of a sailing to Tsawwassen, after two men travelling together caused a disturbance by acting strangely. Police immediately arrested one of men for possible drug intoxication after finding him sleeping naked in a car parked facing the wrong direction, and launched a missing-persons case for the other after surveillance camera footage revealed that he had walked off the ferry and gotten into a waiting taxi before police arrived. He was found safe hours later and had his vehicle (which was towed off the ferry and impounded) returned to him, however the continuation of the ferry's sailing was also delayed until the early hours of the next morning as a result.
On April 22, 2026, a fire broke out in the galley of the Coastal Inspiration as it was holding in dock at the Duke Point ferry terminal, after a bearing in the ventilation shaft overheated. The crew quickly detected smoke in the galley, located and extinguished the blaze, and made the necessary repairs while awaiting clearance from Transport Canada to resume sailings. The Coastal Inspiration was left running two hours behind schedule as a result of this incident.
Klitsa On September 5, 2025, the crew of Klitsa rescued a man who had fallen off of his dinghy and into the water near Brentwood Bay. A couple spotted the man flailing in the water as the vessel was in transit on a sailing bound for Mill Bay, and alerted the crew. The captain immediately made an announcement to inform passengers of the incident, then reversed the ferry to locate the man, who was retrieved from the water unharmed shortly thereafter. The man was able to return to his dinghy and proceeded back to shore under his own power. The next sailing from Mill Bay departed approximately 35 minutes behind schedule as a result of this incident.
Langdale Queen On January 23, 1966, the Langdale Queen ran over a rowboat at Horseshoe Bay, both occupants of which survived.
Malaspina Sky On June 8, 2025, at approximately 7:30am, a 66-year-old man crashed his pickup truck into the galley ramp on board the Malaspina Sky while the vessel was docked at Saltery Bay, undergoing vehicle loading in advance of a sailing bound for Earls Cove. The RCMP were called and driver was issued a $552 ticket for Improper brake performance, while the vehicle had to be towed from the vessel. The Malaspina Sky was left running delayed for several sailings afterwards, as an inspection was required to ensure the integrity of its structure.
Mayne Queen On November 7, 1995, the Mayne Queen departed from Snug Cove and ran into a neighbouring marina, heavily damaging a floating dock in addition to 12 small pleasure boats, one of which sank. The crash was primarily attributed to human error and while transferring steering and power control from one control panel to the other located in the ship. The vessel's captain was also inexperienced with Mayne Queen and normally piloted other vessels. The captain then promptly left the scene of the accident after the incident without conducting a proper damage assessment.Canadian Transportation Safety Board report on 1995 Mayne Queen accident
On August 12, 1996, the Mayne Queen departed Swartz Bay terminal and ran aground off Piers Island after losing steering control. The grounding occurred while performing a regular weekly test of the batteries for the steering control system. A crew member overheard there was going to be a test, and in an attempt to be helpful, and without direction, cut all power from the vessel's steering batteries, as he had done at night when the ship was stored. However, he did not realize that the test in question only required the removal of a battery charger and that his assistance was neither requested nor required. No one was injured in the incident, and the vessel was assisted off the rocks at high tide, but it suffered extensive damage to its propulsion system, having two of the four steering and propulsion pods for the right-angle drives sheared off and one of the two remaining pods suffering propeller damage.Canadian Transportation Safety Board report on 1996 Mayne Queen accident
Mill Bay On May 29, 1989, the Mill Bay ran aground near the Mill Bay ferry terminal.
Northern Sea Wolf On November 22, 2019, the Northern Sea Wolf hit a log while underway. The log strike damaged both propellers, necessitating dry-docking the vessel for repairs. She was replaced by the smaller ferry . In April 2020, BC Ferries announced that Northern Sea Wolf would not run during the 2020 season due to decreased travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The off-season schedule would continue to be run by the Nimpkish, until the Northern Sea Wolf returned to service in the latter half of 2020.
Queen of Alberni
In 1979, the Queen of Alberni ran aground in Active Pass. Many cars and trucks were damaged when the ship tilted, with some left completely overturned. There were no major injuries recorded, and the only casualty was a racehorse that was being transported in a trailer on the vehicle deck.
Misfortune struck again in 1989 when the ship smashed into the dock at the Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo. Six people were injured.
On March 12, 1992, at 8:08 a.m., the Queen of Alberni collided with the Japanese freighter Shinwa Maru southwest of Tsawwassen. The collision occurred in heavy fog, with both vessels suffering minor damage. Of the 260 people on board the ferry at the time, 2 sustained serious injuries and 25 sustained minor injuries, while all 11 people aboard the freighter walked away unharmed.
On January 8, 2025, a passenger went overboard from the Queen of Alberni due to undisclosed reasons, as the vessel arrived at the Tsawwassen terminal. Due to the extraordinary performance of the deck officers and crew, the passenger was recovered from the water and was safely handed over to emergency responders.
Queen of Burnaby On August 25, 1966, the Queen of Burnaby broke loose from her mooring at the Departure Bay ferry terminal while her engines were being run in the early morning. The variable-pitch propellers were not left in the neutral position as was standard, and no crew was present on the bridge. The ferry was recovered after the anchor was dropped and the captain was shuttled to the vessel, allowing the day's sailings to continue as scheduled.
Queen of Capilano On February 2, 2025, the Queen of Capilano collided with 3 docked boats at the Bowen Island Marina dock in Snug Cove, The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. as the ferry was departing from Bowen Island. The collision caused significant damage to the dock and the 3 vessels. No injuries were reported. Following the collision, the ferry completed several morning sailings. However, starting with the 10:15 a.m. departure from Horseshoe Bay, BC Ferries canceled 14 sailings due to mechanical difficulties related to the propulsion system. Service resumed with the 6:50 p.m. sailing after the vessel underwent sea trials as required by Transport Canada.
Queen of Coquitlam
On October 19, 1980, the Queen of Coquitlam sustained 3 million dollars' worth of damage after a leak in the Burrard Shipyard floating dry dock caused the vessel to develop a starboard list.
In October 1995, the vessel lost power and slammed into pilings at Horseshoe Bay, damaging her bow.
On June 18, 2025, footage surfaced on social media of an unidentified individual operating a water scooter in a reckless manner near the Queen of Coquitlam while the vessel was in transit on a sailing between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay. The scooter operator was seen speeding up behind the vessel before turning and cutting underneath of its stern. A BC Ferries spokesperson confirmed that the incident had been reported to the Sunshine Coast RCMP, who immediately launched an investigation, as the act was both dangerous and illegal. Furthermore, BC Ferries urged the boating public to refrain from performing similar stunts and to keep their distance from moving vessels when on the water.
Queen of Cowichan On August 12, 1985, three occupants were killed when the Queen of Cowichan ran over a pleasure craft near the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. The BC Court of Appeal found the Queen of Cowichan to be two-thirds at fault and ordered that $500,000 in damages be paid.
On June 19, 2018, the vessel launched a rescue boat to recover a man who went overboard near Bowen Island, after the ferry had departed Horseshoe Bay for Nanaimo. The man was transferred to nearby Coast Guard vessel, and the ferry experienced minor delays in the continuation of its sailing.
On October 19, 2019, a crew member was significantly injured after being hit by the vessel's bow door which was having trouble opening at Horseshoe Bay terminal. BC Ferries subsequently cancelled the next round trip to Departure Bay and back.
On February 21, 2021, the RCMP were called to meet the vessel as it arrived at the Departure Bay ferry terminal, after two intoxicated women (aged 19 and 43) acted belligerently and caused a disturbance while refusing to wear masks while on a sailing from Horseshoe Bay, during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the women then threatened to kill one of the two responding RCMP officers, while the other threatened to sue both officers for false arrest and ensure they lost their pensions. The women were arrested for mischief and public intoxication, and were held in jail overnight. The officers elected not to pursue criminal charges and instead the pair were released the next day after being issued $920 worth of tickets each for violating COVID-19 restrictions and acting abusively.