Hullo (ferry)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hullo
At the Downtown Vancouver terminal
LocaleBritish Columbia, Canada
WaterwaySalish Sea
Transit typePassenger ferry
OwnerVancouver Island Ferry
OperatorHullo
Began operationAugust 16, 2023
No. of vessels2
No. of terminalsVancouver
Nanaimo
Websitehullo.com

Hullo, officially the Vancouver Island Ferry Company, is a privately owned passenger ferry service in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It operates four daily sailings between Vancouver and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Each one-way trip takes 75 minutes.

History[edit]

The service was scheduled to begin on August 14, 2023, but was delayed due to power outages in Nanaimo and high winds.[1] Sailings were also cancelled for the following day. The inaugural departure on August 16 was limited to 189 passengers. Only two daily round trips were scheduled for the first weeks of service.[2]

Vessels[edit]

The company's two vessels, spuhéls and sthuqi’, are both Damen-built Fast Ferry 4212 models,[3][4] high-speed catamarans that seat 354 passengers each. They are named for wind and Sockeye salmon in the Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ language used by the Snuneymuxw First Nation on Vancouver Island. The vessels were manufactured in Vietnam and delivered in June 2023.[5] The vessels cannot accommodate electric wheelchairs, scooters, or electric bicycles due to battery fire regulations.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ John Lo, Michael (August 14, 2023). "High winds, power outage force cancellation of first sailings for Hullo passenger ferry". Times Colonist. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "Hullo further delays opening, cuts scheduled sailings through August". Nanaimo News Now. August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  3. ^ sandra (2023-06-30). "The two Damen 4212 class arrived in Vancouver". Ferry Shipping News. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  4. ^ "Fast Ferry 4212 with 40 knots max speed | Damen". www.damen.com. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  5. ^ Chan, Cheryl (June 9, 2023). "New passenger ferry between Nanaimo and Vancouver will begin sailing early August". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Judd, Amy; Ke, Grace (October 9, 2023). "'It's 2023': B.C. woman shocked Hullo Ferries doesn't allow motorized wheelchairs". Global News. Retrieved October 10, 2023.