Langdale ramp failure
Operator fault — equipmentCompensable
An equipment failure within BC Ferries' control — not weather — that held paying customers for the better part of a day on a peak long-weekend Saturday.
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The facts
| Date | Saturday, May 16, 2026 |
| Route | Horseshoe Bay – Langdale (Route 3 (HSB–LNG)) |
| Terminal affected | Langdale (backups cascaded to Horseshoe Bay) |
| Cause | Upper car ramp mechanical failure |
| Cause category | Infrastructure / equipment — within operator control (not weather) |
| Resolution | BC Ferries repaired the upper car ramp; full two-deck loading resumed at the 6:30 PM departure from Langdale. |
What happened
A mechanical failure of the upper car ramp at the Langdale terminal restricted Route 3 to single-deck vehicle loading. Vehicle backups cascaded across the route and built up at Horseshoe Bay, holding standby traffic for hours on the Victoria Day long weekend.
- The upper car ramp at Langdale failed mechanically, cutting Route 3 to single-deck loading.
- Vehicle capacity per sailing was roughly halved; the queue backed up at Horseshoe Bay.
- Drive-up standby riders waited up to ~6 hours past their intended sailing.
- The ramp was repaired in time for the 6:30 PM Langdale departure.