FerryWatch
Board · Route 1 · Major · Vancouver Island
F

Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay

Reliability FPunctuality Dworsening

The worst major route: a 6.4% cancellation rate driven almost entirely by mechanical failures (535 sailings) on an aging fleet — and it leaves vehicles behind on more than half its sailings.

93.6%
sailings completed
reliability F · 6.4% cancelled (mechanical)
77.6%
on-time
punctuality D · within 10 min of schedule
F
overall grade (FY2025)
weakest link — worse of the two

Total cancellations: 590 in FY2025 vs 220 the year before — trend is worsening.

How this route compares

On-time77.6%
system average 84%
Cancelled6.4%
system average 1.4% · scale 0–8%
Left vehicles behind55.2%
system average 15.5% · scale 0–60%
What the cancellations were91% mechanical
mechanical (maintenance) · weather / crew / other

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Documented incidents on this route

Late March 2026
Spirit of Vancouver Island generator failure
Vessel generator failure (Spirit of Vancouver Island)

Recent live delays captured

1:00 pm sailing~12 min late36 hr ago
9:00 pm sailing~18 min late100 hr ago
9:00 pm sailing~16 min late604 hr ago
9:00 pm sailing~30 min late676 hr ago
5:00 pm sailing~30 min late680 hr ago
5:00 pm sailing~30 min late680 hr ago
2:00 pm sailing~15 min late923 hr ago
9:00 pm sailing~12 min late1108 hr ago
3:00 pm sailing~11 min late1186 hr ago
3:00 pm sailing~13 min late1210 hr ago
3:00 pm sailing~33 min late1234 hr ago
11:00 am sailing~20 min late1237 hr ago
9:00 pm sailing~30 min late1252 hr ago
5:00 pm sailing~30 min late1255 hr ago
5:00 pm sailing~30 min late1256 hr ago

Sources