MV Queen of New Westminster

History
NameQueen of New Westminster
NamesakeCity of New Westminster
OperatorBC Ferries
Port of registryVictoria
RouteTsawwassenSwartz Bay Tsawwassen ↔️ Duke Point
BuilderVictoria Machinery Depot
CostCA$3.6 million (1962)[1]
Yard number105
Laid downMay 24, 1963
LaunchedMay 12, 1964
In serviceAugust 4, 1964
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Displacement6,122 tonnes
Length130 m (426 ft 6 in)
Installed power16,800hp
PropulsionFour Wärtsilä VASA 9R32 engines
Speed20 knots (37 km/h)
Capacity
  • Passengers:
  • 1,332
  • Vehicles:
  • 270 cars

The MV Queen of New Westminster is a Canadian roll-on, roll-off passenger ferry operated by BC Ferries.[2]

In 1964, the vessel was built as one of seven Victoria class ferries. Like her sister ships, she was lengthened in 1973 at Burrard Dry Dock. After the ship damaged a crankshaft beyond repair, she was re-engined with four Wärtsilä engines, had the car deck platform ramps removed and was raised to add a second car deck at Vancouver Shipyards in 1991. After being raised for a second car deck, she would normally be considered a Victoria class ferry as she shares most of the characteristics of that class, but because of her improved powerplants and higher clearance car decks, she is unique. Her two former sister ships are the Burnaby class vessels Queen of Nanaimo and Queen of Burnaby, which are also not considered Victoria class vessels because they did not receive the additional car deck which created the final Victoria class ferries.

Though her four Victoria class sister ships were all scrapped by 2012, she had a major refit of her passenger areas between late 2007 and early 2009 to prepare her for another ten to fifteen years of service.

  1. ^ 2nd of class - Queen of Vancouver - May 2008 page - archived on 8 January 2021
  2. ^ "Queen of New Westminster - BC Ferries". Oct 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021.