BC Ferries names newest Island-class Ro-Paxes

BC Ferries revealed the names of its third and fourth Island-class Ro-Pax ferries at a special naming ceremony at Victoria’s Point Hope Maritime on Monday, August 23.

Island Nagalis and Island K’ulut’a are the newest vessels to enter the BC Ferries fleet, allowing two-ship service to begin on the route between Campbell River and Quadra Island in 2022.

The company said the names chosen for the ferries honour the indigenous coastal communities that they will serve. In both Kwakwala and Likwala, two of the dialects of the Kwakwaka’wakw indigenous people, Nagalis means “dawn on the land” and K’ulut’a is the name for “porpoise.”

The Island-class ferries each have the capacity to carry 47 vehicles and up to 400 passengers and crew. They are battery-equipped ships designed for future full electric operation.

The ships are fitted with hybrid technology that will be utilised until shore charging infrastructure becomes available in British Columbia. BC Ferries said that, from the exterior details to the engines, the design of the new vessels reduces underwater radiated noise and lowers emissions.

Like BC Ferries’ other Island-class vessels, Island Nagalis and Island K’ulut’a were built at the facilities of Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.