The MV Frances Barkley is back on the water.
The passenger and cargo vessel that connects Port Alberni with west coast communities such as Kildonan, Rainy Bay, east and west Bamfield went in for a regular refit on Jan. 8. However, instead of a six-week stay she ended up sitting in drydock for 14 weeks.
Her return didn't come a moment too soon, Lady Rose Marine Services co-owner Greg Willmon said.
Every three years the ship has to go to Point Hope Maritime Ltd. shipyard for a refit. The crew left Port Alberni for Point Hope on Jan. 8, 2025 and expected the ship would be in drydock鈥攑ulled out of the water for maintenance鈥攆or six to eight weeks.
"It ended up being 14 weeks," Willmon said. "Part of it was delays for parts availability. They found more work than they estimated. The ship is old, it was built in 1958. They underestimated the amount of work they thought it would take."
Some of the parts, such as bearings, had to be manufactured by a company in Ontario especially for the vessel.
The bottom of the ship also received a new coat of paint, since it was out of the water.
On Good Friday, April 18, the ship was back in the water undergoing sea trials with a Lloyds (insurance) inspector. "As soon as we got underway we could tell everything was working great," said Willmon, who was aboard the ship. After an hour of trials the vessel was cleared for travel and the crew embarked on the voyage home. They powered along the west coast and into the Alberni Inlet. "We had a great trip to Port Alberni. The weather was great, the water was fairly flat, we had the tides going with us and the wind going with us in the Inlet."
The ship even picked up half a knot in speed as a result of the work done while in drydock, he added. They made it back within 12 hours. "That's a record for this ship."
The Frances Barkley missed 12 sailings during the extended maintenance period.
While the ship was out of commission Lady Rose Marine had a four-wheel drive truck making regular light freight deliveries to Bamfield, Willmon said. "We could carry up to three passengers so we offered a reduced level of service." The truck would take local residents who needed to get to and from medical or other appointments.
"All the residents of Kildonan, east and west Bamfield have been very understanding of us being out of commission for longer than expected," Willmon said. "Everybody was very understanding."
To welcome people back to the Frances Barkley, Lady Rose Marine is having a two-for-one sale until May 15. Call the office at 250-723-8313 for more information.
