As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, operational guidelines call for regular and frequent safety drills for all crew members on every ferry. 

Over 1,000 drills will be conducted this year to ensure the highest safety standards for our ferries and crews. 

In the event of an emergency, always follow the instructions of ferry’s personnel. 

Important: in the case of an emergency, elevators are not available and vehicle access may be prohibited.

Emergency signals

The following signals are used to crew members to an emergency:

• Fire
  Continuous ringing of the alarm bell.
• Person overboard
  Three long soundings of the whistle and general alarm bell. Keep outer decks clear where rescue operations are underway.
• Boat/Raft stations
  Seven (or more) short soundings, followed by one long sounding of the ferry’s general alarm and/or whistle.

Signals will be followed by an announcement explaining the nature of the emergency. If you hear a signal, don’t panic. Our crew will take immediate charge of the situation and clearly explain exactly what to do.

Evacuation

If the ferry needs to be evacuated, there are two marine evacuation chute stations on each side of the main passenger deck, which deploy into inflatable rafts.

Each system contains two chutes and four integral life rafts. The inflatable chutes are easy for passengers to use to slide down to a life raft. For passengers unable to use the chutes, there are supplementary life rafts fitted under the rescue boat cranes.

• The four systems combined have an evacuation capacity of 1,720 people  
• In total, the life rafts can accommodate more people than the maximum the ferry can carry

Should there ever be a need to evacuate the ferry, crew members will direct you to an evacuation area.

Rescue boats

This ferry carries two rescue boats to assist with life raft maneuvering, emergency response, and passenger recovery. Rescue boats will tow life rafts to safety.

Life jackets

Life jackets are stowed in clearly marked lockers on the passenger deck and sun deck.

Three sizes of life jackets are available:

• One for infants less than 33 pounds (15 kg) 
• One for children up to 90 pounds (41 kg) 
• One for adults

In the unlikely event of an emergency, crew members will instruct you on the proper use of your life jacket.

Fire suppression

Fire extinguishers are located in all interior and exterior passenger deck areas, plus:

• Manual deluge systems on the vehicle deck
• A manual CO2 smothering system in the Engine Room
• The machinery spaces are also fitted with a local water mist system over main machinery and generators
• The manual pull alarm stations are installed in passenger areas, in vehicle areas and in the Engine Room

Stability

This ferry meets all Canadian stability requirements including the TP 10943 (SOLAS ’90 (Safety of Life at Sea)) damage stability standards for two compartment damage.

Watertight

The hull is subdivided into 13 watertight compartments. Two automated watertight doors are fitted. Watertight integrity is monitored continuously from the bridge. All watertight opening and hatches are inspected, tested, and serviced annually.

Monitoring for safety

This ferry has video cameras installed, allowing the bridge and engineering crew to continuously monitor all areas of the ferry and remotely activate safety systems quickly. The crew also maintains regular inspection rounds of the ferry during the sailing.

View schedule for the route between Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) and Nanaimo (Departure Bay)

Get tips for travelling with pets

Enjoy a light meal or a quick snack

Find the perfect gift on board at Passages

Catch a Coastal Naturalist presentation (summer only)

Back to our ferries

The information on this page applies to the Queen of Oak Bay only. Locations and complement of safety equipment on other ferries will vary.

Important: Ferries are periodically modified. BC Ferries does not accept any responsibility or liability for any errors in the information provided.

To ensure a safe and comfortable journey for all passengers, BC Ferries provides a variety of accessibility options, including discounted passenger fares, assistance getting on and off the ferry, and wheelchairs to borrow for boarding.

The Queen of Oak Bay has accessible washrooms on Deck 5 and three elevators on board.

During extreme weather, passenger elevators may be unavailable due to safety regulations.

If you use a wheelchair, let the agent at the ticket booth know when you arrive, and we will do our best to arrange for you to park as close as possible to an elevator.

Assistance in an emergency

If you would require assistance in the event of an emergency, inform the ticket agent at the terminal and a crew member on the ferry.  

Learn more about BC Ferries accessibility.