The Kwuna was out of service for several hours Thursday after a bearing failure in the right-angle drive unit (the thing that makes it go). The 30-year-old ferry is now back in service with the aid of a tugboat, but will remain crippled until early next week, when the new part is expected.
BC Ferries rep Ann Carpenter said that, although this has been a problem in the past, it's been quite some time since the last problem with the drive leg. However, the tiny ferry is no spring chicken, and is seriously in need of some new parts.
"It's all the original equipment," she said, "the Kwuna was built in 1975, and some of the parts really need replacing."
The good news is that the ferry is scheduled for an extensive refit some time in the fall, said Ms Carpenter. The details are still being finalized, and there are still no contracts, she said, but the refit will probably occur sometime in September, when it will get entirely new engines and drive units.