
Built by Victoria Machinery Depot in 1964
Technical Specifications
Overview
MV Queen of New Westminster is a Canadian roll-on/roll-off V-class passenger ferry operated by BC Ferries. The ship was built at Victoria Machinery Depot in Victoria, British Columbia, with the vessel's keel being laid down on May 31, 1963, and launched on July 31, 1964. The ferry entered service in 1964. In 1973 Queen of New Westminster underwent the first major refit at Burrard Dry Dock of the ferry's career. The vessel underwent further refits in 1991 and in 2007 to 2009, the latter extending the ship's service life for a further fifteen years. Queen of New Westminster is the oldest ship in service with BC Ferries.
Live Tracking
Most time stopped at Port of Vancouver — 15 d across 155 stays.
Derived from the AIS track — runs of near-zero speed (anchored, moored or drifting) snapped to the nearest port. Builds up as we observe the vessel.
Intelligence
AIS-derived from our live feed.
Compliance
On 21 January 2026, the ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" reported a fire on the exhaust manifold of one of its engines while proceeding in the Strait of Georgia, BC. The fire was extinguished and the vessel resumed its voyage.
On 03 September 2024, the ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" reported having sustained a total failure of its propulsion system while berthing in Swartz Bay, BC. The vessel was secured alongside and the crew made arrangements for repairs.
On 23 November 2021, the passenger/vehicle ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" reported experiencing engine issues in the Strait of Georgia off Gabriola Island, BC. Using its three other engines at a reduced speed, the vessel was capable of continuing on its voyage.
On 05 October 2021, the passenger/vehicle ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" reported a close quarters situation with a landing craft while in Gosse Passage, 0.25 nautical miles ENE from Piers Island, BC. The ferry took evasive action to prevent a collision.
On 01 April 2021, the passenger/vehicle ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" reported issues with its starboard propulsion pitch control system whilst at the Duke Point terminal, Nanaimo, BC. The vessel travelled to Tsawwassen, BC, without passengers and using the port propulsion system, to perform further inspections and repairs.
On 22 November 2020, the passenger ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" reported that its port rudder was not operational. At the time, the vessel was docked in Nanaimo, BC. The crew carried out repairs.
On 14 July 2013, the BCFS "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" and the P/C "SISTERS" were involved in a close quarters situation near Swartz Bay terminal, B.C. No damage, injuries or pollution reported.
On 23 October 2012, the ferry "QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER" sustained a fire in the bow thruster compartment while departing Tsawwassen, B.C. The fire was extinguished immediately and the vessel returned to dock. One crew treated for smoke inhalation.
Recorded marine occurrences naming this vessel.
Operational Status
Making way at sea speed on its latest broadcast.
Read from the single most-recent AIS broadcast we hold for this hull — we keep no position history, so this is a point-in-time posture, not a dwell inference. Derived in-house from our own AIS feed; weight it by the broadcast age above.
Composite Risk
Multiple adverse factors, or a hard ship-specific signal, lift this hull above the fleet norm.
A coverage-weighted blend of the 2 components we could read for this hull — the weights renormalise over only the components present, so a thin read is never inflated and a hull is never credited a “safe 0” for a signal it has no row for. This headline is flagged low-confidence (a thin or structural-only read) and should not be treated as a verdict. Higher means riskier. Derived in-house from government-open port-State-control, flag, sanctions and our own vessel data; weight it by the coverage above.
Fleet Management

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