The front hull of the Coastal Renaissance

BC Ferries’ representatives were on hand for a special ceremony held yesterday for the Coastal Renaissance, the first of three Super C-class vessels to be built by German shipbuilder FSG.

B.C. Ferries CEO David Hahn says the launch of a new class of ship marks a "significant milestone” for the fleet. The new ships will be the largest double-ended ferries in the world, carrying 370 vehicles and 1,650 passengers across the Strait of Georgia at a service speed of 21 knots.

Hahn says the company will replace 26 of its 36 vessels within the next fifteen years, with seven ships being introduced in the next two years alone.

The Coastal Renaissance is scheduled to leave Germany for Canada in late October and to be in service between B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island by early 2008. The second and third vessels – to be named Coastal Inspiration and Coastal Celebration – are set for delivery later next year. All three ships should be in service crossing the Strait of Georgia by the summer of 2008.