The Port and the Princess

The Port Alberni Port Authority has been the resting place of the Princess Jacqueline since October 27, 2008. Although she has been moored at our terminals all this time the Port Authority does not own the vessel nor does it have any intention of owning her.
As outlined on the Westcoastferries.ca website the vessel operated for BC Ferries as The Queen of Esquimalt from 1963 until 2008. During its years of operation the ferry had a passenger capacity of 1,630 and employed a crew of 27 while holding up to 376 vehicles. Upon her decommission from the BC Ferries fleet on May 25, 2008 after her last sailing on March 14th of that year she was sold to Chinese interests and registered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In anticipation of the vessel’s originally planned trans-Pacific sailing the ship was sailed to Port Alberni where work commenced by that ownership group to prepare her for this journey.
While the vessel has certainly been moored at Port Alberni Terminals longer than expected the Port Authority is working through proper procedures to ensure that she is, first and foremost, safely secured and monitored. Meanwhile, we continue to work through appropriate channels and procedures to ensure that the current owner, or possibly new owner, will satisfy the vessel’s outstanding obligations and safely and expeditiously remove her from Port Alberni.
There have been a variety of interests and potential uses proposed for this vessel as expressed to the Port Authority; particularly of late. The Port Authority never has had the intent, desire, nor the jurisdiction and mandate to judge whatever those interests and proposed uses may be. So long as the interested party has the ways and means to satisfy the outstanding obligations and ability to safely and expeditiously remove the ship the Port Authority has encouraged each party that has contacted it about the ship to conduct its necessary due diligence, and assisted where appropriate. Beyond that, we have not and will not intervene in any qualified parties efforts to acquire and remove the vessel. To this end, the Port Alberni Port Authority looks forward to the day when the Princess Jacqueline makes her graceful departure from Port Alberni.