The MV ''Quinitsa'' is an automobile

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

operated by BC Ferries. It was built in 1977 by Vancouver Shipyards in Vancouver, British Columbia. The ferry was originally part of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways' (MoT) saltwater ferry fleet until 1985, when the MoT's saltwater ferries—including ''Quinitsa''—were transferred to BC Ferries. The 50-car ''Quinitsa'' began service in 1977 on the Nanaimo Harbour ↔ Gabriola Island ferry route, replacing the 30-car ''Kahloke''. Like her predecessor, the ''Quinitsa'' soon became too small and in June 1982, the larger 70-car entered service, replacing ''Quinitsa''. For the rest of 1982 and for most of 1983, she was loaned to BC Ferries. She operated on a variety of routes, including Horseshoe Bay ↔ Bowen Island, Swartz Bay ↔ Fulford Harbour, and she also served the Gulf Islands from Swartz Bay. Upon returning to the MoT, she was placed on the

Buckley Bay Buckley Bay is a geographical location on the east coast of Vancouver Island, located between Union Bay to the north and Fanny Bay to the south. It is the departure point for the BC Ferries crossing of Baynes Sound to Denman Island and on to ...

↔ Denman Island route until 2019, when she replaced the

Howe Sound Queen Howe may refer to: People and fictional characters * Howe (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters * Howe Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845), Irish peer and colonial governor Titles * Earl Howe, two titles, an ex ...

on the Crofton ↔

Vesuvius Bay Vesuvius, also known as Vesuvius Bay, is an unincorporated settlement and ferry terminal on the northwest coast of Saltspring Island in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It is the eastern terminus of a ferry which connects Saltspri ...

(Salt Spring Island) route and remains there on a temporary basis as of 2023. In 2008, she received a mid-life upgrade where she received new engines and generators, as well as a rebuilt bridge structure and a refurbished passenger cabin. In 2018, when unscheduled repairs to the Queen of Cumberland required the

MV Skeena Queen MV ''Skeena Queen'' is a ferry built in 1997 and named after the Skeena River. She was intended to be part of a class of spartan, utilitarian ferries, in the "Century ferry class", designed by the naval architects McLaren and Sons In 1994 the 1 ...

to carry traffic between Pender Island and Swartz Bay in addition to between Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay, the Quinitsa was stationed at Fulford Harbour to provide additional sailings during peak demand on those routes, and to handle some dangerous cargo sailings.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinitsa 1977 ships Ships built in British Columbia