Hullo (ferry)
{{Short description|Passenger ferry service in Canada}}
{{Infobox Water transit
| name = Hullo Ferries
| logo = Hullo logo.svg
| logo_size = 150
| image = Hullo Ferry Sthuqi'-a.jpg
| caption = At the Downtown Vancouver terminal
| locale = British Columbia, Canada
| waterway = Salish Sea
| transit_type = Passenger ferry
| began_operation = August 16, 2023
| ended_operation =
| system_length =
| draft =
| lines =
| hub =
| vessels = 2
| terminals = Vancouver
Nanaimo
| ridership =
| operator = Hullo
| owner = Vancouver Island Ferry
| website = {{URL|https://www.hullo.com|hullo.com}}
}}
Hullo, officially the Vancouver Island Ferry Company, is a privately owned passenger ferry service in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It operates up to 6 daily sailings between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Each one-way trip takes around 75 minutes.
History
The Vancouver Island Ferry Company was founded in 2022 with funding from Conqora Capital Partners and InfraRed Capital Partners. It is the fifth venture to attempt such a ferry service, following the previous service, HarbourLynx, which ceased operations in February 2006.{{Cite web |url=https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/hullo-aims-succeed-where-other-ferry-operators-have-failed-8273020 |title=Hullo aims to succeed where other ferry operators have failed |date=August 22, 2023 |access-date=July 14, 2024 |website=Business in Vancouver |last=Korstrom |first=Glen}}
The service was scheduled to begin with a soft launch on August 14, 2023, but was delayed due to power outages in Nanaimo and high winds.{{cite news |last=John Lo |first=Michael |date=August 14, 2023 |title=High winds, power outage force cancellation of first sailings for Hullo passenger ferry |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/business/new-foot-passenger-ferries-between-nanaimo-and-vancouver-to-set-sail-today-7402531 |work=Times Colonist |accessdate=August 14, 2023}} Sailings were also cancelled for the following day. The inaugural departure on August 16 was limited to 189 passengers. Only two daily round trips were scheduled for the first weeks of service.{{cite news |date=August 14, 2023 |title=Hullo further delays opening, cuts scheduled sailings through August |url=https://nanaimonewsnow.com/2023/08/14/hullo-further-delays-opening-cuts-scheduled-sailings-through-august/ |work=Nanaimo News Now |accessdate=August 16, 2023}}
In May 2024, Hullo announced it had served 250,000 passengers within its first nine months of service.{{Cite web |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/business/hullo-ferries-hits-250000-passenger-mark-anticipates-busy-summer-8822233 |title=Hullo Ferries hits 250,000-passenger mark, anticipates busy summer |date=May 25, 2024 |accessdate=July 14, 2024 |last=Wilson |first=Carla}}
On its one-year anniversary in August 2024, Hullo announced it had served 400,000 passengers in its first year, or approximately 1,100 people daily.
Vessels
The company's two vessels, spuhéls and sthuqi’, are both Damen-built Fast Ferry 4212 models,{{Cite web |date=June 30, 2023|title=The two Damen 4212 class arrived in Vancouver |url=https://ferryshippingnews.com/the-two-damen-4212-class-arrived-in-vancouver/ |access-date=December 30, 2023 |website=Ferry Shipping News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Fast Ferry 4212 with 40 knots max speed {{!}} Damen |url=https://www.damen.com/vessels/ferries/fast-ferries/fast-ferry-4212 |access-date=December 30, 2023 |website=www.damen.com |language=en}} high-speed catamarans that seat 354 passengers each. They are named for wind and Sockeye salmon in the Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ language used by the Snuneymuxw First Nation on Vancouver Island. The vessels were manufactured in Vietnam and delivered in June 2023.{{cite news |last=Chan |first=Cheryl |date=June 9, 2023 |title=New passenger ferry between Nanaimo and Vancouver will begin sailing early August |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/new-passenger-ferry-nanaimo-vancouver-begin-sailing-early-august |work=Vancouver Sun |accessdate=August 14, 2023}} The vessels do not accommodate electric bicycles due to battery fire regulations.{{cite news |last1=Judd |first1=Amy |last2=Ke |first2=Grace |date=October 9, 2023 |title='It's 2023': B.C. woman shocked Hullo Ferries doesn't allow motorized wheelchairs |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10014096/hullo-ferries-motorized-wheelchairs-batteries/ |publisher=Global News |accessdate=October 10, 2023}}