BC Ferries expects the arrival of its newest ship in Victoria later today. 

Photo credit: BC Ferries BC Ferries’ newest boat, the Island 6, will partially be powered by battery power.

Island 6, a temporary name given to the ship, is scheduled to service the Nanaimo Harbour—Gabriola Island route in 2022 after it completes inspection at Point Hope Maritime in Victoria. 

The ferry is part of a new series of ships that use hybrid technology, which according to the company means reduced emissions and underwater noise from the boat, a step in a larger effort by BC ferries to steer towards more environmentally friendly ways to power their fleet. 

When it arrives in Victoria, the ship will have completed a 72-day trip from its place of construction in Galati, Romania, to Point Hope Maritime, where BC Ferries will officially take ownership of it. The organization plans to unveil a name for the boat in the coming months, as it did recently with the Island Kwigwis, previously known as Island 5. 

You may be able to catch a glimpse of the Island’s newest boat, as it passes by the Upper Harbour area near downtown Victoria sometime today.