The former BC ferry that has been sitting in Port Alberni鈥檚 harbour for four and a half years has been sold.

Mike Surrell, owner of Lady Rose Marine Services, purchased the former MV Tenaka from BC Ferries in 2016 intending to use it as a cargo vessel to complement the business he already does with the MV Frances Barkley.

There was so much interest from people asking if he was going to start a car ferry from Port Alberni up Vancouver Island鈥檚 west coast that he began working with the provincial government on plans to do just that.

However, government red tape makes for slow progress, and the economic strife surrounding the coronavirus pandemic has forced Surrell to sell the vessel.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been bought by a private family who reside in Alaska,鈥� Surrell said Monday, March 8. 鈥淭hey plan to use it in the construction industry up there in some form.鈥�

Surrell sold the ferry for an undisclosed amount of money. He had purchased it in the spring of 2016 after winning a public bidding process through BC Ferries.

The ferry鈥檚 sale dashes any hope of Lady Rose Marine Services providing car ferry service to the west coast. Surrell said although he had been slowly acquiring infrastructure to run a car ferry, the sale of the former MV Tenaka has quashed his plans. He does not intend to look for another ferry once the economy turns around post-COVID-19.

鈥淪hips like that are hard to find. I know the vessel looks ugly but it鈥檚 in very, very good condition.鈥�

Surrell said the ferry will depart Port Alberni around the end of March.

The vessel鈥檚 new owner will have his own crew sail it to Bellingham, Washington to retrofit it to his needs. He will load it with equipment after that and head for Alaska.

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