Hullo ships remained in dock Monday morning with its debut sailing cancelled due to wind, however the service is now operational with four daily round trips scheduled. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

anchors away

Wind cancels debut sailing of new Nanaimo-Vancouver fast ferry, what travellers can expect once on board

Aug 14, 2023 | 5:50 AM

NANAIMO — After years of planning and preparations, a new fast-ferry connection between the Harbour City and Lower Mainland is officially underway, albeit a little delayed.

Hullo’s inaugural sailing was scheduled to leave the Nanaimo cruise ship terminal at 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14, but Mother Nature had other ideas with wind preventing safe passage between the city and Vancouver. Overnight power outages also played a role, according to the company.

Alastair Caddick, Hullo’s CEO, told NanaimoNewsNOW despite the speed bump, Monday’s launch is the latest milestone in a very, very long journey to this point.

“It’s gone from a conceptual idea to being very, very real. Having both of our ferries in Nanaimo and doing daily training runs back and forth to Vancouver has made it feel very real and is a great experience for our teams to go through all that training so we’re all ready for the launch.”

The company were also forced to cancel an 8 a.m. departure from Vancouver and a 10 a.m. sailing from Nanaimo.

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Multiple crossings have been made in recent weeks since the boats arrived in Nanaimo waters last month, with practice dockings in Vancouver as recently as last weekend.

Caddick said they weren’t releasing ticket sale volumes, but said they were “very happy” with the presale volumes they’d seen since tickets for sailings on and after Monday opened in late July.

He added he hoped the first sailings and the initial days of the service would help further alleviate concern or skepticism over Hullo’s long term future.

“A lot of people are waiting to see, let’s see you launch, let’s see it happening then I’ll commit to making my purchases. We’re really pleased with the presales we’ve had and we know it’s going to grow.

He said the first few days and weeks will be about refining the service.

“We’re going to learn a lot from running this route. Certainly one of our values is we’re going to listen and adjust. We need to understand things like the sailing patterns our customers prefer, how much luggage they’re bringing…how important bikes are and we are going to listen, learn and adjust.”

(Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Caddick said there has been a concerted effort to be very deliberate and cautious in their growth, preferring to do a limited service as well as possible, rather than overcommitted and presenting a sloppy first impression.

While the company did not anticipate a fully loaded first series of sailings, Caddick sees it as an opportunity for a soft opening.

“What’s really important to start building that trust…around what we’ve promised: a fast, friendly, modern, reliable service. We’re very confident as people try this service…the word of mouth will grow and this will be a long term success story.”

NanaimoNewsNOW was on board for the first crossing. Here is more on what travellers can expect:

Parking
Hullo has wrapped construction on a parking lot on site at the Nanaimo Port Authority property along Port Dr. Rates range from $5 for three hours, or $14 for a 24 hour stay.

Additional days are billed at $25 each.

Caddick said they’ve structured the pricing similar to BC Ferries, while their free pick up or drop off option works like an airport.

“Similar to when you’re dropping somebody off at an airport, there’ll be a nice little easy roundabout for you to drop off your friends and family, or pick them up when they return.”

(Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Getting to the terminal without a car
While it’s unlikely to be ready for Monday, a new shuttle service will imminently launch connecting the Port Dr. terminal to various parts of downtown Nanaimo.

Caddick said they’ve purchased a vehicle and are going through the decaling and insurance phase of it.

Once operational, it will make regular stops at multiple downtown Nanaimo spots including the main hotels.

Luggage
On launch, Hullo is permitted travellers bring one large carry on bag as well as a personal item such as a backpack or purse.

Caddick said the policy will likely change moving forward.

“What we’ve heard very clearly through our listening channels…is there’s a desire for us to be able to take larger items. We’re listening and we’re going to plan for that.”

He said “very soon thereafter” launch, a luggage service will be announced for big suitcases or other items also looking to make the trip across the Salish Sea.

Late sailings from Vancouver
Since announcement of the service specifics in 2022 and through early 2023, Hullo promised adjustable late sailing departures from Vancouver to Nanaimo, based on events happening in the city.

To date, none have been announced as Caddick said all the focus has been on the August 14 launch date.

But figuring out which boats to push back on a given night is “one of the first things” they’ll turn attention to in the days to come.

“We’re going to pick what we believe are the most popular and important evening events, we’ll put it on our website and communicate it on our social media so you can plan ahead.”

Schedules, pricing and ticket booking is available on the Hullo website.

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