Captain’s Perspective – Drydocking the MV Spirit of Vancouver Island

By Captain Keith McLaren,

As a shipmaster I am often asked what it is like to be in dry dock and as few can actually visit the ship during refits, I thought it would be interesting to make a video to share the experience.

I used a GoPro camera to record in time lapse our ship approaching and entering the Graving Dock in Esquimalt Harbour (located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada). The ship is ro-ro passenger vehicle ferry, MV Spirit of Vancouver Island, which is the largest ship in the BC Ferry fleet. She was in for her annual refit which, this year, included dry docking for a periodic survey, hull cleaning and painting.

Captain McLaren is Senior Master on board the MV Spirit of Vancouver Island and is also author of A Race for Real Sailors: The Bluenose And the International Fishermen’s Cup, 1920-1938 as well as Light on the Water: Early Photography of Coastal British Columbia

Pick up a GoPro from the gCaptain store and get 20% off when you use coupon code bigG2013

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up