HarbourLynx was a private company based in Nanaimo, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 that provided passenger-only high speed ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 service between the city centres of Nanaimo and Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

.

HarbourLynx was actually the third venture to attempt such a ferry service. The first service was operated using a passenger-only hovercraft

Hovercraft

A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...

 in the 1980s. The second venture Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipping (owned by Fjellstrand A.S.), operating as Royal Sealink Express, operated for only 11 months from 1992–1993, using the 296-passenger MV Orca Spirit - the same model of ship used by HarbourLynx.

Ship Refurbishment

The HarbourLynx 40m catamaran (previously called the Philippine Kvaerner Fjellstrand Singapore Flying Cat) was built by Fjellstrand A.S. in 1996; after being laid up in the Philippines for two years, the catamaran was shipped to a Victoria shipyard for refurbishment and upgraded to meet Transport Canada

Transport Canada

Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...

 regulations while the engines were refurbished by Detroit Diesel

Detroit Diesel

As a corporation, Daimler Trucks North America has decided to rename the company "DETROIT".Detroit Diesel Corporation is an American-based diesel engine producer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA...

 in Kamloops.

Operation

After several cancelled sailings due to mechanical issues, on February 2, the Harbourlynx vessel was pulled from service due to major engine problems. On Feb. 20, 2006, it was announced that Harbourlynx had filed for bankruptcy. At midnight March 20, the deadline passed with no resolution.

Shutdown of Service

As of October 23, 2006 the company's website indicated that the ferry service may be revived by December under new ownership. No word on who the new ownership is. This never came to fruition.

The vessel left the safe confines of Nanaimo's harbour on January 1, 2008. She was bound for Ireland, to serve the passage between Galway and the Aran Islands. She was purchased by Fjellstrand, a Norwegian ship building company who will retrofit the vessel and make her seaworthy once again.