The Arrow Park III, a new cable ferry vessel will enter service this week. It will operate on an inland ferry route across the junction of Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes at Arrow Park, about 22 km south of Nakusp on Highway 6 in southeastern BC. The vessel has completed its final testing and is part of a $27.9 million contract with Waterbridge Steel of Nakusp to design and build four new cable ferries for inland routes. These vessels are used on services operated by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, not BC Ferries.
Cable ferries coupled with electrification can reduce the total operating and maintenance costs of a service over the lifespan of the vessel. No propellers are used to navigate the vessel as it utilizes cables — one drive cable and two guiding cables — that pulls the ferry in and out of the terminals.
