06-08-2025
‘I don't understand why,' Harbour Cruises owner says, after vessel runs aground
The owner of a long-running Vancouver cruise company says he doesn't know how one of his vessels ran aground this weekend, leaving one passenger in hospital.
The MV Harbour Princess was on a dining cruise and sightseeing tour when it ran aground near Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
The vessel struck rocks east of the Point Atkinson lighthouse.
'There's a charted rock in front of it, and for some reason, we hit it. I don't understand why, but that'll be up to Transport Canada to look into,' said Graham Clarke, owner of the Clarke Group which operates Harbour Cruises.
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The force of the collision was enough to send glassware clattering to the floor aboard the vessel.
The vessel was escorted to Coal Harbour with passengers still onboard, at which point one person was taken to hospital in stable condition.
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Clarke said the officer in charge of the Princess was highly experienced, and that the vessel itself suffered only minor damage.
'This was an officer that had passed the transportation — all his exams, all of that. It was an unexpected result, let's put it that way,' he said.
'We'll lift her out of the water and take a look and make sure that the damage is either repaired or is virtually non-existent. She's not taking on any water, so I think she just bumped up onto the rock, and she's a very strong vessel. So it was the impact that caused people to lose their balance.'
Clarke said all passengers had their fares refunded.
The vessel will be out of service for up to 10 days, and undergo inspection by a third party.
The Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate.
