National Network for Equitable Library Service

The 2006 sinking of the BC Ferries passenger vessel Queen of the North. Ten years later, questions are still being asked. How did a ship that sailed the same course thousands of times fall victim to such an inexplicable error? Was the bridge crew fooling around? Why doesn't anybody in the know come forward and tell the truth? Nobody knew the ship, the crew and the circumstances that fateful March night better than the Queen of the North's captain, Colin Henthorne, and in this book he tells his story. The basic facts are beyond dispute. Just after midnight on March 22, 2006, the Queen of the North--carrying 101 passengers--struck an underwater ledge off Gil Island, 135 kilometres south of Prince Rupert. The impact tore open the ship's bottom and ripped out the propellers. In less than an hour, it sank 427 metres to the bottom of Wright Sound. Despite the crew's skilled evacuation, two passengers went missing and have never been found. Helmswoman Karen Briker was fired. Fourth Mate Karl Lilgert was charged with criminal negligence causing death and sentenced to four years in prison. Captain Henthorne, who was not on watch at the time of the grounding, fought to keep his job and lost. It took him over six years to recover his career. Captain Henthorne recalls that ill-fated voyage and all its terrible repercussions. A fascinating inside look at a modern marine disaster.