SeaBus
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| Locale | Metro Vancouver, British Columbia |
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| Waterway | Burrard Inlet |
| Transit type | Passenger ferry |
| Owner | TransLink |
| Operator | Coast Mountain Bus Company |
| Began operation | June 17, 1977 |
| System length | 1.75-nautical-mile (3.24 km) |
| No. of lines | 1 |
| No. of vessels | 4 |
| No. of terminals | 2 |
| Daily ridership | 16,600 (2013) |
The SeaBus is a passenger-only ferry service in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It crosses Burrard Inlet to connect the cities of Vancouver and North Vancouver. Owned by TransLink and operated by the Coast Mountain Bus Company, the SeaBus forms an important part of the region's integrated public transportation system.
The SeaBus fleet currently consists of four vessels. The ferries operate between approximately 6:00 am and 1:00 am from Monday to Saturday, and between 8:00 am and 11:30 pm on Sundays and holidays. During the daytime from Monday to Saturday two of the three ferries are in service, with the two ferries departing simultaneously from opposite termini and passing each other halfway. The 1.75-nautical-mile (3.24 km) crossing takes 10–12 minutes in each direction with a cruising speed of 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h), with a 3-5 minute turnaround and, therefore, operates on a 15-minute turn-around schedule. At these times, over 50 crossings are made a day. During the evenings and on Sundays, service is reduced to a 30-minute schedule with only one ferry operating.
The SeaBus is capable of operating on a 12-minute turnaround (down to 10 minutes with simultaneous loading and unloading). However, at the higher speeds, the wake created disturbs other users of the Burrard Inlet. During overloads they do sometimes operate at the higher speeds.
The ferries operate with four crew members on board (captain and first mate on the bridge and two attendants on the passenger level) and engineers who stay ashore most of the time, but do regular checks of the engines and are available to come aboard at any time. Seabus crew members are trained and certified to deal with marine emergencies, and will give directions to passengers in the unlikely event of an emergency.
The original emergency procedure involved using the other SeaBus to evacuate passengers from the distressed SeaBus. Although the viability of this had been demonstrated, Transport Canada became concerned about this approach during times that the other SeaBus may not be available and has recently mandated the addition of life rafts.
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