Pick your travel date to see which sailings are sold out for RVs and trailers. Watch one and we text you, free, if space opens.
Pender is a boat-and-trailer island. The marinas, the protected water, and a high share of vacation property mean a lot of what crosses to Otter Bay is over the length limit before anyone thinks to measure it, and a truck with a boat behind it clears 20 feet easily.
The figures below are oversized space only, tracked separately from the standard vehicle pool on the same sailing.
Why oversized space goes first
Trailers are the default here, not the exception
On most routes oversized demand is RVs with a few trailers mixed in. On this one the trailers are the main event, and they arrive in season on the same Friday and Saturday sailings as everyone else, against an allocation sized for a small vessel.
Some itineraries route through Swartz Bay, and that costs you space too
A meaningful share of the Tsawwassen to Otter Bay itineraries are thru-fares via Swartz Bay rather than direct Gulf Islands sailings. Those need over-height room on more than one leg, which is a second place the booking can fail even when the first leg looks open.
Is your vehicle oversized?
The threshold is the same across the system: over 7' / 2.13 m tall or over 20' / 6.10 m long books as oversized, measured to the highest fixed point and across vehicle plus trailer together.
Measure the combination rather than the truck. Boat trailers are where owners most often assume standard space covers them and find at the terminal that it does not.
The full rules, and what they mean for fares and loading, are in the BC Ferries oversized vehicle guide.
Frequently asked questions
I am towing a boat to Pender. Does that book as oversized?
If the vehicle and trailer together are over 20' / 6.10 m, yes, and most truck-and-boat combinations are. Measure the pair rather than the tow vehicle.
Is oversized space hard to get on this route?
Yes. A small vessel, a multi-island sailing pattern, and a route where trailers are the normal case rather than the unusual one all press on the same small allocation.
Why does my booking route through Swartz Bay?
Because a good share of the printed Tsawwassen to Otter Bay itineraries are thru-fares via Swartz Bay. They are legitimate and much longer, and they need over-height space on each leg.
How far ahead should I book?
As soon as your dates are firm, particularly for Friday and Saturday sailings through the warmer months when the boat traffic peaks.
Can I drive up with an RV or trailer?
Standby space is held, but on a small deck with few daily sailings, oversized drive-up room is often minimal and sometimes none.