Except that, the ferry suffered a few early hiccups. Initial plans were to operate the Trillium for private charters and public weekend service to relieve the other Island ferries. The problem was that the Trillium was too large to dock at the existing Island docks, though with some trickery it could have landed at Hanlan’s Point. Plans were made to expand the docks, but they weren’t going to be ready for at least two to three years. During its first test run in the harbour on May 13, 1976, engine trouble produced a sound resembling an explosion that provoked three emergency vessels to rush out to it—the Trillium was fine and sailed back into port under its own power.
