The Coastal Renaissance arrives in Departure Bay, Nanaimo. (CBC)

Residents living next to the BC Ferries terminal in Nanaimo say the low-frequency vibrations emitted by the company's new, supersize ferries are threatening their homes.

Bob Wiekenkamp, a retired engineer who lives about 60 metres from the terminal, said when the new Coastal Renaissance ferry arrived last fall at the Departure Bay terminal, it felt like an earthquake rattled his home.

"The whole house was shaking and rattling," Wiekenkamp told CBC News on Tuesday. "The fixtures on the walls were banging around. It was really a very major event as far as I was concerned."

Wiekenkamp has lived in his house perched on an embankment overlooking the terminal for 15 years and says it was a peaceful life until recently because the older, smaller vessels did not cause his home to shake.

But now that the new, larger ferries are making several trips a day out of the terminal, he and his neighbours are worried about the future of their homes.

"My concern is what happens with the low-frequency component of the emission," said Wiekenkamp. "It's the stability of the bank, our foundation. The amount of shaking that's happening is going to affect the structure somewhere."

Some neighbours have found cracks in retaining walls; others discovered broken windows, he said.

Ferry corporation investigating

BC Ferries said it has already sent structural engineers to investigate the complaints and photograph the alleged damage.

Meanwhile, the corporation has taken steps to cut down the noise from the new ferries, including reducing the ferry propeller vibrations and engine noise while the boats are docked, said spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.

"We have recently installed an engine exhaust silencer on the Coastal Celebration, and it seems to have helped with that issue," she said. "So we will be installing the product on the other two vessels."

But residents said they are not convinced the problem has been solved and that if major damage occurs to their homes or the nearby embankments, they haven't ruled out taking legal action to seek compensation.

BC Ferries has not yet publicly said what the horsepower of the three new Coastal Class ferries is but at 160 metres in length, they are about 20 metres longer than the older Queen class ships that still service the Nanaimo to Vancouver route.