The provincial government is bailing out of its troubled fast ferry program.

Joy MacPhail, the minister responsible for B.C. Ferries, calls the program a failure, and is putting the three catamarans up for sale.

"The Pacificats were a failed experiment," she says. "They need to be put up for sale immediately."

The ferries were closely associated with former premier Glen Clark.

Clark staunchly defended the ships despite a barrage of complaints from the public, and huge cost overruns.

If the ships do sell, they could go at at rock bottom prices.

The three ships cost almost $460 million to build over the last three years. Now, the accountants say they're worth just $120 million together.

Some critics are wondering if the minister is making the losses worse, by rushing to sell the ships before voters head to the polls.