Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2008 7:24:18 GMT -8
Actually I might be there around 3 or so to meet the mainlanders who were coming on the 1:00.
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 30, 2008 8:25:00 GMT -8
Cool, a female on a ferry nerd trip. Are we allowed to do that? , are you guys going to know how to chat with a female? not going to be all stuttery are you? I don't know about everyone else, but I have talked to at least 2 females in my time. ;D Cheers,
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Post by Esquimalt Queen on Mar 30, 2008 9:21:02 GMT -8
Oh dear. Don't get too excited, here's a warning, I'm not much to look at. Can you imagine what I look like? A novice ferry nerd, with an affinity for old rusty structures? Icky!
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 30, 2008 9:26:12 GMT -8
I am now leaving Chilliwack see ya'll later.
Cheers,
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2008 10:02:38 GMT -8
I will actually be there around 2:30pm now to meet the mainlanders! See everyone there!
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Post by kylefossett on Mar 30, 2008 11:14:16 GMT -8
CAD monkey, i had made a comment in another thread a while back about sending over a hot blonde to talk to some of the group on a previous trip. the comment was to do with if they would be able to chat with her or be to caught up in the ferrytalk
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 30, 2008 20:41:32 GMT -8
Ahh, I beleive it was all ferry talk on the trip today.
The trip turned out pretty good. The weather was great, the ships rattled, and we got to ferry talk.
I will have a recap on my website in the next couple of days.
Cheers,
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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 30, 2008 21:13:36 GMT -8
CAD monkey, i had made a comment in another thread a while back about sending over a hot blonde to talk to some of the group on a previous trip. Hot blonde? You mean Deb Marshall, right?
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Post by Ferryman on Mar 30, 2008 21:14:26 GMT -8
Looks like I'll be the first one to report back on the trip. Sorry, no photos from me. Just video footage which I will save until the DVD . I tried to leave home with lots of time to spare, but ended up getting held up a few times on the way down to Tsawwassen. When I was getting gas in Squamish, I had to check the oil level, which I knew would be low after a couple of trips to Vancouver in the past couple weeks. But once I turned the oil cap on the engine, somehow it slipped out of my hands, landing way down under the engine. So I had to spend an extra 10 mins trying to fish an oil cap out from underneath a boiling hot engine. The drive down otherwise was smooth, and I watched the Coastal Renaissance sail down Queen Charlottle Channel towards Horseshoe Bay from the Upper Levels highway this morning. I knew Scott was on that sailing, doing an unrelated Ferry trip. I was in sight of Tsawwassen Terminal by 12:45pm as I made the turn on to the terminal causeway. Once I pulled into the parking lot, I just found the first parking spot I could see, bought a ticket, and sprinted to the ticket booth. Thankfully the ticketbooth agent told me I could make it if I ran (jeez, more running!). I managed to be one of the last few passengers to board via the skywalk. It was at this point I caught my first glimpse of the Cowichan leaving Tsawwassen. The second I stepped aboard the SOVI, Cadmunkey and Alex we waiting for me in the Forward Lounge. We did the secret handshake, and I said the password, and we proceeded to wander the vessel. The trip to Victoria was pretty uneventful. We had to stop and wait in the middle of Active Pass, seeming the SOBC was running a little bit late. Eventually she pulled around Helen Point, and we were off again. We stood right at the stern as we arrived at Swartz Bay, observing the perfect docking of the vessel. We even got to watch the opening of the Provisioning door as well. We all walked off the SOVI casually, expecting we would be waiting a while to be meeting anyone else. But Mirrlees and Karl were already waiting for us. There was a massive lineup of people waiting to buy their ticket for the 3:00pm sailing, and lasted right up until 3:00pm. But the SOVI didn't leave until around 3:15pm, as there was enough demand to use the platform decks, which ate up some time. We ended up just waiting outside of the ticket booth until the SOVI left. But once she left, Nick suddenly came out of the elevator we just happened to be sitting in front of. It wasn't long until the gates finally opened again, allowing us into the terminal after purchasing our tickets. We walked down the semi brand new walkway to the Berth 2 waiting room, and down the stairs to a platform beside Berth 1 to watch the Queen of Saanich pull into the berth. Once the Queen of Saanich touched the dock, we walked back to the Berth 1 waiting room to find "The Queen of Esquimalt" walking down the stairs into the lounge. We all introduced ourselves, and we walked aboard the Queen of Saanich. Once onboard the Saanich, I immediately started to pay attention to fine detail to compare her with the Queen of Esquimalt. It's definitely safe to say she's in ALOT better shape than the Esquimalt everywhere you look. She still has her bell, all of her builders, and modification plaques. The more I walked around the Saanich, the more I thought about the Queen of Esquimalt, and how much she has grown on to me. I've been on the Esquimalt more than any V-Class, and the majority of those trips were in the last 2 years. When we came through Active Pass, we were hoping to see the Vancouver coming around the point into the pass as well, on an MD sailing. But no dice. Instead, we passed the Queen of Cumberland. Eventually we pulled into Tsawwassen, with the Cowichan in Berth 3 again. We ended up watching her leave from the Berth 3 observation deck, and she sounded her C-Major horn that I like. But I definitely missed having the added effect with the echo that you would recieve at Horseshoe Bay with that horn. The Queen of Nanaimo also started to approach the terminal, so we moved on over to the Berth 2 observation deck to watch her arrive. As usual, we all "ooh'd and aww'd" at the sound of her Mirrlees engines. Once the Ferry watching was over with, us Mainlanders parted away from the Islanders. On my way home, I decided to do a drive by Deas to see the Norad. Cadmunkey just happened to be down there as well doing a drive by too, as I pulled on to Rice Mill Road. The Norad is definitely started to look like a Northern vessel now, with all of the rust on her superstructure from riding the high seas as of late. I also stopped by the Lonsdale Quay to get a look at the New West. She was all lit up inside, so I tried to capture a few images with my video camera. I even managed to get a good closeup of her new upper mid ship lounge (ex solarium). My last Ferry sighting for the night, was Coastal Renaissance approaching Horseshoe Bay again, seen from the upper levels highway in the dark. She still looks pretty impressive at night time with all of her exterior lighting on the outer decks.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Mar 30, 2008 21:15:50 GMT -8
CAD monkey, i had made a comment in another thread a while back about sending over a hot blonde to talk to some of the group on a previous trip. Hot blonde? You mean Deb Marshall, right? I think you were talking this marketing.blogs.ie.edu/archives/barbie340x300.jpg
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2008 21:40:14 GMT -8
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Mar 30, 2008 22:14:53 GMT -8
I just got home a few minutes ago from hanging around the terminal with my dad. I will download my pictures tomorrow and post a little bit of a "photo essay".
I did find out what the orange borders on the aprons are for. Apparently, they are supposed to signify a "no stopping zone" on the ramp apron. Apparently it's not working so well, since people unloading from the ships tend to think they aren't supposed to drive there, so they drive in the middle of the apron, which inhibits two-lane unloading/loading.
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Mirrlees
Voyager
Bathtub!
Deck Engineer- Queen of Richmond
Posts: 1,013
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Post by Mirrlees on Apr 1, 2008 17:42:25 GMT -8
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Post by kylefossett on Apr 1, 2008 17:54:37 GMT -8
nice sunset shot in active pass
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 1, 2008 19:14:26 GMT -8
Haha, I like this photo. Thanks Mirrlees.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Apr 1, 2008 21:05:50 GMT -8
So, as promised, here's a few photos from the trip last weekend.
[moderator: pics removed as they were 900px wide. Our limit is 800px wide. Don't worry, I've PM'd the deleted section to the poster, so that he can fix it and then copy it back to here]
It was a fun trip, and we definitely had a good turnout considering it was a last minute kind of deal. Definitely a good way to burn a Sunday afternoon.
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Post by Nickfro on Apr 1, 2008 21:29:43 GMT -8
Great photos, everyone! It definitely was a great day for riding the ferries, as the weather couldn't have been much better for you. I had a golf game planned for Sunday, but ended up getting snowed out! The Queen of Saanich sure looks good from the exterior as there isn't much rust showing thru that paint job, unlike the weary Esquimalt!
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 24, 2008 18:22:11 GMT -8
Despite the Ferry hangovers some people are having since last weekends trip, some of us were discussing the idea of doing a possible day trip on the Queen of Nanaimo this Sunday.
It would start with the 11:10am sailing from Tsawwassen, and would eventually make its way to Long Harbour on Saltspring Island, after stopping at Galiano, Mayne, and Pender, arriving at 2:10pm.
We'd then return on the 3:30pm sailing back to Tsawwassen, which would stop at Mayne and Galiano along the way, arriving at 6:00pm.
This trip is still up in the air, as I'd like to see how many people would be able to come out. If this Sunday doesn't work for anyone, we could change it to the following weekend, or whichever date works best for most.
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 24, 2008 18:57:39 GMT -8
There's a group trip planned for May 4 which I am planning on attending. Why not wait until then? It's only one more week - you can survive!
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 24, 2008 19:05:50 GMT -8
Heh, no I can't! I'm addicted, and this addiction needs to be fed. I suppose you're right, but this weekends trip would be done on the Nanny, and the following weekend is on the Tsawwassen. I'm also somewhat desperate to do a trip on the Nanny again, since it has been a couple of years, and I'd like to get a better recording of her horn. I don't intend on going alone though, so if a few people are willing to go, then I'll go.
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Apr 25, 2008 9:51:20 GMT -8
I do know what you mean Chris. The ferries are addicting. I have done a ferry trip at least every weekend for the past 2 months. I wasent planning on doing one this weekend. I would like to though especially if other people are going but I will have to see. Seeing I will be doing route 1 and 9 next Sunday when the Tsawwassen is on the route I dont know if I wanna do it this Sunday too. Route 9 is expensive.
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Post by Esquimalt Queen on Apr 26, 2008 5:59:23 GMT -8
Ack, I thought I had sunday off work, but apparently I don't
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