Coastal Celebration in service debate

[Hardy]

Jul 27, 2008 13:27:04 GMT -8 Coastal Canuck said:

The Travel center has the Queen of New Westminster will be in for the Spirit of British Columbia from Jan. 7th-Jan 21st.

also the extra sailings on Route 1 on Fridays and Sundays have n/a listed as the vessel

I can't see doing the major shuffle described above for only a 2 week off-peak stint. If it were longer, however, perhaps.

[kerryssi]

There are two things to bear in mind when talking about BCFS.

1) It is BCFS, it does not have to make sense.
2) They will always do whatever is cheapest. Serving the public does not enter into the equation.

[Gordon]

When the Queen od New westminister is returned to service will the vehicle capacity be increased by re-installing the the side ramps on the mani car deck?

[hergfest]

I doubt it, since the Saanich and Vancouver haven't been using them. Plus they will get a large increase in capacity with the CC starting on Route 1.

[Ferryman]

The Vancouver and Saanich don't use their platform ramps anymore, because TC won't allow it. I'm not sure if lack of maintenance or the age of the ship was the cause. But I'd be very surprised if the New Westminster was fit with platform decks, seeming she's being placed on Route 1. It might account for a good chunk of that $55 million dollar refit (yes, that's how much the Annual Report was showing now). But then again, with how long it has taken to do this refit, maybe its just pure upgrading costs.

If the New West receieved platform decks, I bet we'd see this at least 10 years from now.

[CFG]

The CC is just entering Esquimalt Harbor. Looks like she may be getting the same treatment as the CR yesterday. Anyone know for sure?

[stvfishy]

Approach


Looks to be in(bad CC loc):

[Gordon]

Is the Hosreshoe Bay Terminal phyically capable of taking any more capacity with only 3 betths to service all the traffic?

David Hahn said on the Bill Good Show last winter that the reason for the Coastal Inspiration being placed on Route 30 was because they wanted to move traffic away from Horseshoe Bay.

Gordon

[Retrovision]

Jul 24, 2008 15:09:36 GMT -8 Neil said:

Jul 24, 2008 13:37:46 GMT -8 DENelson83 said:

Don't forget that the CC has a Pacific Buffet onboard, which, as I take it, is only meant to be used on Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen.

I really think that BCF should have ordered four Super C's instead of just three.

And the money would have come from....?

They have the resources to renew the fleet, not expand it. Traffic counts don't warrant more vessels. But perhaps you're thinking of replacing the 'New Westminster instead of upgrading it, in which case you might have an argument.

If the province has money for 3 massive new bridge links on the Lower Mainland at once, 2 of them arguably unneccessary (Port Mann twinning and Pitt River) considering many factors such as the antiquated road network they're feeding into >cough<CartB4theHorse>cough<, and possibly a total of 5 over 2 decades when you include the Pattullo and George Massey Tunnel, then they certainly have money to expand the fleet. It's simply a matter of priorities: Lower Mainland roads, mass transit, or fostering Vancouver Island's economy by expanding the fleet; the common thread in all three is the "build it and they will come" theory.

[waynem]

I cant understand why you would build a new ship and use it as a second vessel. I think the CC would be much more effective were she based out of HB .

[Hardy]

Oct 11, 2008 9:03:38 GMT -8 @waynem said:

I cant understand why you would build a new ship and use it as a second vessel. I think the CC would be much more effective were she based out of HB .

Before all of the cost cutting measures such as sailing C's instead of Coastals on Rte-2 were announced, I think that the intention was to initially have one of each of the new ships based on each major route, and then adjust their deployment as time progressed. I think that it was always envisioned that 2 of them would be on Rte-2, but that may have changed.

From the perspective of Rte-30, while a lot of people initially balked at the idea of sticking a Coastal on a "truck route", the CI's capacity to handle overheights and the draw of getting some 'regular travellers' to use Rte-30 seems to have validated this vessel deployment.

Come summer time, with 4 boat service on Rte-1, the deployment arrangement also makes sense. Remember that the Spirits are the flagships of the fleet still, and they have been running (for the most part) on the odd-hour sailings for nearly ever. To switch this up would cause confusion, and to split the Spirits up so that they are not running directly opposite of each other would cause addional scheduling difficulties.

[Koastal Karl]

The extra sailings will be done by the Coastal Celebration. RBI shows the New West and Celebration on route 1 in January! New West replacing the SOBC, Coastal Celebration as the extra. In February the New West becomes the #2 out of Swartz Bay and the Celebration replaces the SOVI. This all according to RBI.

[Nickfro]

Having not heard any news or progress about the possible 'In Service' date for the CC, I'm going to make a guess. . .

SoBC is planning on going in for its engine overhaul sometime in Mid November. It is noted that the Queen of Vancouver will be the replacement vessel for SoBC during this period. With only one Spirit running then, it would be a meaningful time for the CC to enter service as the 3rd vessel on weekends, pushing the Saanich towards possible retirement.

According to the Alberni Refit Service Notice, this could happen as early as November 16th when the Vancouver finishes filling in on Route 30. Sure the CC could be running even earlier than that, but my guess is that it is quite unlikely.

Although it's nice to see the V's around in their late years for as long as possible, I'm sure Route 1 will welcome a larger boat while the SoBC is out of service, even if it is on weekends only as #2 out of Swartz Bay. It sure does seem like a much longer transition period for the CC from delivery to revenue service when compared to the other Super C's.

[Hardy]

Oct 21, 2008 21:21:26 GMT -8 Nickfro said:

Having not heard any news or progress about the possible 'In Service' date for the CC, I'm going to make a guess. . .
... snip ...
According to the Alberni Refit Service Notice, this could happen as early as November 16th when the Vancouver finishes filling in on Route 30. Sure the CC could be running even earlier than that, but my guess is that it is quite unlikely.

Although it's nice to see the V's around in their late years for as long as possible, I'm sure Route 1 will welcome a larger boat while the SoBC is out of service, even if it is on weekends only as #2 out of Swartz Bay. It sure does seem like a much longer transition period for the CC from delivery to revenue service when compared to the other Super C's.

Pre-sailing-reduction days, I would have agreed -- now, I am more inclined to think that they might just run the smaller V's on Rte-1 as replacement vessels. Their crewing figures are lower than the comperable Coastals and Spirits, but then again, I don't think that they offer the amenities. Pax comfort and amenities does not seem to figure too much into the calculations though.

On the other hand (yes, I am playing both sides), pure revenue is derived from the above-decks operations of the ship, and having a bigger, better gift shop, buffet, views from the cafeteria etc may play into their decisions.

More than likely, they might do a "rte-2" option on the sailing schedule, where they run the CR only when needed, and drop sailings during the week-day as the flow dictates as well. You could easily see Spirits, V's, CC and the NW running Rte-1 all in the same week with no MECHANICAL issues abounding.

[Koastal Karl]

November 21st is first day of service for the Celebration according to RBI. She will take over for the Saanich. The Saanich's last day is Nov 16th just as the Vancouver is finishing route 30 and the SOBC goes out Nov 17th. I was looking at RBI and this is what it says. So mid November is probably when the CC will enter service if they are at all correct.

[waynem]

I'll say it again, having a brand new vessel being used as a second is totally absurd. The CC should be on RT 2 based out of HB, it would be much better utilized than having it sitting looking pretty tied up at SB most of the time.

[corporalrabbinoff]

I Totally agree with you!

[Quatchi]

That would be all fine and dandy, but as we have gone over so many times there aren't enough crew trained on the Super C's at the moment to crew all three vessels. Until then she will sit at SB.

Cheers,

[Hardy]

Nov 6, 2008 13:30:25 GMT -8 @waynem said:

I'll say it again, having a brand new vessel being used as a second is totally absurd. The CC should be on RT 2 based out of HB, it would be much better utilized than having it sitting looking pretty tied up at SB most of the time.

Then, with the current "cost saving" methodology, she'd sit tied up at HSB except the busy days just like the CR is at DPB.

Seeing that the QoNW is never coming out of refit (or so it seems), they should run the CC in place of the SoBC (which would probably include switching the SoVI to Tsa...) so that the SoBC can FINALLY get repaired properly ... but again, that would be some kind of a pipe dream (crack pipe, that is).