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Post by Ferryman on Dec 8, 2007 18:24:53 GMT -8
Well, this 44 year old vessel has now began it's $50 million upgrade, for it to last another 10-15 years in the fleet. Sheets of Plywood are covering the upper car deck windows, and cutting torches have cut away doors leading to the outer decks. The Schat Gravity Davits that once held the ships Lifeboats are long gone as well. I spent a good hour this morning at the Lonsdale Quay taking photos. The only problem was the sun was rising directly above the New Wests funnel this morning. So I went back there later in the day when the sun wasn't blinding me. I'll also throw in a few extra photos of the surrounding area of the Shipyard.         Frosty Morning at the Quay  New Construction has began at the former Burrard Drydock buildings. From the looks of the drawings on the boards along the fences, there will soon be a 15 floor building in the center of the site. Also an old crane has been moved to the spot (preparations for the Maritime Museum?)   This is where ships such as the Queens of Tsawwassen, Vancouver, the Islands, Coquitlam, and Surrey were built and launched at. There were two launch areas on either side of the pier. Part of the Pier, and crane still remain, and one of the launches has been filled in. Looks like some sort of preservation has began on the building beside this area.   |
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Post by Curtis on Dec 9, 2007 0:29:31 GMT -8
Great Photos Chris. The New West Won't be the Same Ferry Again After This.
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Post by Northern Exploration on Dec 9, 2007 8:57:37 GMT -8
Question to all you more ferry knowledgeable ferry geeks. Is it me or does the second last car deck window appear crooked? I don't remember seeing reference to that in the Spotting for BC Ferry Geeks for Dummies. Or here for that matter.
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Post by Balfour on Dec 9, 2007 20:04:52 GMT -8
I think what it's just they way they mounted the plywood over that one window. They seem to be mounted on the outside of the ship.
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Post by kylefossett on Dec 9, 2007 20:26:03 GMT -8
it's not just you pnw, it is crooked. i think it is something to do with the welds from when she was lifted. if you are close enough you can see the weld lines from the lifting and they run at almost the sme angle at that point
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Post by WettCoast on Dec 9, 2007 22:16:14 GMT -8
With no plywood in place here is what the port side of the stern section of the QoNWM looks like. Does not look crooked to me.  |
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Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,191
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Post by Neil on Dec 14, 2007 16:24:36 GMT -8
With the 'New Westminster now in for her deluxe facelift, here's a story arising from her last job. So... we have the original lengthening, the $35 million plus lift (maybe more than $60 million in today's dollars), other changes alluded to in the story, and now, the $50 million upgrade. Over the years, this boat has probably had well over the cost of a newbuild invested in her. Ah well. Nice to know we'll have one of the old originals around for a good while yet. Even if she is the Joan Rivers of ferries.  |
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Post by Northern Exploration on Dec 14, 2007 16:58:00 GMT -8
Between Joan Rivers and Cher there is enough body parts left over to make a whole other person. Be interesting to see if the NewWest is just getting some botox to hide the wrinkles and a little lipo or a major butt lift complete with implants. ;D  |
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Post by Ferryman on Feb 12, 2008 19:10:21 GMT -8
I was down in Vancouver all day today, trying to get my medical seafares ticket. After that was done, I decided to go down and get you guys an update on the Queen of New Westminsters upgrade. Now this camera doesn't have the greatest zoom, but it does the job. The Solarium looks like it is in the middle of having some sort of roof installed. Instead of it being the usual flat type roof like the other V's, this one is more of a pitched roof. It's hard to get a good look at the solarium in these pictures, but I could see with my own eyes that something was being done there.   |
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Post by Dane on Feb 12, 2008 20:46:44 GMT -8
She's also missing basically the entire lower passenger area where she the stretched section was added into... the walls are both removed and everything in the interior is gone; I should try and get a photo, it is basically a big "hole" in right through the ship.
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Post by queenofcowichan on Feb 13, 2008 12:51:58 GMT -8
Re Solarium: It makes sense to me that they are covering it up, probably going to make it into another lounge. If she is going on Route 1 she will need the extra lounge space for Passengers. All the other V Class had thier solariums covered. I would assume that the New West will not only be #2 boat out of Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay but in refitt season she will replace the Spirit of BC and Queen of Alberni. Also she may also be sent to Swartz Bay to cover for The SPirt of VI and Coastal Celebration. ( I am referring to the Friday and Sunday extra sailings here). I would expect the Queen of Coquitlam or Cowichan to replace the Coastal Inspiration out of Duke Point Rather that the New West During the CI's Refitt.  In response to the Vibration, I recall it been so bad that if you left a cup of coffee on the table in the cafeteria while backing out of Tsawwassen the coffee would have ended up on the floor if left unattended.  |
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Post by Balfour on Feb 13, 2008 18:51:31 GMT -8
I remember a few years ago on this forum, Klatawa Teen talking about the New West at her top speed and how there was dust falling off the ceiling in the Cafeteria.
The New West does have 15,000 hp in her engines. More than a C-class.
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Post by Nickfro on Feb 15, 2008 11:07:41 GMT -8
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Post by queenofcowichan on Feb 15, 2008 12:46:22 GMT -8
I am sure her top speed is 21 Knots, she was the second fasted after the Queen of The North which could do 22 knots.
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Post by DENelson83 on Feb 15, 2008 12:54:47 GMT -8
Well, she's still the second fastest, since we've seen the CR do 24 knots.
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Post by kylefossett on Feb 15, 2008 14:53:20 GMT -8
Well, she's still the second fastest, since we've seen the CR do 24 knots. will that be her service speed? the new west service speed is 21 knots |
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Post by DENelson83 on Feb 15, 2008 14:58:57 GMT -8
No, the CR's service speed will be 21 knots, about the same as the QoNW.
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Post by markkarj on Feb 28, 2008 22:08:49 GMT -8
Do we know what all the work entails? Is there a breakdown of everything they're doing to her?
One other question: why did the Queen of New West have such powerful engines installed when she was lifted? I know she's supposed to be more of a "truck" ferry... is that it, or did they find the upgraded engines on the earlier Vs to be under-powered (and yes, I know the QoNW is not a bona fide V)?
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Post by Dane on Feb 28, 2008 22:21:02 GMT -8
The first part of this is assumpion:
- Finding such low HP engines for a ship the size of the New West in the timeframe of the rebuild would likely have been difficult; I don't know this as fact, it's just a thought.
But we do know:
She needed more power to deliver the higher service speed with higher load weight, BC Ferries was also playing with the idea of Natural Gas at the time of the changeover which I have read played some roll in the decision of what was installed.
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 28, 2008 22:25:59 GMT -8
They also wanted the QNWM to be able to match the speed of its running mate (the Alberni) on what was once called the 'Mid Island Express'. That meant doubling the horse power when compared with the four V's.
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Post by Ferryman on Feb 28, 2008 22:40:48 GMT -8
Even though she has double the horsepower of the other V's, she was still run at a modifed schedule when she spent a few weeks on Route 2, 5 years ago.
I also took another drive past the New West the other day, and there are absolutely no tarps on the port side of the ship. The Solarium is still very much exposed, and showing no signs of being enclosed. What I saw a few weeks ago was simply just framing for the tarps you see set up right now on the Starboard side.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078 
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Post by Nick on Feb 28, 2008 22:58:03 GMT -8
It would make sense that the engines were bought overpowered if they wanted to run on natural gas. Running on propane or NG typically robs an engine of 15-20% of it's potential power output. Also, as it existed the ship would not be able to keep a schedule anywhere close to what the Cs can do, as we have seen recently with the Esquimalt (even though I believe the Bs were originally powered by Mirrlees engines, not the MaKs that the Vs eventually wound up with). I know that the New West is the only major ship in the fleet that is powered by Wartsila engines.
I wonder what the design hull speed of the Vs/Bs is. For those who don't know, every ship has a speed that it can economically maintain. Once it passes the hull speed, you can put all the horsepower you want in the ship and it won't run much, if at all, faster. I don't think it could be much more than 21 or 22 knots.
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Feb 28, 2008 23:45:17 GMT -8
I was under the impression that the QNWM got the new engines because she fried one of the old ones!
Thats what I thought,
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Feb 28, 2008 23:54:32 GMT -8
I was under the impression that the QNWM got the new engines because she fried one of the old ones! Thats what I thought, True, she did. However, all the V's recieved new engines during lifting... |
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Feb 29, 2008 0:03:29 GMT -8
I was just looking for an article I had read to back up my post and saw that they had all been re-engined. I had always assumed they were the originals plunking away down there. The things you learn.
I have never seen the New West before, so I ask this question.
-Do they actually put overheights on the upper car deck on the New West?
-Also how is the ride compared to the Saanich or Vancouver.
Cheers,
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