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Post by perseverance on Feb 5, 2012 19:54:16 GMT -8
Thanks guys. Although EBL is currently closed for the season I am still very involved in boats and marine transportation. My other company Old School Marine is still operating successfully and consists of crew boats that service the logging and commercial tugboat industry. It also does marine assistance and salvage. Before that I owned and operated a boatyard in Richmond before selling it last year. The boatyard and marine repair experience has been invaluable in keeping a hard working water taxi fleet running. Repairs and maintainance are the single most expensive aspect of running a business like this next to fuel and don't let anyone tell you different. English Bay Launch and Old School Marine both involve moving small groups of people by boat but are very different types of businesses, mainly because most crew boats are hired hourly and EBL sold by the seat. The boat kept its schedule whether full or not. We have learned alot through EBL and selling by the seat and are currently working towards getting EBL subsidized as pointed out in the posts above. I really enjoy this business and offering routes that aren't offered by larger ferries. I have received alot of help towards once again making passenger only ferries successful again and am very grateful. I feel it just shows how many mariners have the passion to see this transportation option work. There certainly is alot of hurdles to jump over!! Some of you ferry fans might recognize our boat Perseverance. She was formerly the Bruno Gerussi that was made to do the Gibsons to Downtown route in 2002 but her service was discontinued after only one month of service. I was not involved with any of that venture. I bought the boat from the creditor a year ago. I feel her new name suits her.
Mike
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 5, 2012 22:21:26 GMT -8
We have learned alot through EBL and selling by the seat and are currently working towards getting EBL subsidized as pointed out in the posts above. I really enjoy this business and offering routes that aren't offered by larger ferries. I have received alot of help towards once again making passenger only ferries successful again and am very grateful. I feel it just shows how many mariners have the passion to see this transportation option work. There certainly is alot of hurdles to jump over!! I am trying to think of another operator on our coast attempting to operate a service which competes with some aspect of BC Ferries' operations, applying for and getting a subsidy, and no name comes to mind. It would be nice to see that change, since clearly, BC Ferries has no intention of getting into the passenger only market. The Bowen market is really worth the effort?
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Post by perseverance on Feb 6, 2012 14:52:35 GMT -8
There's a few subsidized routes. The Gambier and Keets route being the most local. It is operated by Kona Winds (Stormaway) and I believe it's a subcontract from BC Ferries. As for Bowen being worth it ......don't get me started and ruin my day haha but I live on Bowen and call it my home so I have always thought of it as a building block and my loss leader and I enjoy the challenges it faces to be honest. The increase in the cost of fuel has been the biggest issue for operating the Bowen route. I'm not the only person with fuel concerns these days as we all know...
Mike
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Post by perseverance on Jan 31, 2013 19:25:36 GMT -8
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jun 30, 2013 11:04:11 GMT -8
EBL is considering having a go at the Vancouver to Gibsons passenger market. www.eblaunch.com/
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jun 30, 2013 13:11:45 GMT -8
EBL is considering having a go at the Vancouver to Gibsons passenger market. www.eblaunch.com/Wow, that would be interesting if it happened. At least it would be an established company, as opposed to a brand-new start-up outfit. Presumably EBL isn't a company dependent on just one or 2 routes. So this diversity could allow them to do a simple trial start, and then also to simply walk away if it doesn't work out (and to continue to exist on its other established routes). I guess what I'm trying to say is that this type of bold venture is more risky when it's a single-purpose company doing it as an all-or-nothing thing. EBL, on the other hand, wouldn't have that "we've got to make it work somehow" desperation that a company like Coastal Link had.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Aug 13, 2017 22:28:36 GMT -8
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Post by Ferryman on May 19, 2018 15:34:15 GMT -8
It looks as though the formerly Bowen Island Express/English Bay launch has relaunched their service, however it is now the Q to Q service on the Fraser River instead globalnews.ca/news/4220674/new-west-ferry/?utm_medium=Facebook&utm_source=GlobalBCAlso worth noting....Graham Clark’s Harbour Ferries, aka Harbour Cruises had the contract for this ferry service for last year. They operated the Hollyburn on the run.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on May 19, 2018 16:22:05 GMT -8
It looks as though the formerly Bowen Island Express/English Bay launch has relaunched their service, however it is now the Q to Q service on the Fraser River instead globalnews.ca/news/4220674/new-west-ferry/?utm_medium=Facebook&utm_source=GlobalBCAlso worth noting....Graham Clark’s Harbour Ferries, aka Harbour Cruises had the contract for this ferry service for last year. They operated the Hollyburn on the run. They're still in service to Bowen as well.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 19, 2018 16:55:30 GMT -8
It looks as though the formerly Bowen Island Express/English Bay launch has relaunched their service, however it is now the Q to Q service on the Fraser River instead globalnews.ca/news/4220674/new-west-ferry/?utm_medium=Facebook&utm_source=GlobalBCAlso worth noting....Graham Clark’s Harbour Ferries, aka Harbour Cruises had the contract for this ferry service for last year. They operated the Hollyburn on the run. More info/comments HERE
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Post by Ferryman on May 19, 2018 22:05:07 GMT -8
They're still in service to Bowen as well. Surprisingly enough, they haven't announced this discontinuation of service on their website, at least nowhere that was immediately apparent. However their Facebook page announced on May 4th that they we're stopping service on May 18th. Today (May 19th) was their first day operating Q2Q blast by Deck-dog SSI, on Flickr
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