|
Post by Northern Exploration on Jul 3, 2009 19:35:17 GMT -8
A couple more pictures from my Feb.09 F'Barkley trip. Since that trip, I've learned to adjust my photo's rotation angle and to sharpen the pictures and adjust contrast. So here's a better view of Frances' rear end. OOPS! I guess that you meant "aft end" or "stern". ;D No ifs, ands or "butts" that is the going not the coming end. Methinks Flug did that on purpose.
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 3, 2009 19:42:07 GMT -8
No ifs, ands or "butts" that is the going not the coming end. Methinks Flug did that on purpose. Everything on purpose. Rear was quicker to type than "junk in trunk". I'm daytripping on that ship again tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by Taxman on Jul 3, 2009 19:52:35 GMT -8
I'll be at the Quay tomorrow, unfortunately after the Barkley leaves for the coast. I will be having breakfast at a cafe at 9:00 (Cecelias?) then visiting the farmer's market.
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 4, 2009 18:50:29 GMT -8
I took a day-trip on the MV Frances Barkley today, from Port Alberni to Bamfield and back. Stops included several float-houses near Kildonan, the Kildonan post-office, Haggard Cove, Copper Island, and West & East Bamfield. A super weather day for a trip on the water. There were approximately 50 passengers on board outbound, with about the same number inbound. We dropped off some vacationers at the Kildonan float homes, some Bamfield tourists and some eager West Coast Trail hikers. At East Bamfield we picked up some weary West Coast Trail hikers. Here are a few pictures to start out with: ==================== Do you notice any inconsistencies? The ship's name-board and life-ring: The logo on the shirts being sold in the company's Alberni-Quay office: ================ Here are some video clips of the Frances Barkley sailing from West Bamfield to East Bamfield: View My Video"]http://tinypic.com/r/15p4ymc/5]View My VideoView My Video"]http://tinypic.com/r/so1hcy/5]View My Video================= Video of the Frances Barkley in Barkley Sound: View My Video"]http://tinypic.com/r/j0baev/5]View My Video============== Video of cargo-loading at Alberni Quay. look at how big the cargo-hatch storage area is, below decks.... View My Video"]http://tinypic.com/r/2vjtogo/5]View My Video
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 4, 2009 19:35:06 GMT -8
I'll be at the Quay tomorrow, unfortunately after the Barkley leaves for the coast. I will be having breakfast at a cafe at 9:00 (Cecelias?) then visiting the farmer's market. We left Alberni Quay late, as there was lots of freight to load, and a pump to replace. Did you make it to Cecilia's in time to see us leave?
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 4, 2009 20:45:21 GMT -8
The MV Frances Barkley flies the Canadian flag: She flies the Port Alberni city flag: She flies a company colour too: (and it took many rapid-fire pictures to get the flag pictures just-right). ps: She also flies the BC Flag on her main mast, next to the Port Alberni city flag.
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 4, 2009 21:21:03 GMT -8
Deck plans, from a wall poster: Deck 1: Engine room & cargo hatch Deck 2: Galley, midship lounge, cargo area Deck 3: Passenger outside deck, main passenger lounge, forecastle (pardon the sun reflection) Deck 4: Funnel, Passenger outside deck, bridge cabin Ship outline from side:
|
|
Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
|
Post by Neil on Jul 5, 2009 18:29:38 GMT -8
Mr Horn,
One very important issue that you haven't really addressed is the quality of the food on board, in particular, the desserts. From your February trip you posted the menu board, and I didn't see any treats other than chocolate bars. Is that all they had? And how was their main meal stuff, as in soups and burgers? Inquiring stomachs want to know.
You said there were about 50 people on board when you left Port Alberni. I believe the ship is licensed for 200- do you think they could actually accommodate that number comfortably?
Have you encountered any rough water on your two return trips, and if so, how did the boat handle? Does she vibrate much?
And finally, any ship board rumours on the final fate of the Lady Rose?
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 5, 2009 19:40:32 GMT -8
One very important issue that you haven't really addressed is the quality of the food on board, in particular, the desserts. From your February trip you posted the menu board, and I didn't see any treats other than chocolate bars. Is that all they had? And how was their main meal stuff, as in soups and burgers? Inquiring stomachs want to know.
[/i][/quote] Menu: - the closest to snack foods is still just "assortment of snack foods". I think that just means chips & chocolate bars, but I didn't' look too closely. - It's a small kitchen only. - Breakfasts are greasy eggs/bacon/sausage items, including the 3 on an English muffin. - Lunch / dinner are 4 varieties of burgers and some basic sandwiches. Apparently the burgers are very popular with returning WestCoastTrail hikers and BrokenIsland kayakers who have been eating back-pack food for a week. - The soup was beef veggie. - We had a tuna & salmon sandwich. For each, the cook opened a can of tuna/salmon, added onion & mayo, and made toasted bread sandwich with the full can's contents. - No alcohol sales. If you're doing the Bamfield trip, there's a rustic "Boardwalk Bistro" at West Bamfield, about a 10-minute walk from the ship dock. That place is licensed. I haven't been there. I would expect that they do their best to accommodate day-trippers of the 'Barkley in the limited amount of shore-time (approx 1 hour). There was even a girl selling home-made necklaces, on the Bamfield boardwalk. It was just like cruise-ship day at Skagway; well not quite. ;D =========== You said there were about 50 people on board when you left Port Alberni. I believe the ship is licensed for 200- do you think they could actually accommodate that number comfortably?
[/i][/quote] 50 was just-right for comfort on a sunny day where people used the outside deck space. Even 100 would be too-crowded in my opinion, especially if it were raining. 200 would be unbearable, especially on a rainy day. And think of the hiker/kayaker stink, as you are crammed into either of the 2 inside lounges with very close seating, and large backpacks everywhere. The cook said that they had 100 passengers for a Sunday trip to Sechart/Ucluelet. I think that if you want to avoid larger crowds in summer, avoid the Sechart sailings (Monday, Wed, Friday, Sunday) and stick to the year-round Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday traditional Kildonan-Bamfield trip. And I came to the conclusion that even 50 people on the Lady Rose would have been uncomfortable. As I told my parents tonight (when I showed them my pictures), the main charm of the Lady Rose is her longevity, not her practicality. She was too small for even the Union company, right from the start. ========== Have you encountered any rough water on your two return trips, and if so, how did the boat handle? Does she vibrate much?
[/i][/quote] We had a bit of a swell as we approached & left Bamfield, for approximately 30 minutes each time. A bit of rolling, but not much. The good thing on the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday Bamfield trip is that the open-water exposure is limited to those 30 minutes each way. For the Uculelet summer trips, the ship sails Loudon Channel, which is open water exposed. The ship cook told me a story about last week with rolling swells where she was sitting in the eating area on a break, and her chair slid across the room and back again. Regarding vibrations, it wasn't too bad. I sat at the very stern and there was nice engine vibes, but not uncomfortable. The funnel was a bit noisy, where you could hear the rhythm of the engines. That was actually soothing. ================= And finally, any ship board rumours on the final fate of the Lady Rose? [/i][/quote] I didn't hear anything, and I didn't ask. She looked the same as when I saw her in February. From the company website, company flag, company crew-shirts etc, it appears that the transition is happening where the name "Lady Rose" now refers to the name of the company, not to the ship itself. Instead of me saying "I took the Lady Rose today", I now say "I took Lady Rose today". It's similar to BC Ferries branding a tug-and-barge service as "Smokwa Services". =======
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 5, 2009 20:52:36 GMT -8
Here are some pictures of the MV Frances Barkley, from July 4, 2009: At the West Bamfield wharf, discharging cargo: Leaving West Bamfield, heading for East Bamfield: You can see that her aft-end used to have a car-deck: At the Bamfield Sciences Centre: Head-on shots: - does anyone know what the logo on the bow is?
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 5, 2009 21:00:00 GMT -8
On-board experience, from July 4, 2009: The main outside deck. Not always sheltered from the wind, and definitely not sheltered from the rain. Looking up to the upper outside deck, taken from the stern. Two pictures to both sides of the funnel: ============================= Boat-Day in the Uchucklesaht Inlet near Kildonan: First stop, a floating-home on a small island. Off go the grand-kids to visit grandparents for the week. Off goes some boxes of supplies. Off into the water goes a bottle of cooking oil (that then pollutes the water) and 2 bottles of laundry detergent (that float, and are rescued by a nearby boater who pulls them from the water for the happy owners). Local commerce, near Kildonan: Here comes the Kildonan water taxi, to stop beside us and take on a pallet of cargo. Various float homes near Kildonan. We stopped at approximately 5 of them to drop off propane cannisters, people (and a dog) and supplies. The Kildonan post-office (close-up picture is on an earlier post in this here thread, from February). Haggard Cove, from the Alberni Inlet: We stopped in there to drop off pallets of supplies, including 3 mattresses. Beautiful cove at Copper Island, where we dropped off a person:
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 5, 2009 21:24:09 GMT -8
The sites around Bamfield, from my July 4, 2009 trip: Approaching Bamfield: The sciences centre, built on the site (and maybe uses the old buildings too?) from the old trans-Pacific cable station. Nice house on the West Bamfield boardwalk: Interesting "Bamfield transportation" part of a mural, near the feral cat houses. The general store at West Bamfield; it has it all! The beers are a good variety from around the world, including Czech pilsner, German stuff, Guiness, and good "Innes & Gunn" (oak aged beer, you've got to try it), as well as Lucky.... The coast-guard ship, based at West Bamfield: Beautiful scene at West Bamfield, as we were leaving: Bamfield fading into the distance as we leave:
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 5, 2009 21:37:59 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 10, 2009 14:18:17 GMT -8
Mrs. Horn has entered the digital-age of photography. Here are some of her pictures from our July 4th trip: =========== The support-pillars from the old cannery at Kildonan: A view inside the wheelhouse of the 'Barkley: A view of the Lady Rose Marine Services headquarters at Alberni Quay (the tall building), and the company's namesake non-operational surplus ship. Mrs. Horn took the winning shot from the trip. Bamfield's most historic building and Bamfield's lifeline ship. Here it is: A fuller view of the Bamfield mural (I posted a cropped version earlier in this thread) Artsy shot of the Bamfield inlet:
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 28, 2009 16:53:01 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 28, 2009 16:55:22 GMT -8
We didn't have a current thread for this ship, so I've re-named this thread, and moved it to the "BC ships" page of our forum.
|
|
|
Post by lmtengs on Aug 15, 2009 18:45:37 GMT -8
It looks like the pointed bow was a later addition. If you removed that, it looks ALMOST like a sistership of the T-class boats. Here's one of flug's pics (from above) for reference:
|
|
Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
|
Post by Mill Bay on Aug 17, 2009 12:24:55 GMT -8
It looks like the pointed bow was a later addition. If you removed that, it looks ALMOST like a sistership of the T-class boats. Here's one of flug's pics (from above) for reference: She has actually always had the proper full bow, even from her days as a vehicle ferry. When she served as a vehicle ferry, all loading and unloading was done over the stern, which was open. What has been added during her conversion to passenger-freight service was the square enclosed stern, which was built over the former vehicle loading gate at the stern.
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 15, 2010 22:03:50 GMT -8
An ad from Western Mariner magazine.
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 7, 2010 14:36:20 GMT -8
On board photos of MV Frances Barkley, taken on March 6, 2010: The main passenger lounge, empty and with passengers. The downstairs lounge, near the galley and heads (pardon the squished chair, thanks to my pano-stitching) Another shot of the downstairs lounge. I like the wooden doors. Passenger license. The bottom photo explains why there are 4 different licenses (2 licenses for each of their 2 routes) ============ Outside shots: From the stern, looking forward: I love that Union Steamship coloured funnel Abstract angle showing her cutting through the water. View from the cargo deck, looking up at the main lounge and the bridge. On the top outside deck, looking at the Boler trailer / VW Beetle that is the wheel-house. ------------- Looks like the lifeboats were labeled by the same company that does Lady Rose Marine's souvenir clothing.... ;D
|
|
|
Post by Kahloke on Mar 7, 2010 14:50:32 GMT -8
Nice pictures! It's been eons...well, the late 80's anyway...since I have been on that ferry route (Port Alberni to Bamfield), and that was on Lady Rose. I have never been on Francis Barkley, so it's great seeing your photos of that neat little ship. And, we had amazing weather yesterday, so what a great day to be out on a ferry!
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 8, 2010 20:32:24 GMT -8
Pictures of MV Frances Barkley, taken from West Bamfield on March 6, 2010: "Beautiful location, beautiful day, beautiful ship" Unloading cargo at West Bamfield wharf Beautiful angles of her sailing from West to East Bamfield. At the East Bamfield wharf. Nice view of the outside passenger decks. Coming back to West Bamfield. I like the reflection in the water ----------------- Write-up on Kildonan post-office, which the 'Barkley serves 3 times per week. (taken from Lady Rose Marine's brochure)
|
|
Kam
Voyager
Posts: 926
|
Post by Kam on Mar 10, 2010 13:17:16 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by lmtengs on Mar 10, 2010 15:17:44 GMT -8
Well, 4 photos up from the bottom in the post before yours(the last picture of the ship's STERN), you can see what looks to be a lowerable gate which would open up the back so that a vehicle could bee rolled on via the means of a ramp, so I would not be even the slightest bit surprised if that's true.
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 10, 2010 18:42:07 GMT -8
I think you could get a vehicle in the cargo deck, that is forward of the passenger lounge. It might be able to drive on, across the ship. I think that the 1-car RoRo status is just a technicality, that they never use.
|
|