MV Sundancer

[7sisters]

I am nervously starting a new thread!...I truly am not sure if i should be in this thread or the North American one..However please cut me some slack and move if i am wrong...Anyways!....I lived in Campbell River for 30 years and in 1984 i was involved in the salvage of the Car ferry/Cruise ship that ran aground in Seymour Narrows in June of 1984....My dad was a towboat skipper and he was heavily involved in the rescue and salvage operations!...I worked as his deckhand for a bit on the salvage..Long story short!...I have lots of photos from start to finish that i took ,,,If anyone is interested???..would be happy to post in the "7sisters_photos"....on photo bucket!.....I'm also thinking of adding some other Maritime stuff i have....Any objections??.....Let me know.......Dan

[Barnacle]

Well, let's see....

(1) I've never even heard of the M/V Sundancer, and I suspect I'm not the only one. Why not tell us a story?

(2) I think your Photobucket album is a good place to start, and perhaps post the photos via a link to Photobucket on here if someone will show you how. (I'm quite rusty on the subject.)

(3) It's your Photobucket page. You can post photos of pink elephants if you feel inclined. ;D

(4) But seriously, I'm interested. What's the story?

[7sisters]

Sundancer...the story!....Was a Cruiseship/Car ferry enroute to Alaska in June 1984....Hit the rocks at Maude Island at the entrance to Seymour Narrows...went into Menzies Bay to assess the damage only to find that she was taking on water fast...They be-lined to the mill at Elk falls and ran her up besde a pier only to sink and once flooded rolled to an even keel and destroyed the brand new pulp dock!!...Sat there for a few months until refloated..Then towed to Burrard drydock....I would tell you all the neat stuff i have besides pics but some members would then expect it all on this thread!!!....I will scan some pics i took in my album on "photobucket"...My handle is "7sisters_photos"...Dan

[7sisters]

Have just added a dramatic picture i took the night of June 29th 1984......After the ship righted itself after flooding it shifted and destroyed the dock to the left...The Campbell River ladder truck had just gotten off when she went!..FYI......."7sisters_photos"...

[Nick]

I am not familiar with mv sundancer, however I did a quick google search and found a few little things out. It was her 3rd voyage when she hit the rocks. There were no casualties except for an older gentleman who slipped and fell off the gangplank when the ship was towed to port. After hitting the rocks, there was an issue lowering the lifeboats, so they managed to tow the ship into campbell river with passengers still on board. After being "repaired", she went for service in the Med, until she was destroyed by fire a few years later. She was replaced my MV Stardancer.

I would be very interested in seeing some photos of this.

[7sisters]

Just added three i took to the "7sisters_photos" album.....My dad was a towboat skipper out there involved in the rescue!...even have him on CBC being interviewed on VHS!....I worked with him as a deckhand on the salvage...They poured concrete into the hole to patch her!......

[Low Light Mike]

For those wondering where that "7 sisters photo album is", he's not talking about his bookshelf ! The address/link was only posted once, by John H., yesterday in the "7 Sisters" signature thread.

I believe this thread is now on the "ferry photos" page.

(end of public service message).

......and I find it interesting how the Sundancer almost destroyed the dock at the mill, by being roped to the dock, and then partly sinking and taking the dock with her!

I had seen those photos on the new before, a couple of years ago. Then I tried googling them again last year, and couldn't find any of them.

[7sisters]

Sorry i don't know how to do it!.....Feel free to post the link!

[WettCoast]

Pegasus (ex Sundancer) - Greek Cruise Ship - Vancouver - 1986


DOT photo

The Pegasus wasd used as a floating hotel during Expo 86. I believe this photo was taken on the New Westminster waterfront.

BTW, the address for the '7 Sisters' photo bucket site is:
s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/

[Mill Bay]

Guess I'm a fan of finding the obscure...

however, someone might want to look at this as well.

There is a thread on the MV Sundancer already... just not on our board... ha-ha. ;D

I was reviewing the comments of some of the members there... the most interesting being that apparently there was a Canadian pilot onboard the ship at the time, and after he succeeded in all but sinking the ship, he sent the cruise line a bill for his services.

Heres'a a link to the thread on the other board.
boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=65619

[Retrovision]

7sisters said:

Sorry i don't know how to do it!.....Feel free to post the link!

We've got you covered


i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/SundancerListing1984.jpg


i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/Sundancersunkatmill1984.jpg


i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/refloatedandheadingtoVancouver.jpg

[bcferryfan87]

Ah yes, the memories of the Sundancer. I think I had forgotten about that one. If you look at the pic of Pegasus/Sundancer, a couple of notes regarding that pic (the pic a few posts earlier, where it shows it supposedly in New West, BC) and the ship in general:

That pic I'm quite sure is of New West in 86; it was for a brief time used as a hotel, but I believe they did the "midnite run" as they were afraid they were going to see the ship abeing arrested (so they took off one night) - I'm assuming no guests/psgrs on board, I remember CKNW traffic making some joke about it racing down the Fraser River or something;

Also, if you look to the right of the picture, you can see wheelhouse of either the PRincess Patricia, or Prince George - two ships that were leased as hotels as well during Expo. I got on all 3 while they were there. The pegasus actually had the car deck being used as some sort of "Market" - they were trying sell Fur coats, and or carpets - Flokati Rugs or whatever - there. I remember some lady trying to push stuff on us to buy. I remember we had coffee up in one of the lounges, and we went and looked at the pool; the latter was indoor, and I remember it seeming kinda cool for the era - a pool on a ship, and indoor.

[roeco]

The MV Pegasus was in New Westminster docked on Front St. from May-October,1986 at the time she was owned by Epirotiki Cruise Lines out of Greece. The ship you see to the right is not that of the Princess Patricia nor the Prince George, but I believe it is the World Renaissance which was also owned by Epirotiki at the time and I think was also moored on the New Westminster Waterfront for Expo 86. Out of all 4 ships the only one still remaining is the World Renaissance, under a different name. And the Pegasus was the former Sundancer of Sundance Cruises which at the time was operating the MV Stardancer.

[Low Light Mike]

A couple of SunDancer items seen at the Campbell River Maritime Heritage Centre.

This explains the connection to Campbell River

[roeco]

For those of u who are unaware Stanley McDonald (the founder of Princess Cruises whos first two ships were the Princess Patricia and Princess Italia.. that's where the Princess name came from..was ex Ocean Princess of Ocean Cruise Lines) started Sundance Cruises based out of Seattle. Stanley McDonald pioneered Mexican Riviera and Alaska sailings back in the mid 70's. They eventually bought the Stardancer sailing today as the Island Escape...no longer with car decks.

[grk]

Another few little bits of odd information. When the replacement vessel Stardancer traveled out to the west coast from Europe, she had her car decks full with all those old English double deck buses you still see in Victoria. Sundancer/Pegasus went on to suffer two more destructive incidents, both fires. The second fire destroyed the vessel beyond salvage.

[oskarshamn84]

Hi,

First of all, a little background.

Before the ship was converted to a luxury vessel it sailed between Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland.

My father had the overall responsibility for rebuilding the ship in 1984. It was done in Oskarshamn, Sweden, and during the trip to Vancouver and perhaps even after that.

He got to know the man who worked as the interior designer, Mr Val Thornton. My father asked him if it was possible for me to stay with him and his family in Bellevue, Seattle, USA. And he said yes!

Therefore, my father gave me a job on the ship. I should be a helper to the Swedish worker who was rebuilding the ship.

I think that It took about 1 mounth or more from Oskarshamn to Vancouver in Canada. There, Val Thornton picked me up by car and we drove to his home in Bellevue. I went home to Sweden in september 1984.

I remember a few things from the journey with Sundancer. Me and some Swedish workers took a walk in Miami. It was raining, so I wanted to buy an umbrella. We went in to a shop and I asked for a PARACHUTE. I don´t know why I said that. But the employee in the shop thought it was fun!

Again, me and some Swedish workers together with some of the female crewmembers from the USA went out to have some fun in, Miami, If I remember correctly. We went to a dance-hall.

Another time, some of us spent a few hours in San Francisco.

Do you remember where the crewmembers from the USA came to Sundancer? Which town was it?

I met one of the crewmembers, a 25 years old girl from the USA on Sundancer. I was 20 years old. I don´t recall her name. Maybe Kathlyn or something like that. She had the task of making the stay aboard as pleasant as possible for the passengers. I know that once she danced with a few passengers. Another time she sat in a room with books and games, I think.

It would be nice to be able to contact her.

Me and Val Thornton went to see Sundancer after the accident. We also met some of the crewmembers. It was a big room with many tables... I talked with “Kathlyns” best friend onboard. She said that she knew that I would come to visit them... “Kathlyn” wasn´t in the room.

I can attach some photos the next time if you wish.


Peter Olausson

[smokeeater35]

Although I was only 18 at the time I remember it like it was yesterday, I was at home when I heard about it on my dads police scanner and that they were setting up a evacuation center at the Navy League Hall in Campbell River I was still a cadet with them at the time), I called down to the hall to see if they needed help and went down to assist with distributing blankets and helping get coffee for passengers or in any other way I could. I remember the although it was chaotic it was organized, seeing the panic in some people worrying about others they had been separated from in the evacuation was heart wrenching but seeing them reunited with them was touching and fulfilling at the same time knowing I was part of something that made such a difference, it took 7 hours from the time the MAYDAY went out till all the passengers and crew were accounted for and had been loaded on to buses to their next stop at CFB Comox, I can still picture some of the people I met in my mind, it's been almost 35 years and it will be something that will always live in my mind.

[garyh]

I know, or rather knew this ship very well, I was a waiter on the Sundancer from day 1, having joined the ship in Oskarshamn, Sweden for the working / preparation sailing down to Miami.
Having completed a few promotional travel agent cruises between Miami to our base port of Vancouver, we started our summer season of Salmon Run cruises, as they were affectionately known !
Everyone know the basic story of that night, but there are several points I can confirm
I've no idea of the ships speed when it hit the rocks, but it was enough to throw me of a bar stool in the crew bar !
Pax and crew were ordered to lifeboat stations very shortly after, and informed we were making for a close by dock
The ship had a very noticeable list by the time we arrived and tied up, and then continued to list further, eventually, as one guy previously stated, taking the Pier down on the process
Myself and others at my station were eventually taken off by tug, which pulled up alongside the pool deck (aft) which was now aligned at water level starboard side .
I must give enormous credit to all the port workers, tug and other boat crews involved in aiding the evacuation, as although the ship was in no immediate danger as she'd settled on the bottom by this time, albeit at a peculiar angle, it didn't make the operation an easy affair
Huge thanks as well to all the locals who appeared lin large numbers soon after with blankets, jackets, hot drinks food and more ...an incredible effort
To this day I'm really not sure where the passengers and crew were bussed to, but it was a large complex of some sort.
Passenger manifests and crew lists were checked and everyone eventually accounted for, before we (crew) were eventually transferred back to Vancouver, rather ironically by ferry which a lot of the guys were a bit reluctant to board after the previous nights events !
Put up in hotels whilst immigration , visas and other associated paperwork was arranged and issued.
The crew were each paid an insurance claim advance, as the majority of crew accommodation was totally or at least partly flooded during the incident, and obviously lost everything, literally walking away in what we wore at the time
The complete crew stayed in Vancouver for a week, before each being flown home to our home countries. For most of the multi National crew staying in Canada wasn't an option, as most, myself included were travelling on U.S issued C1 / D visas, and technical couldn't stay on Canada except when working and being on the next sailing of the ship...which wasn't an option !!
All in all a very eventful night for passengers, crew and locals alike
Needless to say, I was back the following year on the replacement MV Stardancer, a much larger ship than Sundancer, which in my opinion was an ugly ship, it was a converted car ferry !