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Post by Hardy on Mar 15, 2008 13:11:19 GMT -8
Where are you getting this fourth vessel from? Coastal RenaissanceQueen of Oak BayQueen of CoquitlamQueen of Cowichan... Did I miss something here?
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Post by coastalcody on Mar 15, 2008 13:34:33 GMT -8
It depends, if the saanich and vancouver are gone, then they will need maybe a fourth on route 1. Most likely the Coq. So route one would be Sovi, Sobc, CC, Coq. However, i think they will still be here, because this summer, the second ferry on route three is the coquitlam. So route two is most likely to be the way it is now just with the cowichan as the third vessel.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Mar 15, 2008 14:26:36 GMT -8
Um, coastalcody, RBI is planning on the Vancouver and Saanich to do Route 1 sailings through summer. My thinking is perhaps keep one V handy until the fall time.
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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 15, 2008 15:06:24 GMT -8
Besides, the CC doesn't come into service until the fall. And remember that the Queen of Coquitlam, like the rest of the C's, can't safely transit Active Pass at full speed.
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Quatchi
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Engineering Officer - CCG
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 15, 2008 15:15:47 GMT -8
The Cowichan is on route 30 and the CI ain't going to be in service by then or is it?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 15, 2008 15:17:08 GMT -8
Besides, the CC doesn't come into service until the fall. And remember that the Queen of Coquitlam, like the rest of the C's, can't safely transit Active Pass at full speed. ....and the Queen of New Westminister is also likely out of service all summer, as her refit won't be complete until the fall.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Mar 15, 2008 15:33:57 GMT -8
I'm trying to do the Esquimalt fans a favour. And also prevent last years nightmare. [rant] Last year, when BCFS decided NOT to do extra sailings on a Tuesday THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED! So instead of having a vessel just SITTING THERE AT DEPARTURE BAY WITH SAILING WAITS! actually have it DOING SOME WORK! "The Coquitlam should be doing two round trips on Tues. and Wed. throughout July, not just August!" quote if from a member of the forum from last year. My point being, no vessel should sit around.[/rant] Now if a fourth vessel is not possible, here is my thinking, schedule the early morning sailings by the third vessel to alleviate early traffic and have coast savers on the sailings before the 10:40 am to get people off the island sooner. What can be done is have the Langdale boat do the 12:00 and the 2:10 and head back for Langdale on a 4:20 departure. The late night sailings on Sunday usually were not full back in the summer if memory serves me right. Either way the following needs to occur BCFS needs 2 RT's Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday 4 RT's on Thursday, and Monday 5 RT's Friday and Sunday If anyone else has suggestions on how to make this work to save some crews from doing OT and leaving passengers outraged this summer. Send them in!
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Post by staffer on Mar 20, 2008 16:45:19 GMT -8
Have you seen the other summer schedules, especially for route 3? There is a three hour gap in between sailings on Saturdays. It also has way too many exceptions. Customers keep telling they want consistency, not a bunch of exceptions.
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Post by Dane on Mar 20, 2008 17:33:39 GMT -8
Besides, the CC doesn't come into service until the fall. And remember that the Queen of Coquitlam, like the rest of the C's, can't safely transit Active Pass at full speed. A C Class at normal operating speed has 6 or 7 knots on a V; making the schedule would be a non-issue. C Class have been assigned to the route successfully in the past, I believe the most recent was 1991.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Mar 20, 2008 20:52:55 GMT -8
Have you seen the other summer schedules, especially for route 3? There is a three hour gap in between sailings on Saturdays. It also has way too many exceptions. Customers keep telling they want consistency, not a bunch of exceptions. Then if they want consistency, just tell them to get rid of the three hours layover. If they also want consistency, show the demand for it! BCFS is going to play as cheap as possible. There is no consistency in the current schedule with extra sailings on Route 2, there are certain sailings one day, certain sailings the next. Exactly why I created my own so that it is more consistent than the different times of sailings due to the days on Route 2.
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Post by BreannaF on Jul 14, 2007 19:13:44 GMT -8
We have been looking for a way to arrange my job situation in a way that we can live in either Vancouver or Victoria (instead of Portland & Seattle). So we have been discussing which of those places we would want to move to, and the Victoria area is topping the list at the moment. Which brought us to the following practical consideration:
When we lived in the Seattle area, it was possible to get across Puget Sound on almost any of the routes as late as 12:30ish, or even 1 AM or 2 AM in a couple of cases. And, if we were later than that, it was our own darn fault, but there was still the option to just drive around.
Now, lets look at the same situation on Vancouver Island. If a person lives there, on most days, you are not getting back home if you miss a 2100, 2145, or 2245 sailing, depending on the route.
My question here is this: Do people on Vancouver Island never visit Vancouver past 8 PM? Do people never come back late from a trip? It appears that the answer is obviously that one plans their life around the ferry schedules, and occasionally it pays to have a friend on the other side with a spare bed.
If you are looking for an answer to "How do the ferries change the lives of the people who use them", the smaller islands are just not the question. I find it amazing that if I want to drive between the two largest population areas in the province, from one with 2.1 million people to one with 300,000 or so people, it had better be before our kids bedtimes. Even if it is an island. It's a big 'ol island. And there isn't a long way around.
Please educate me. How do people cope? Is some economic activity being missed because of when the ferry stops at night? Or am I just a crazy person who has been spoiled by the generous WSF schedule over the years? Just wondering.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 14, 2007 19:34:48 GMT -8
Please educate me. How do people cope? Is some economic activity being missed because of when the ferry stops at night? Or am I just a crazy person who has been spoiled by the generous WSF schedule over the years? Just wondering. You are correct, there is an impact for Vancouver Islanders like me, re things that we can't do in Vancouver. Concerts, sporting events, business meetings, etc, are planned around ferries. When we had the Harbourlynx, it would occasionally be chartered or have a scheduled late sailing for a concert or big game. BC Ferries is starting to do that, just a bit, for some Lions games and other special events (like Steve Nash's charity game). I'm a life-long Islander, and so I've been conditioned to the fact that many events on the Lower-Mainland are off-limits to me. It means that any event that I attend had better be a big-ticket item, worth the hotel room cost. In that respect, us V-Islanders are more like gulf-islanders, rather than big-city folk. However, we do have lives over here on the island...so it's not like all of use crave the big city on the mainland. But I guess it all depends on individual circumstance, what the person needs or wants to access on the Mainland. If there are too many needs/wants on the mainland, usually that person will move there. Harbourlynx (or whatever else would replace it) was trying to provide an alternative re this issue....but economic reality says otherwise. ps: As a life-long V-Islander, I can count my NHL & CFL and concert events on 1 hand. But I did rush over to downtown Vancouver on a float-plane, just to see the NorAd.... ;D
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Post by royalroadscaptain on Jul 20, 2007 14:23:16 GMT -8
That's a very good observation. A lot of families coming back from trips are forced to spend hotel nights in Vancouver for example. It's not uncommon for many Richmond and New Westminster hotels to be "full" of Vancouver Islanders spending the night over to catch an early fligt from YVR, or perhaps landing too late to make it back home.
This situation is perhaps even more annoying to truck-drivers than to families and the occasional ferry-goer in need (after all most people can wait overnight on Vancouver Island because we have as many services here as we would find in Vancouver).
What is stunning, though, is that not only are there no ferries late at night or very early in the morning but flights are also not an option. It's the price you have to pay for having a mote around your yard...
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jul 16, 2007 20:24:15 GMT -8
I took a sailing yesterday on the Mayne Queen from Swartz Bay to Long Harbour on my way to Galiano. I would like to know what the point of that sailing is??? It only sails Sundays and Holidays. Wouldent most people take the 9am sailing to Fulford as this sailing left at 8:55am. Only two foot passengers got off at Long Harbour and tons of people got on and went to Mayne to transfer to the Nanaimo to Vancouver. But I am thinking mainly I think it is a transfer sailing to Vancouver from Long Harbour although if you want you could go from Swartz Bay to Long Harbour.
I think the schedules for the Gulf Islands are horrible. Pender needs it's own ship designated for that route only from Swartz Bay. Maybe the Mayne Queen and a few extra round trips. Coming back from Mayne Island Sat night we sailed via Saturna where most people got off as I guess they were coming from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen that had transfered at Village Bay. From Saturna to Swartz Bay, only 3 cars on the Mayne Queen. a late 8:30pm sailing from Saturna to Victoria. Who would be going from Saturna to Victoria on a Saturday night?? Gulf Islanders, Day Trippers?? Galiano to Swartz Bay Sunday we only had two choices, 4:40pm or 9pm. $26.50 for a car and driver and just under 5 hours to explore Galiano seems a bit much. But I guess we could of stayed and took the late sailing home. I saw a few other people on the ferry going back that were on the ferry going over.
How many people actually take these late sailing from the Gulf Islands to Swartz Bay?? Who take the early 5 am sailings from Swartz Bay to the Islands?? Why cant they use the Cumberland on the longer trips instead of some nights sailing from Swartz Bay just to Pender and back. They need better schedules!
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 16, 2007 21:09:58 GMT -8
Who take the early 5 am sailings from Swartz Bay to the Islands?? I think that the early morning (5:00am) Route-5 sailings out of Swartz are mainly just positioning-cruises, to allow for 6-7am sailings FROM the various Islands back to Swartz. So it's main purpose would be for a Galianian to leave early (say 6:30 or 7:00am) to get to Saanich/Victoria for the day. This is much the same as the first sailing of the day from Little River to Westview. Again it's more of a positioning cruise, where the return trip is the more popular and more necessary sailing.
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Post by kylefossett on Jul 22, 2007 0:21:23 GMT -8
yes the only reason for the swartz bay to long harbour sailing is to get a vessel there to take traffic to village bay to transfer to the mainland. this is not a new sailing this year. has been a sailing like this in the summer for the past few years. can actually remember taking the long harbour-tsawwassen sailing transferring at village bay on a sunday morning on boar either the quinitsa or quinsam in the late 80's. so they were even doing this back then
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 23, 2007 19:12:40 GMT -8
BCFS did a news release today re their friday-schedule for Route-9, starting this autumn: Here it is: www.bcferries.com/news/files/07-054newr9sgischedule.pdfFor Immediate Release 07-054 August 23, 2007 NEW FRIDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE CONFIRMED FOR SOUTHERN GULF ISLANDS Following a successful spring trial, new schedule starts September 7 VICTORIA – Following a successful trial last spring, BC Ferries will implement a new and improved Friday night schedule from Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands starting September 7, 2007. The new schedule will provide passengers with greater flexibility and comfort when traveling to the islands for the weekend. BC Ferries conducted a three month trial of a revised schedule last spring, and over the course of the trial period, made refinements to the schedule based on valuable feedback from customers. For travelers, the new schedule improves on-time performance and eases passenger congestion; for BC Ferries, it creates a more even distribution of passenger and vehicle capacity and simplifies terminal loading patterns. The revised schedule will see traffic bound for Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna Islands depart from Tsawwassen at 4:05 p.m. aboard the Queen of Nanaimo. The ship will then return to Tsawwassen to load traffic for Galiano and Salt Spring Islands for departure at 8:25 p.m. This second sailing will also carry Mayne and Saturna Island-bound customers, who will transfer at Galiano Island. Southern Gulf Island schedules are extremely complex. The new schedule better utilizes the vehicle space on the Queen of Nanaimo, which serves five islands, and provides a second opportunity for passengers to connect to Mayne, Saturna and Galiano Islands on Friday nights. The new schedule will be in place on Friday nights in the fall shoulder season from September 7 through October 12. For full schedule details, visit www.bcferries.com.
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Post by Curtis on Aug 24, 2007 8:35:49 GMT -8
Well now we know how that "Trial Schedule" Was put to use.
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Post by Dane on Oct 9, 2008 13:13:47 GMT -8
Anyone know what the deal is with the odd schedule for later this month? 630am sailings? 1030pm sailings? Sailings at 45 minutes after? Odd hour sailings canceled but even number sailings still running?
Is this all because of the SoBC?
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Post by gordon on Oct 9, 2008 13:45:50 GMT -8
It looks like the schedule change for the SoBC
The next round trip for the queen of Alberni has been cancelled, she will not be sailing again until 8:15 pm
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Post by Hardy on Oct 9, 2008 18:35:51 GMT -8
They are "gimping" along with 2.5 boat service on Rte-1. The SoBC is running a modified sched because of the ongoing engine problems, and the QoSaa and SoVI are running their normal crossing times, but adjusted departures based on the (potentially) longer SoBC crossings. QoVan may or may not be available depending on if she is pinch hitting, which as of today she is for an ailing QoA.
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 10, 2008 6:05:59 GMT -8
Creative scheduling is one means which BCFS uses to enhance their 'on time' performance statistics.
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Post by Nickfro on Oct 10, 2008 15:57:41 GMT -8
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Post by johnnytindale on Oct 11, 2008 13:46:23 GMT -8
Does anyone know why according to BCFS Rt 1 schedule, the Saanich is sailing 2 round trips on Oct. 27 beginning at 12:00? Oct. 27 is a Monday, so I'm a little puzzled by this. Normally if they are doing extra sailings on a non-holiday Monday it would make sense for them to be in the morning.
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Post by Hardy on Oct 11, 2008 13:57:12 GMT -8
Things that BCFS does do not necessarily have to make sense, and there is nothing to concretely say that they really know what they are doing anyways; all the evidence that we need of this can be found in the daily operations and how they deal with vessel breakdowns/servicing/maintenence.
Perhaps the reasoning for the additional sailings may become clear (ie: there is a large-scale event somewhere that will generate extra traffic?) at a time closer to those dates.
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