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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 3, 2010 21:39:56 GMT -8
Hmmm... Problems galore on route 1 today. CurCon has reported seven sailings have been afflicted by "mechanical problems with terminal equipment".
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Post by Kahloke on Mar 6, 2010 9:25:24 GMT -8
Unlike the Eastern Seaboard, we have had an extremely dry winter. There has been bare ground for the majority of the winter and pretty mild temperatures. I think unless we get a very wet rainy spring there are going to be problems this summer. North of the city in cottage country there has been more snow but we will see what lake levels are like later. Bitter cold isn't a problem for gardeners if there is snow cover, a mild winter without snow can actually cause more die off, so we will see how the gardens have made out in a month or so. I allowed the temperature to influence my clothing on Thursday and wore a shirt and light sweater/jacket downtown, not taking into account the wind tunnel effect of the tall buildings. So the wind chill made it rather chilly. Plus I parked one place and intended to walk to between the restaurant and Second City where I was going. By chance, did you mean to post this in the "Snow" thread?
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Post by Northern Exploration on Mar 7, 2010 11:13:06 GMT -8
Yes I did. Occasionally when I post strange things happen. Edits disappear, or fail to save, and other oddities. I have been told it is rare but not totally unknown and some software conflict is happening on my laptop.
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Post by theislander on Mar 28, 2010 16:31:10 GMT -8
Terminal Services.
Im just wondering why terminal services ( retail outlets) arent required to be open the operating hours of the terminal.
Are prices fixed by BC Ferry Corp as to how much a retail outlet can charge? Is Starbucks regulated as to how much they charge for a Latte in the fare payed zone?
I know BCFC does have power over these retailers. Ever try to buy gum?
Terminal food? Well honestly I have to say the best terminal food Ive eve had was during the tsawwassen terminal rebuild.
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Post by lmtengs on May 31, 2010 15:10:30 GMT -8
Hey, does anybody have any historical photos of either Tsawwassen Terminal, Swartz Bay, Langdale, Duke Point, or Horseshoe Bay Terminals that they wouldn't mind me posting to the Ferries Wiki under the ferry terminal articles? I guess you could either PM me the photo or post it here, and make sure to tell me who to credit the photo to. If I'm not told, I'll just credit the photo to your WCF Forum username. I'd really appreciate some participation
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Post by Mike C on May 31, 2010 22:12:02 GMT -8
for those who are interested in the more creative aspect of photography... Prince Rupert Tsawwassen Horseshoe Bay Snug Cove Little River
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Post by FerryDude2012 on Aug 6, 2010 0:08:02 GMT -8
Village Bay Berth repairs: Note: This Service Notice applies to the following route(s): - Vancouver (Tsawwassen) - Southern Gulf Islands - Victoria (Swartz Bay) - Southern Gulf Islands -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Village Bay Dock Repairs Saturna Island Transfers at Mayne Island Affected The Queen of Nanaimo returns to service on Friday, August 6th. Repairs to the second berth at Village Bay will take approximately 10 days to complete. While the repairs to the berth are being completed we will not be able to provide the following transfer sailings to Saturna customers: Monday-Friday Mornings - •Customers travelling on the 6:30 am departure from Saturna Island on the Mayne Queen will not be able to make their regular transfer at Mayne Island to the Queen of Cumberland bound for Pender Island. The ship will continue through to Swartz Bay. Monday-Thursday Afternoons - •Customers travelling on the 4:20 pm sailing from Saturna Island on the Mayne Queen will not be able to make their regular transfer at Mayne Island to the Queen of Nanaimo bound for Tsawwassen. Instead, customers bound for Tsawwassen will need to transfer to the 5:30 pm sailing of the Queen of Cumberland at Mayne Island and travel to Swartz Bay. From Swartz Bay customers can travel throughfare to Tsawwassen. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers. www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=255187
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Rhody
Chief Steward
Posts: 108
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Post by Rhody on Aug 19, 2010 18:48:05 GMT -8
Gonna ride BC Ferries for the first time this weekend leaving from Tsawwassen, any destination ideas? Planning on just walking on
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Post by FerryDude2012 on Aug 19, 2010 18:58:19 GMT -8
Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Victoria is a great place to start off your BC Ferries experience. It's a very beautiful crossing with the open waters of Georgia Strait, to the sights and sounds of Active Pass and the Southern Gulf Islands. That's my personal suggestion.
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Post by Scott on Aug 19, 2010 19:47:36 GMT -8
Gonna ride BC Ferries for the first time this weekend leaving from Tsawwassen, any destination ideas? Planning on just walking on This question might get better attention if you put it in the Ferry Travel - Advice section of the forum: ferriesbc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=adviceBut for a quick answer, I'd agree with Ferry Dude, from Tsawwassen it's probably best to go to Swartz Bay and if you have time, you can island-hop back to Tsawwassen for a bit of variety.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 20, 2010 12:32:42 GMT -8
I've set up new threads in the Photo section of the forum, for photos of the BC Ferries terminals.
See the photos page sub-board, for the new set of threads. This change is intended to make it easier to find photos of a specific terminal, as this here general thread is becoming a bottomless pit.
.......I will be moving the existing photo posts, starting soon.
West Coast Ferries Forum looks forward to providing you with a whole new level of terminal-photo service. ;D
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Post by lmtengs on Sept 20, 2010 18:30:35 GMT -8
I've been wondering when something like this would occur! Finally it has. I think that soon, this kind of thing would be nice for the Washington State and Alaska areas as well. Make a photos sub-board for each of 'em with class-specific threads in them, as well as terminal-specific threads.
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Post by dofd on Sept 28, 2010 21:06:56 GMT -8
I was searching on youtube for some video from my track day in Seattle and thought to search BC Ferries as well and found this:
Boarding on the QofN from Galiano
Unloading in Tsawwassen at berth 5?
Does the QofN unload there? Maybe it is old news.
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Post by ferrytraveller on Oct 19, 2010 10:47:55 GMT -8
Berth Improvements
October 18 – October 29
Saltery Bay
From Monday, October 18 through to Friday October 29, 2010, BC Ferries will be conducting improvements to the main berth at the Saltery Bay Terminal. The secondary berth at Saltery Bay will be used for all ferry traffic during this period of construction.
During this time there is a possibility of delays while the vessel operates from the secondary berth. Passengers should plan their travel accordingly.
BC Ferries will make every effort to minimize the impact this work may have on scheduled service.
The main operational berth is scheduled to re-enter service on Saturday, October 30, 2010.
We apologize for any inconvenience this improvement project may cause and thank you for your patience while we undertake this necessary work.
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Post by ferrytraveller on Oct 19, 2010 10:53:14 GMT -8
BERTH THREE CLOSURE Horseshoe Bay Terminal Berth three at Horseshoe Bay terminal will be closed from Wednesday, October 13th through Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 for life extension maintenance which involves the replacement of the berth’s marine coatings. During the berth three closure all vessels, including the Queen of Surrey will utilize berth one or berth two at Horseshoe Bay. Reconfigured vehicle traffic patterns and berth congestion may result in sailing delays. Please check www.bcferries.com or mobile.bcferries.com on your mobile device for current conditions. We look forward to completing the work at berth three and resuming our regular loading pattern for Langdale and Sunshine Coast customers as soon as possible. Berth 4 at Tsawwassen should be completed by feb 2011 and after berths 5 & 3 will have MLU's done sorry should have mentioned the last bit is about tsawwassen
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 19, 2010 17:11:33 GMT -8
In the post immediately above I am wondering what the last sentance has to do with the rest of the post? As far as I know, Horseshoe Bay's berths 4 & 5 are used only for berthing the Queen of Richmond, and the Coastal Serenity.
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Post by Dane on Oct 19, 2010 17:27:26 GMT -8
Mainland terminals mixed up?
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Post by Mike on Oct 19, 2010 17:35:02 GMT -8
In the post immediately above I am wondering what the last sentance has to do with the rest of the post? As far as I know, Horseshoe Bay's berths 4 & 5 are used only for berthing the Queen of Richmond, and the Coastal Serenity. The Queen of Oak Bay used berth 4 once.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 19, 2010 17:40:42 GMT -8
In the post immediately above I am wondering what the last sentance has to do with the rest of the post? As far as I know, Horseshoe Bay's berths 4 & 5 are used only for berthing the Queen of Richmond, and the Coastal Serenity. The Queen of Oak Bay used berth 4 once. That's a good one. - Howerver, the anal-retentive humourist will point out that berths are numbered from left-to-right from shore-perspective, so that special Oak Bay berth was Berth 0.5, or something like that.
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Post by lmtengs on Oct 19, 2010 18:17:14 GMT -8
Berth Improvements October 18 – October 29 Saltery Bay From Monday, October 18 through to Friday October 29, 2010, BC Ferries will be conducting improvements to the main berth at the Saltery Bay Terminal. The secondary berth at Saltery Bay will be used for all ferry traffic during this period of construction. During this time there is a possibility of delays while the vessel operates from the secondary berth. Passengers should plan their travel accordingly. BC Ferries will make every effort to minimize the impact this work may have on scheduled service. The main operational berth is scheduled to re-enter service on Saturday, October 30, 2010. We apologize for any inconvenience this improvement project may cause and thank you for your patience while we undertake this necessary work. How do they load vehicles on and off when the second berth is in use? I understand that there is not really a direct connection between the terminal waiting lanes and the second berth, unless you were to leave the terminal and enter through a different entrance.
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Post by fargowolf on Oct 19, 2010 18:46:29 GMT -8
Google Earth is your friend. What they will do at Saltery Bay is this: Traffic will be directed out of the terminal (back towards Powell River) to the first right (basically a 180 degree turn to the right.) and down to the back up berth. Traffic unloading, will simply merge onto HWY 101. The route will of course be signed, and the people in the booths will of course warn drivers that the other dock will be used. Foot passengers will take a more direct route, going by the satellite pic. They will simply follow the path over to the other dock.
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mrdot
Voyager
Mr. DOT
Posts: 1,252
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Post by mrdot on Oct 19, 2010 20:05:24 GMT -8
you're docking the Queen of Richmond in Horseshoe Bay, were do I dock the Queen of Kelsey Bay? if only wac. could have seen the second northern boat, or forseen BC rail's double crossing! long live the dogwood!and the memory of Monty Aldous! who wasn,t one of Victoria's millionares! mrdot.
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Post by cobblehillian on Oct 21, 2010 12:44:57 GMT -8
I'm not sure if this is the right thread for my comments. I defer to the judgment of the moderators.
Yesterday I made a roundtrip on route 2 from Nanaimo, out on the Oak Bay, back on the Cowichan. Both ways there was a heavy fog over the open part of the Strait with the horn being blown every two minutes. With the frequent horn blowing I had a stronger than usual impression of being on a 'big' ship. It was a very pleasant trip.
I parked my car in the Robbins lot at Departure Bay. I was rather distressed to find that the parking time options and fees were not designed to be particularly rational or to be fully reflective of passenger needs. The time options offered in long term parking were 6 hours or 24 hours, and multiples of 24 hours. The charge for 6 hours was $10.00 and the charge for 24 hours was $12.00. In other words you can make a return trip on the same vessel, allowing that you are a fast runner and arrive at the ticket booths prior to the required 10 minutes before departure, or you can make it an overnighter. The day trippers on this route are consistently numerous owing to the good connecting bus service, yet their is no parking option of 12-14 hours to accommodate them.
Mr Hahn was right when he said the role of Robbins Parking was to maximize revenue to BCF. It certainly wasn't customer service. While I wish the rates were lower the time options seem purposely contrived to force a choice garnering more revenue. The Hobson's choice is neither ethical nor rational. It certainly isn't passenger friendly.
When the Cowichan slowed for docking at Nanaimo the foot passengers gathered at the starboard door where there is a sign advising that it is the exit door for Nanaimo. It was only after a crew member began passenger exit preparations at the port side door that passengers knew which door was being used. I must assume that this confusion regularly occurs on at least the Cowichan since the dock upgrades. I would have thought that a movable sign or an announcement on the PA system would have been possible. Perhaps the existing starboard sign could be removed. Are all of the slips at Nanaimo arranged for port side exit or is the exit side slip dependent?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 21, 2010 13:04:21 GMT -8
The time options offered in long term parking were 6 hours or 24 hours, and multiples of 24 hours. The charge for 6 hours was $10.00 and the charge for 24 hours was $12.00. In other words you can make a return trip on the same vessel, allowing that you are a fast runner and arrive at the ticket booths prior to the required 10 minutes before departure, or you can make it an overnighter. The day trippers on this route are consistently numerous owing to the good connecting bus service, yet their is no parking option of 12-14 hours to accommodate them. Great post, and welcome back. I agree with you on this point. Duke Point is where I usually park, approx 5 times a year. Duke also has the 6-or-24 option. Up until sometime this past-spring, there was a 12 hour option, and that's what I normally chose. - the old 12-hour option used to cost $5, and the 24-hours used to cost $10. That was what the prices were in Nov.2009. - the 24-hour option currently costs $12. And this is what people who only need 12-hours are forced to pay. I agree that this is crazy and unreasonable.......but I've paid it. -------- When the Cowichan slowed for docking at Nanaimo the foot passengers gathered at the starboard door where there is a sign advising that it is the exit door for Nanaimo. It was only after a crew member began passenger exit preparations at the port side door that passengers knew which door was being used. I must assume that this confusion regularly occurs on at least the Cowichan since the dock upgrades. I would have thought that a movable sign or an announcement on the PA system would have been possible. Perhaps the existing starboard sign could be removed. Are all of the slips at Nanaimo arranged for port side exit or is the exit side slip dependent? I've seen this confusion on the ship too. This doesn't help the average traveler, but the ferry-forum secret is to wait and see which berth the ship is headed for. - if it's berth 3 (closest to Newcastle Island), then you exit from the starboard side. - if it's the middle berth #2, then you exit from the port side.
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Post by dofd on Oct 28, 2010 23:15:19 GMT -8
Found it on youtube. From the ANews channel.
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