FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 3, 2017 2:29:16 GMT -8
Here are my captures of the SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA's passage through the Panama Canal locks:
Entering the scene at Miraflores Locks.
No, SPIRIT, you're not at the Esquimalt Graving Dock. You were in Panama and on the move!
Being raised to Canal level, one lock at a time.
This elevation is complete. Two more set of locks to go.
Clearing the Miraflores Locks.
Last pic from this location.
Part of the problem of these middle-of-the-night transits is trying to stay awake. This is the only decent image of the ship of interest from the Gatun Locks on this thread I can share.
She's on her way to the Canary Islands, our next potential webcam viewing site.
Best wishes to this ship and her crew as they cross the Atlantic Ocean.
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Post by titanium48 on Oct 3, 2017 7:31:56 GMT -8
Couple of questions for those more familiar with maritime operations than I am:
Is a week long wait to transit the Panama canal normal or was it particularly busy for some reason?
Why the 1400 km detour to the Canary Islands instead of heading straight for the English Channel?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 3, 2017 7:43:00 GMT -8
Couple of questions for those more familiar with maritime operations than I am: Is a week long wait to transit the Panama canal normal or was it particularly busy for some reason? Why the 1400 km detour to the Canary Islands instead of heading straight for the English Channel? The Canary Islands are the gas-station and convenience store for trans-Atlantic travelers.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 3, 2017 8:07:22 GMT -8
Couple of questions for those more familiar with maritime operations than I am: Is a week long wait to transit the Panama canal normal or was it particularly busy for some reason? Why the 1400 km detour to the Canary Islands instead of heading straight for the English Channel? The Canary Islands are the gas-station and convenience store for trans-Atlantic travelers. Actually, the Canaries are the fueling stop offering diesel (and maybe other forms of propellant fuels).
The SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA is standing outside of the Gatun Locks taking in fuel and supplies for her trans Atlantic voyage. She has the GUSTAVO CASTRO and the SPABUNKER 1 on her side this morning.
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 3, 2017 9:06:35 GMT -8
Couple of questions for those more familiar with maritime operations than I am: Is a week long wait to transit the Panama canal normal or was it particularly busy for some reason? Why the 1400 km detour to the Canary Islands instead of heading straight for the English Channel? The Canary Islands are the gas-station and convenience store for trans-Atlantic travelers. The week-long wait to transit the canal may have been caused by many factors. The time frame for submitting a transit request depends on a few variables, some controlled by the ship transiting, some by the canal authorities. There are a limited number of 'slots' available for different types/sizes of vessels wishing to transit the canal in either direction. Also, it may have been that the transiting crew on the 'SOBC' wanted to let the old girl cool down a bit and do an overall inspection of her machinery after the long trek from B.C. As has been previously mentioned somewhere on this thread, the 'SOBC' isn't used to the rigours of running 24/7 as she plies the waters of route 1 back home. Mr. Horn is correct in relating that the Canary Islands are the "7-11" with a gas bar, in the southerly part of the North Atlantic ocean. Sailing in a more easterly direction across this part of the North Atlantic ocean also eliminates "some" possibilities of storms that generally sweep across the mid to northern reaches of the North Atlantic at this time of year. Once the 'SOBC' and her crew have gassed up, reloaded their snack bags and felt the wonders of having their feet on terra firma for a wee bit, the voyage up the Eastern coast of Africa, across the Strait of Gibraltar, northward along the coasts of Portugal and Spain will afford the 'SOBC' the opportunity to 'lay-to' in a sheltered port should they encounter gale force winds and high seas that are not uncommon in the North Atlantic during the Fall and Winter months. A marine sea- keeping tidbit if I may. While the transit up the Eastern shores of Northern Africa is 'usually' non-remarkable, the "SOBC' and her crew will experience a very bumpy ride as they cross the outer edges of the Bay of Biscay. For those who have ridden the 'Northern Adventure' across Hecate Strait will be able to commiserate with the 'SOBC' crew. The bumpy ride is a result of the shallow depth of both these bodies of waters, and in the case of the Bay of Biscay, the wave action will generally strike the port side of the vessel basically shoving the vessel sideways across a shallow body of water whilst the vessel is attempting to move forward in a straight line. If the seas and winds are relatively normal, the crossing should take less than 12 hours.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 3, 2017 15:18:18 GMT -8
Freshly fueled and stocked with goodies, the SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA departed her anchorage outside of the Gatun Locks at 1400PDT this afternoon. We can start her Trans-Atlantic voyage elapsed time from that time on... Safe voyage to the SOBC and her crew.
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Post by mybidness459 on Oct 3, 2017 15:20:38 GMT -8
Nice to see she is on the move again☺. Maybe she should put in a reservation for her return trip.
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Post by terrybc on Oct 6, 2017 9:54:15 GMT -8
As of 5am Pacific Spirit of BC is just S.E. of the British Virgin Islands. Marine Traffic dot com shows her arriving in Tenerife on Oct 13 at 1600 local time.
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Post by mybidness459 on Oct 6, 2017 13:36:14 GMT -8
Thanks for the update Terry BC☺
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FNS
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The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
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Post by FNS on Oct 12, 2017 12:42:15 GMT -8
The SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA is closing in on her next fueling and supply station of Tenerife.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 13, 2017 3:49:29 GMT -8
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Post by jwjsamster on Oct 13, 2017 5:24:08 GMT -8
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Post by jwjsamster on Oct 13, 2017 5:45:05 GMT -8
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Post by jwjsamster on Oct 13, 2017 5:47:10 GMT -8
One last photo of her parked up at Tenerife
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 13, 2017 6:13:34 GMT -8
One last photo of her parked up at Tenerife Great captures!
She's docked at the east end of the port.
You can see her using this site until she's off again for, most likely, her destination in Poland:
www.puertosdetenerife.org/index.php/en/webcam-Tenerife
Select the "Dársena del Este" tab to see her.
After days of continuous spinning, her screws can take their rest for a little while before propelling her again.
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Post by queenofdelta on Oct 13, 2017 13:51:43 GMT -8
show of hands: who's hoping and praying that SoBC will receive a proper BC Ferries chime whistle during her time in Gdansk?
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Post by Charles on Oct 13, 2017 14:21:30 GMT -8
show of hands: who's hoping and praying that SoBC will receive a proper BC Ferries chime whistle during her time in Gdansk? Yes please!
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 13, 2017 15:05:15 GMT -8
show of hands: who's hoping and praying that SoBC will receive a proper BC Ferries chime whistle during her time in Gdansk? Yes please! Me, too!
Meanwhile, the SOBC has spent the most part of this afternoon (evening in Tenerife) with a tanker named SPABUNKER 61 along her side.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 14, 2017 1:55:57 GMT -8
The SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA has been spotted this hour as leaving the Canaries for her ultimate destination of Gdansk, Poland.
This shows the distance she has to travel to get to her destination (either by way of the Kiel Canal or around the north end of Denmark).
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 14, 2017 5:44:53 GMT -8
Thanks for the update 'FNS, your prowess at keeping tabs on our sea voyageurs has been fun to follow. But really..., if this really brief stop over could be related to a quick pit stop on a long trans-provincial or trans state adventure one may have experienced as a youngster, perhaps one would recall this stop more akin to an 'Indy-car' pit stop than any kind of 'rest-stop'. With the gas gauge hovering near the big "E",my Dad would have had this service station's location red circled on his old Rand McNally fold-out road map of Western Canada. There had to be an orderly execution of this mechanical fluids 'top-up' and latrine parade as one didn't dare, Mother included, hold up the 'Old Man' on his quest to deliver all hands safe and sound to 'Grannies farm' before another gas tank 'E' further delayed our late evening arrival. ...And so we see the crew of the 'Spirit of B.C.', scrambling down the gangway, bolting to the nearest convenience store to acquire some 'essentials' for the last leg of the trip to Gdansk, Poland. No sit down, full course meals at either of these aforementioned stop-overs by golly! This stop-over was not listed on the itinerary as a highlighted location of interest, but merely an oh so brief pit-stop along the way to the much longer lay-over and make-over that awaits in Gdansk. Somehow, I can almost hear that old country and western tune, 'On the Road Again' creep into my mind. As with the old car road trips, the Captain,and his First Mate, awaiting only last two thumps of the rear doors, would roll-call "everyone in"? "Think so" was often the goofy response. The lines would have been long cast off, the 'Old Man' revving the big V-8, snapping the automatic transmission lever two notches to starboard, his eyes fixed on the near horizon would grin and pronounce the pit-stop as "that was fun eh'? Wonder what goodies Granny has baked up for us at the old Polish farm house? "Steer 270", aye "270"!
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WettCoast
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 15, 2017 9:58:47 GMT -8
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 16, 2017 5:58:12 GMT -8
Great shots Jim! The spooks really are a good-looking pair and it will be interesting to hear reaction to the 'SOBC''s overall appearance when she gets to Europe. The only bit of disfigurement that ails the 'spooks', is that damn upper car deck 'lip' at the bow end. These two major vessels of the BCFS fleet were also the last 'major' builds done locally, even though they were both assembled in a somewhat 'Leggo' style approach. Good boats overall!
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Oct 17, 2017 19:49:51 GMT -8
The SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA has rounded the northwest tip of France and is heading up the English Channel. Soon, she'll pass over the Channel Tunnels, most likely the second construction marvel in her life after Massey next to Deas.
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 18, 2017 5:18:24 GMT -8
'Watch-keeping' duties will now be the major challenge for the 'stripes' aboard the 'Spirit of B.C.', as she transits one of the busiest waterways in the world. For the 'first-timer' sailing this marine highway, be prepared to witness the ultimate 'everything that floats' and 'what the heck is that parade? Welcome to the major leagues! Photo ops will abound!
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Post by stvfishy on Oct 18, 2017 20:04:51 GMT -8
ummmmm marinetraffic.com has the SPIRIT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA route forecast going around Denmark, then an hour later has it going through the Kiel Canal. Flipped back & forth a couple times on me. Any insight?
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