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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Jul 11, 2015 19:20:32 GMT -8
From my Route 10A trip to Bella Coola. I'll do it in reverse tomorrow.
July 9, 2015The following images posted by this account are copyright © S.A. ~ Unauthorized use is prohibited. BC Ferries - Northern Expedition at Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Northern Expedition at Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Play Area, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Northern Expedition departing Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Outside Cabin, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Northern Expedition at McLoughlin Bay, Bella Bella. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Northern Expedition at McLoughlin Bay, Bella Bella. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Northern Expedition departing McLoughlin Bay, Bella Bella. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Nimpkish and Northern Expedition off McLoughlin Bay, Bella Bella. by Scott, on Flickr |
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Jul 17, 2015 21:44:25 GMT -8
From Bella Bella to Port Hardy, as well as some of her departure from Bear Cove the following morning...
July 12, 2015The following images posted by this account are copyright © S.A. ~ Unauthorized use is prohibited. BC Ferries - Northern Expedition approaching McLoughlin Bay, Bella Bella. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Northern Expedition southbound in Lama Pass. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Deck 7, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Vista Restaurant, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Vista Restaurant, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Vista Restaurant, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Canoe Cafe, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Canoe Cafe, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Passages Gift Shop, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Raven Lounge, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr  BC Ferries - Passages Gift Shop, Northern Expedition. by Scott, on Flickr
July 13, 2015
 BC Ferries - Northern Expedition at Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr
 BC Ferries - Northern Expedition departing Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr
 BC Ferries - Northern Expedition departing Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr
 BC Ferries - Northern Expedition departing Bear Cove, Port Hardy. by Scott, on Flickr
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 18, 2015 2:17:56 GMT -8
Thanks Scott for a great photo tour of the 'Northern Expedition'. The interior spaces are big and bright, some almost too bright for my liking but I admit that comes from a jaded old 'QPR' steward.
There is one feature of the 'NorEx' however that makes me crazy every time I see it! Some folks may think I'm being nit-picky about this but I'd really love to have a 'word' or two with the brainiac that designed the height of the stern flag pole and the location more to port of midship than not.
The flag pole's height and position, appear out of scale with the size of the vessel and negates the ability to proudly fly an appropriately larger Maple Leaf, the symbol of our great country.
The "more to the left of center" placing of the current flag pole was not a nasty prank of one of the 2 current opposition parties as an attempt to embarrass the folks who sit more 'a-starboard' in the peoples' house.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 6, 2015 14:14:36 GMT -8
Northerns Adventure and Expedition, at Prince Rupert in morning of Wednesday, August 5, 2015. Adventure had the day-off, but needed to anchor out past Fairview container terminal for the night, because Expedition was in the berth. ...at 7:30am the next morning, Expedition leaves and Adventure gets to use the berth.  170 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr  20150805_073132 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr  20150805_073208 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr  20150805_073238 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr With the Digby Island Ferry  20150805_073553 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 8, 2015 16:49:47 GMT -8
How about some NorEx horn?
Here's a few samples...
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 9, 2015 7:37:05 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 9, 2015 21:26:15 GMT -8
The opening of the bow door of the Northern Expedition, seen from inside. - 11:15pm on August 7, 2015. ....the opening followed an approximate 10 minute delay with problems (my guess) with an electrical switch panel. - it wasn't as bad as the NorAd's 2007 multi-hour delay when her door got stuck. Closed:  20150807_225855 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Open:  20150807_232710 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Video: |
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 10, 2015 8:03:05 GMT -8
The visor way up in the air looks impressive but, every time I see the NorEX with its gaping jaw opened I think again about that question: why did BC Ferries order this vessel with a visor? That type of bow door technology was out of date by the latter 1980's, replaced by the clam-shell technology. As far as I can tell a ship with a visor is more expensive to build and likely less safe than a ship with the clam-shell doors. Other than the NorEx, are there examples of other ferries built in the first decade of the 21st century with visors?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 10, 2015 8:42:38 GMT -8
The visor way up in the air looks impressive but, every time I see the NorEX with its gaping jaw opened I think again about that question: why did BC Ferries order this vessel with a visor? That type of bow door technology was out of date by the latter 1980's, replaced by the clam-shell technology. As far as I can tell a ship with a visor is more expensive to build and likely less safe than a ship with the clam-shell doors. Other than the NorEx, are there examples of other ferries built in the first decade of the 21st century with visors? Just replying to say that I see this as an issue too, but I don't have any knowledge on the issue. I did a Google search on the terms "bow visor" & "clam shell" and only found a bit of Euro ferry general discussion, but no documents or reports on the issue. |
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 10, 2015 9:22:53 GMT -8
On the lower part of page 3 of the Silja Festival thread we had a discussion re visors versus clam shells ( here). From that discussion here is what our European member 'Timo' had to say: |
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 10, 2015 10:13:13 GMT -8
BTW, Mr Horn, how full was the car deck on each leg of your trip, and can you give us a ball park estimate re passenger loads?
I fear for the future of the Inside Passage summer service due to low utilization. As such I would be pleased to hear that utilization is actually improving. The low Canadian dollar might attract American visitors to this route. Were you able to tell if there were many US resident aboard?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 10, 2015 11:02:30 GMT -8
BTW, Mr Horn, how full was the car deck on each leg of your trip, and can you give us a ball park estimate re passenger loads? I fear for the future of the Inside Passage summer service due to low utilization. As such I would be pleased to hear that utilization is actually improving. The low Canadian dollar might attract American visitors to this route. Were you able to tell if there were many US resident aboard? Both of my trips were light loads. The southbound trip was especially light with perhaps only 1/2 the car deck full. We did pick up a few drop-trailers at Bella Bella, but not much else. A deckhand I spoke with mentioned that perhaps most of the European summer travelers did their trips in July. Northbound was approx 3/4 full, with maybe 20% of the traffic being to Bella Bella and to Nimpkish's waypoints. Judging from the on board demographic, the Heiltsuk people use the northbound sailings as their main way to get from Port Hardy shopping to Bella Bella home. I met a few USAers aboard, but not very many. Germans were the most abundant foreigners on the trips. --------------- Southbound car deck: - shot from the stern, traffic facing bow. The couple of backwards vehicles are leaving at Bella Bella. But the deck is only 1/2 full  20150807_093721 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr - shot from the bow, showing how they load the small cars tight at the bow.  20150807_094747 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr ----------- The most interesting traffic item was this pedal-bike, on the southbound voyage. I chatted with the rider for a bit. His journey through BC to Alaska was as follows: - Border crossed at Idaho - Creston BC - Kootenay Lake and Needles ferries - Vernon to Kamloops, then on to Cache Creek to PG, to Terrace, Kitwanga, and Hwy 37 to Meziadin Junction and Stewart BC. - He touched Alaska at Hyder (no Hyderization done). - Hyder/Stewart back to Kitwanga, to Prince Rupert, to Port Hardy, to....  20150807_093843 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 16:22:19 GMT -8
The opening of the bow door of the Northern Expedition, seen from inside. - 11:15pm on August 7, 2015. ....the opening followed an approximate 10 minute delay with problems (my guess) with an electrical switch panel. - it wasn't as bad as the NorAd's 2007 multi-hour delay when her door got stuck. Closed: 20150807_225855 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Open: 20150807_232710 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Video: Why does the Northern Expedition have a bow visor? |
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Mayne
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Post by Mayne on Aug 10, 2015 16:46:48 GMT -8
The opening of the bow door of the Northern Expedition, seen from inside. - 11:15pm on August 7, 2015. ....the opening followed an approximate 10 minute delay with problems (my guess) with an electrical switch panel. - it wasn't as bad as the NorAd's 2007 multi-hour delay when her door got stuck. Closed: 20150807_225855 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Open: 20150807_232710 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Video: Why does the Northern Expedition have a bow visor? So cars and trucks can drive off |
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Post by Mike on Aug 10, 2015 16:47:02 GMT -8
Why does the Northern Expedition have a bow visor? Because it's easier to unload the vehicles if they don't have to pass through solid steel first. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 10, 2015 17:03:56 GMT -8
Why does the Northern Expedition have a bow visor? The bow and stern doors on an ocean-going ship need to be water-tight. Because they are doors which, by nature, open, there needs to be protection to ensure there is no water ingress. Stern doors are less of an issue, because the water/waves are not pounding against those doors. ...but the bow door is an issue, because of all the water pounding against it from the outside. So, on one hand, we need maximum watertight protection on the bow door. But we also need the bow-door to open, to let traffic in/out. So the setup is as follows, from inside to outside: - an internal ramp, which is lowered (in my video) to allow traffic to bridge to the dock - a watertight door, which this ramp is a part of. Watertight is an engineering issue. - an outside cover (the visor) which is part of the hull and which protects the inner watertight door. So, to enter/exit the ship by the bow, the portion of the hull needs to be moved away temporarily, as a visor on a hinge. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 17:18:55 GMT -8
Mr. Horn, did you notice where are the blind sectors of her radars? haha  |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 10, 2015 17:33:58 GMT -8
Mr. Horn, did you notice where are the blind sectors of her radars? haha haha, I have no ideas of what that even means. But I did eventually figure out that the TV's in the cabins turn-on using switches on the side of the monitor screens. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 11, 2015 12:01:40 GMT -8
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Aug 11, 2015 13:30:31 GMT -8
hey is that the owl from the QPR?
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 11, 2015 15:47:37 GMT -8
I take it you did not fork out the $$$'s to use that lounge. It might be worth it if they let you take your video from in there. There is a metallic film applied to the windows in there that stops light from being transferred to the outside & interfering with night time visibility from the bridge. Unfortunately it acts like a very large neutral density filter thereby impacting photography. It also produces a certain colour hue to photos taken through it which some might not like. As for the owl, if that is the one that once graced the forward end of the QPR, last I saw it was installed aboard the NoRad. |
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 11, 2015 16:01:19 GMT -8
If the Inside Passage isn't being highly utilized, it seems to me BC Ferries ought to consider opening up the forward lounge to all passengers. I guess it's OK to have pay reserve lounge seats in there, but maybe not all of them, and at least make the space available to all passengers so they can see the view out the front. Nova Star has reserved seating which you have to pay for if you want one, but the sailing I was on was so lightly used, they really did not enforce that, and I sat in one of the empty reclining lounge chairs for a good portion of the crossing. The reserved seats on that vessel aren't in a closed-off area, or at least it wasn't closed on our sailing. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 17:06:42 GMT -8
haha, I have no ideas of what that even means. But I did eventually figure out that the TV's in the cabins turn-on using switches on the side of the monitor screens. The blind sectors, or blind spots, are the areas around the ship where the radars cannot see. On the receiver, this will appear as a yellow blob, but on some ships this can be completely darkened out.
On most BC Ferries vessels, the radars are located on the front of the mast, so naturally the blind sectors would be immediately aft - maybe a 2 degree blind spot. However, on a big cargo ship, you'll also have a blind spot in front of the bow (much like a person standing in the bridge, which is at the stern). This is why you'll see a radar unit located up on the forward mast.
BTW: that stern radar on the NorEx is really in a poor location. If they ever wanted to use it, the bridge would have to send someone out to close off Deck 6, as the turning unit is in direct line of sight with a standee on the outside deck. Some don't care, but some might want to leave the opportunity to have kids in the future. 
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 11, 2015 17:20:00 GMT -8
I take it you did not fork out the $$$'s to use that lounge. It might be worth it if they let you take your video from in there The Aurora Lounge is a place I didn't visit. It seemed to be the "NorEx Seniors Home" and I prefer to spend most of my time outdoors on the open-air decks. - So they should have charged me to stand under the staircase at the deck-5 smoke-pit area. That was my valued spot, to get a filmable view and to stay out of the rain. |
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Aug 11, 2015 17:47:28 GMT -8
when does the Nor Ex go into refit for the winter?? I would love to do a trip but I don't wanna pay $200 each way. I think it's cheapest in the dead of winter, lol! The only time I took the Nor Ex was in Sept 2009 and we never used the pay lounge. It would be a nice spot though to have your own seats for the trip. Now how does that work anyone know?? Do you pay for a seat or do you pay to go in and you can sit anywhere or are they assigned seats??? Can you see the available seats? We did do the buffet on our trip though. I really think in the winter they should open the lounge although I think it should be open all year and be free seeing it's the only forward viewing!
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