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Post by Scott on Nov 22, 2008 18:12:44 GMT -8
Any idea where the decommissioning ceremony for the QPR will be held? I suppose that Vancouver would be most convenient for the majority of people but there must be hundreds of people on the north coast that would like to say goodbye too.
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Post by Starsteward on Nov 22, 2008 21:41:37 GMT -8
John H , I agree that there will be hundreds and hundreds of folks up and down this coast that will want to bid this fine workhorse a fond farewell and if BC Ferries had a ounce of 'marketing' in them they could set a a QPR Farewell Tour!
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Post by Starsteward on Nov 22, 2008 21:50:57 GMT -8
In fact, Monday March 30th, the QPR will be in Prince Rupert al day and evening and wouldn't it be cool to have a "Farewell Open House" that day with entertainment and food etc, but there I go ranting about how swell this send-off could be. Always a dreamer..I suppose. Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 20:00 hours, the 'Rupert' will set sail on it's last voyage ever from Prince Rupert, and wouldn't it be grand to have a send-off as well that night with the QPR doing a sail-past around the harbour, horn, whistles sounding to signal a farewell to the folks of the area to act as a nautical 'thank-you' to all who have worked and travelled on her.
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Post by WettCoast on Nov 22, 2008 23:40:56 GMT -8
My brother was not aboard the QPR at the time of the Haddington Reef incident. He served on the QPR as a deckhand for about a year before transferring to Swartz Bay and working there as a summer student / relief worker on all ships & routes operating from there. He tells me that he even got to take the helm of the Pender Queen. My brother does have quite a collection of memorabilia from the QPR, and other vessels in the BCF fleet. Some of his collection is currently with me so that I can 'digitize' it. If you wish to have a look at some of it go here: s90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/wetcoastkidjst/Queen%20of%20Prince%20Rupert/?start=0
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Post by Starsteward on Nov 23, 2008 10:40:01 GMT -8
I guess your brother preceeded me on the QPR. Great collection of pics, I'm going to open up a photbucket account and post some of my ferries pics especially ones I have of my time on the QPR. If you have any other memorabilia from the QPR that you'd like to share, I'd really appreciate it. I've got a few 'items' that I have to scan or take digital photos of before I post them but they should bring a chuckle or two,or the cops, lol. (ie. was property of BCF,etc)
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Nov 23, 2008 18:04:25 GMT -8
Here's an idea I haldn't thought of, but if the deal to sell the Saanich does fall through, this might be an interesting alternative idea although it is not likely any government agencies would want to sully their hands in it in our era of hands off governments. But? Why not turn the old ferry into the equivalent of a floating refugee centre for the homeless? Knox column: An idea to help the homeless that really floats www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/sports/story.html?id=44f44dbb-4d5a-432c-ba94-bbd2042e0134Jack Knox Times Colonist Saturday, November 22, 2008Just as B.C. Ferries' newest ship, the Coastal Perspiration (or something like that), set off on its first Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen run yesterday, Ray Howard weighed in with an idea for one of the old vessels. Howard, a marine engineer, suggests converting a soon-to-be-surplus ferry (the Queen of Vancouver and Queen of Saanich are both for sale) into a voluntary treatment centre for people addicted to drugs and alcohol. "Renovate the inside into 10-foot by 20-foot compartments that would be made into warm, comfortable living quarters," he wrote in an e-mail. "I would think 200 of these could be put into one ferry." "Float or tow this ferry into Finlayson Arm and drop anchor. Now the ones that want treatment could get it and they would not have their old pals around who would ruin their hopes of being helped." "Once those being treated are ready to face the world again," he continued, "provide them with cheap, comfortable housing made from stackable steel shipping containers." Howard says he has been trying to sell this idea for a year now without getting much traction. It isn't without a bit of precedent: Last year, Jody Paterson wrote of her visit to Prague, where an old barge was converted to a homeless shelter at a cost of $1.3 million. It could hold up to 250 people, who paid the equivalent of $1 a night to stay there. And there's a pretty cool house made from stackable shipping containers in Fernwood. ... (Again, I have a bit of an issue with a journalist trying to be smart in his opinion piece. It wouldn't have taken very much effort to research the new vessel's real name and include it properly in a professionally drafted article. Instead, we get the smugness edition with a cynical remark making fun of the Coastal Celebration instead.)
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Post by WettCoast on Nov 23, 2008 20:11:18 GMT -8
(Again, I have a bit of an issue with a journalist trying to be smart in his opinion piece. It wouldn't have taken very much effort to research the new vessel's real name and include it properly in a professionally drafted article. Instead, we get the smugness edition with a cynical remark making fun of the Coastal Celebration instead.) I think that the journalist is simply having fun with what many regard as the 'dumb' names chosen by BCFS for their new boats. You may recall discussion right here on this very forum. Coastal ConstipationCoastal No Sex Please Celibationetc., etc. You may also recall just a few days ago (page 1 of this thread) a story by the same journalist on the Queen of Asbestos, referring to the now disappearing V's.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Nov 23, 2008 20:19:36 GMT -8
WCK is right. Almost every time Jack Knox does a column about BCF, he makes some play on the name of the ferry in question. In fact, in the article he mentions that the Queens of Vancouver and Saanich are for sale, meaning he did do some research into the subject.
Many other people have made fun of the Coastal names, and I think it's deserved.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Nov 23, 2008 20:44:41 GMT -8
Of all the CanWest journalists who write on the topic, Jack Knox is the one who I would say has the best 'feel' for our ferry system.
As for this notion of using the Queen of Saanich as a rehab centre.... every time someone comes up with a scheme to pack up all the homeless, mentally ill, or drug addicted members of a society and warehouse them somewhere, I've noticed that it is never, ever, an idea suggested by anyone who has any background in working on such issues. Jack Knox is quite entitled to have whatever fun he wants with ferry names, but, really... let's not bother asking marine engineers how to solve drug addiction.
Today I did a nice little excursion- took the 11:00 Spirit of British Columbia to Swartz Bay, then the 1:00 Skeena Queen to Fulford and back, and the 4:00 Coastal Celebration back to Tsawwassen. It was nice to be on a Coastal with deck 5 open for a change.
Talked to two route 1 regulars who were delighted to see the 'Saanich go. I know that some ferry fans like to talk sentimentally of 'legacies' and the old boats having a place in their hearts (and I'm not criticizing that) but I rather suspect that about 95% of the travelling public will find the new boats nicer, more efficient, roomier, and just all around a better way to get from point 'a' to point 'b'. Like it or not, the old Vs will not be missed by many.
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Nov 23, 2008 22:04:32 GMT -8
(Again, I have a bit of an issue with a journalist trying to be smart in his opinion piece. It wouldn't have taken very much effort to research the new vessel's real name and include it properly in a professionally drafted article. Instead, we get the smugness edition with a cynical remark making fun of the Coastal Celebration instead.) I think that the journalist is simply having fun with what many regard as the 'dumb' names chosen by BCFS for their new boats. You may recall discussion right here on this very forum. Coastal ConstipationCoastal No Sex Please Celibationetc., etc. You may also recall just a few days ago (page 1 of this thread) a story by the same journalist on the Queen of Asbestos, referring to the now disappearing V's. I was well aware of the name play that's been going on. I suppose I just took a more serious tone from this article and felt that it was out of place in this particular piece. Maybe I'm a little overly sensitive with my editor's antennae for things like this, but I did find the article was well written and just seemed to have an off note that sounded conspicuous.
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ProudCanuck
Chief Steward
Champ Car - Gone, but not forgotten!
Posts: 242
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Post by ProudCanuck on Nov 25, 2008 8:46:18 GMT -8
FYI:
I came out of the tunnel this morning and noticed the slugs are now gone from the funnel.
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Post by Nickfro on Nov 25, 2008 9:45:24 GMT -8
That had to have happened yesterday, as I went thru the tunnel at about 8am yesterday and the slugs were still on the funnel. I noticed her name had already been removed from the stern.
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Post by Dane on Feb 20, 2009 17:01:02 GMT -8
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Post by Mike C on Feb 24, 2009 13:04:46 GMT -8
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Doug
Voyager
Lurking within...the car deck.
Posts: 2,213
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Post by Doug on Feb 28, 2009 15:58:07 GMT -8
While this may have been asked at some point in the past, I'm going to post my query regardless.
Were the "refurbishments" done to both the Saanich and Cowichan in the mid '90s intended to be an ongoing execution for the rest of the major vessels in the fleet? Perhaps, like the Skeena Queen's insubstantial sisters, the project was cut short due to funding, or lack thereof...?
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Post by Dane on Feb 28, 2009 17:34:27 GMT -8
It was also intended for the Van, but was roughly 100% over budget so the project was ended. Cowichan was a one-of.
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Doug
Voyager
Lurking within...the car deck.
Posts: 2,213
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Post by Doug on Feb 28, 2009 23:10:28 GMT -8
Ahh...ok, thanks.
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Post by Queen of Nanaimo Teen on Jun 27, 2009 1:06:50 GMT -8
Just checked all the 4 retired ships fleet profiles. BC Ferries has removed them There go our V Class (Bawling eyes out) Fortunately I printed those off a while ago
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Post by ferryfanyvr on Oct 14, 2009 18:04:58 GMT -8
Sorry to reactivate an almost year-old thread, but SiiTech is showing the Queen of Saanich to be in Nanaimo Harbour...can anyone in the Nanaimo area confirm that? It would make sense since Deas will be filling up soon with other vessels in for refit.
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ProudCanuck
Chief Steward
Champ Car - Gone, but not forgotten!
Posts: 242
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Post by ProudCanuck on Oct 14, 2009 18:12:58 GMT -8
Berth 2 @ Deas is empty as of 5pm tonight.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Oct 14, 2009 20:30:57 GMT -8
The history function on Siitech shows her at or near the Assembly Wharf here in Nanaimo as of 6:26 PM.
I will check things out in person tomorrow morning...
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Oct 15, 2009 9:26:23 GMT -8
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Post by lmtengs on Oct 15, 2009 10:01:56 GMT -8
It's interesting nobody noticed such a huge deslugged vessel moving up the strait... I'm guessing non-ferry enthusiasts would have just thought it was another ferry, and never gave it a second thought that the slugs werent there. Would she have sailed under her own power, or been towed?
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Post by Balfour on Oct 15, 2009 12:12:00 GMT -8
It's interesting nobody noticed such a huge deslugged vessel moving up the strait... I'm guessing non-ferry enthusiasts would have just thought it was another ferry, and never gave it a second thought that the slugs werent there. Would she have sailed under her own power, or been towed? She was likely towed there... I'm surprised how good of a condition she appears to be in considering she hasn't moved in almost a year. I guess BCF is keeping her in good shape while she is still up for sale.
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Kam
Voyager
Posts: 926
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Post by Kam on Oct 15, 2009 12:12:58 GMT -8
Just a guess, but I would think under tow.
Much cheaper than crewing her for the trip over.
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