The Victoria to Seattle Route

[darrylwilsonjr]

Can anyone list all of the vessels that carried passengers between Victoria and Seattle? In recent years, I can think of the Crown Princess Victoria, Vancouver Island Princess, Princess Marguerite, Royal Victorian/Princess Marguerite III. Of course, we also have Clipper I, Clipper IV, Clipper V.

Could we ever see vehicle service restored on the Victoria to Seattle route?

[Starsteward]

Feb 14, 2019 0:51:32 GMT -8 darrylwilsonjr said:

Can anyone list all of the vessels that carried passengers between Victoria and Seattle? In recent years, I can think of the Crown Princess Victoria, Vancouver Island Princess, Princess Marguerite, Royal Victorian/Princess Marguerite III. Of course, we also have Clipper I, Clipper IV, Clipper V.

Could we ever see vehicle service restored on the Victoria to Seattle route?

    Restoring vehicle service between Victoria and Seattle would definitely be a big 'plus' in many ways. Unfortunately the elephant in the room in the resurrection of 
    vehicle service would be acquiring a suitable vessel for the run. Would a private company be prepared to gamble on what would be a sizeable monetary investment?
    I doubt that any level of government on either side of the 49th would or could be tempted to throw public money at a resurrection of vehicle service.
    Memories of hearing the steam whistle blasting from the 'Maggie' upon entering the inner harbour are just that...'memories'.

[paulvanb]

Didn't the Chinook go there when she was part of the Black Ball fleet in the US? Steve Pickens would be able to tell us for sure.

[Kahloke]

Feb 14, 2019 13:51:38 GMT -8 paulvanb said:

Didn't the Chinook go there when she was part of the Black Ball fleet in the US? Steve Pickens would be able to tell us for sure.

It did, indeed.  That is where Chinook started it's service life.  Steve's page on Chinook tells more:
www.evergreenfleet.com/chinookone.html

Going back to the topic at hand, I think the days of car ferry service between Seattle and Victoria are over.  Victoria Clipper has been successful with the fast P/O boats, but for those who want to take their cars, it's not really that far of a drive to Port Angeles, and that crossing is much shorter.  I do wonder what is going to happen with that service once Coho ages out.  Will Blackball acquire another vessel, or will Coho's retirement mark the end of that service?

[princessofvanfan]

Feb 14, 2019 14:18:49 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Feb 14, 2019 13:51:38 GMT -8 paulvanb said:

Didn't the Chinook go there when she was part of the Black Ball fleet in the US? Steve Pickens would be able to tell us for sure.

It did, indeed.  That is where Chinook started it's service life.  Steve's page on Chinook tells more:
www.evergreenfleet.com/chinookone.html

Going back to the topic at hand, I think the days of car ferry service between Seattle and Victoria are over.  Victoria Clipper has been successful with the fast P/O boats, but for those who want to take their cars, it's not really that far of a drive to Port Angeles, and that crossing is much shorter.  I do wonder what is going to happen with that service once Coho ages out.  Will Blackball acquire another vessel, or will Coho's retirement mark the end of that service?

With ferry service to Victoria from Tsawwassen, Anacortes, and Port Angeles, there is definitely no need for vehicle service from downtown Seattle, as well. As for the Coho, I think she'll be running for quite a few years yet, as Black Ball takes such good care of her, and she still seems well suited for that route. She could have platform decks installed on her car deck too, if more vehicle capacity was required.

[Blue Bus Fan]

Feb 14, 2019 17:11:15 GMT -8 princessofvanfan said:

Feb 14, 2019 14:18:49 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

It did, indeed.  That is where Chinook started it's service life.  Steve's page on Chinook tells more:
www.evergreenfleet.com/chinookone.html

Going back to the topic at hand, I think the days of car ferry service between Seattle and Victoria are over.  Victoria Clipper has been successful with the fast P/O boats, but for those who want to take their cars, it's not really that far of a drive to Port Angeles, and that crossing is much shorter.  I do wonder what is going to happen with that service once Coho ages out.  Will Blackball acquire another vessel, or will Coho's retirement mark the end of that service?

With ferry service to Victoria from Tsawwassen, Anacortes, and Port Angeles, there is definitely no need for vehicle service from downtown Seattle, as well. As for the Coho, I think she'll be running for quite a few years yet, as Black Ball takes such good care of her, and she still seems well suited for that route. She could have platform decks installed on her car deck too, if more vehicle capacity was required.

I would say that Black Ball Ferry wants to increase they should build another vessel to have two boat service on route during the peak season, even a replacement vessel for M/V Coho which larger. I could see that Provincial Government and State Government working or taking over Victoria Clipper with another vessel being added with more trips being added to peak season. 

[Neil]

Feb 14, 2019 14:18:49 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Feb 14, 2019 13:51:38 GMT -8 paulvanb said:

Didn't the Chinook go there when she was part of the Black Ball fleet in the US? Steve Pickens would be able to tell us for sure.

It did, indeed.  That is where Chinook started it's service life.  Steve's page on Chinook tells more:
www.evergreenfleet.com/chinookone.html

Going back to the topic at hand, I think the days of car ferry service between Seattle and Victoria are over.  Victoria Clipper has been successful with the fast P/O boats, but for those who want to take their cars, it's not really that far of a drive to Port Angeles, and that crossing is much shorter.  I do wonder what is going to happen with that service once Coho ages out.  Will Blackball acquire another vessel, or will Coho's retirement mark the end of that service?

Not that it's any sort of definitive statement, but the in marking the Coho's fiftieth anniversary, the current ownership group said that they were looking forward to fifty more years. I'm assuming they wouldn't have seen Coho lasting that long, so if it isn't just bravado, they may have a plan for replacing her, when need be.
Sent an inquiry to one of their email addresses about this... maybe they'll get back to me.

[EGfleet]

Feb 14, 2019 13:51:38 GMT -8 paulvanb said:

Didn't the Chinook go there when she was part of the Black Ball fleet in the US? Steve Pickens would be able to tell us for sure.

This has already been answered, but if you want to go way, way back, Seattle-Port Angeles-(and a few other ports for a time)-Victoria started with Black Ball's Sol Duc, which could carry about 11 cars.  According to a clipping in a Sunday newspaper (unidentified in the PSMHS article about the Sol Duc) auto service on the Sol Duc started in 1915.

[grk]

One speculation is that Black Ball might tag onto the order for ferries by the Alaska Marine operation. It seems their vessels are coming in a variety of lengths and capacity. That would solve the costs of design and satisfy the built in America necessity.

[Dane]

The Coho is really really showing her age these days if you look beyond the shiny paint. I'm always so curious as to what the future will hold for Black Ball. I obviously know nothing about their finances, but it seems hard to believe they could generate the capital for a modern car ferry to be built, and I suspect (but honestly have no idea) that they're sailing with a ton of grandfathered safety things a new to them vessel wouldn't benefit from.

[Blue Bus Fan]

Feb 15, 2019 11:48:26 GMT -8 grk said:

One speculation is that Black Ball might tag onto the order for ferries by the Alaska Marine operation. It seems their vessels are coming in a variety of lengths and capacity. That would solve the costs of design and satisfy the built in America necessity.

I have say that would be smart idea for Black Ball. I could see Black Ball taking similar plan but I could see them working with designer of Alaska Class to deign for their specific needs.

[yak]

I think that a bigger problem for the Coho isn't necessarily going to be maintenance but having to comply with ever stricter regulations around safety and environmental protection. Retrofitting old ships rather than investing in new technology becomes a game of diminishing returns. I think this will eventually catch up with that run.

However, counter to my point, if you look at the example of the coal burning SS Badger on Lake Michigan maybe they can simply have the Coho declared a "Historic Place" to bypass some of these requirements :-p

Also, to keep this post on topic, I was just going to mention that while I don't see a return to vehicle service between Victoria and Seattle the trip around 1994 was memorable for me. When I worked on the Queen of Burnaby for a short time in 2015 it was really nostalgic to walk around the crew area on the upper deck and still see some of the old chairs and carpet from that era.

[princessofvanfan]

Feb 18, 2019 9:15:56 GMT -8 yak said:

I think that a bigger problem for the Coho isn't necessarily going to be maintenance but having to comply with ever stricter regulations around safety and environmental protection. Retrofitting old ships rather than investing in new technology becomes a game of diminishing returns. I think this will eventually catch up with that run.

However, counter to my point, if you look at the example of the coal burning SS Badger on Lake Michigan maybe they can simply have the Coho declared a "Historic Place" to bypass some of these requirements :-p

Also, to keep this post on topic, I was just going to mention that while I don't see a return to vehicle service between Victoria and Seattle the trip around 1994 was memorable for me. When I worked on the Queen of Burnaby for a short time in 2015 it was really nostalgic to walk around the crew area on the upper deck and still see some of the old chairs and carpet from that era.

True, but I think a lot of Coho's systems and safety stuff is grandfathered, and she is meticulously maintained. Black Ball really plays up the "retro" aspect of their ship and service, and acquiring a newer boat would kill much of their marketing angle. I love the fact that we still have a Spaulding original plying our waters that is virtually unchanged from day 1. I make sure to do a round trip on her every 2 or 3 years just because.