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Post by Dane on Dec 21, 2023 16:08:33 GMT -8
The CCels Christmas-time schedule is pretty "aggressive", as in supposedly maintaining two hour turn around time for most, but not all sailings, with some padding generally at the end of the day. Will be curious to see how it maintains schedule with the avoidance of Active Pass; it might be okay if loading and unloading is relatively efficient as sailing times seemed to be roughly averaging 1h45 on the last appearance on the route.
Interestingly there's a couple spots on the schedule where the SoBC / CCel and New West figuratively stack up and give thirty minute frequency. That'll be a lot of pressure on the terminal!
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Post by Dane on Dec 18, 2023 14:03:30 GMT -8
On the Coquitlam now watching the Cow do big loops, must be sea trials? Something a little different to watch!
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Post by Dane on Dec 17, 2023 22:11:02 GMT -8
I chatted with Mayor McKay today, and he mentioned that the old Harbourlynx ship is now in Turkey. DATA HERENow named HUDAVENDIGAR I got HarbourLynx curious today. Was watching what felt like pretty impressive Hullo loads this weekend and had a bit of a flash back to HarbourLynx's first few days which never got close to a sell out, unfortunately. In any event I threw the IMO number into Vessel Finder and was happy / impressed that a strong fourth life has been given to the HUDAVENDIGAR. Seems to be in regular service and looking decent in interior pictures from Google. This may be among the more successful lives for a boat from the Salish Sea despite a particularly unusual first decade to its life.
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Post by Dane on Dec 11, 2023 16:37:01 GMT -8
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Post by Dane on Dec 8, 2023 16:12:58 GMT -8
LIVE! from the Salish Heron!
One of my first ferry nerd trips in awhile after a failed attempt to take the Celebration on it's modified South of Active Pass route - thanks TransLink.
Anyways had to be in Vancouver for work today, and modified my day so I could get on the 330pm sailing Tsawwassen -} Swartz Bay.
Nothing that exciting to report. Longest sailing time today was reported by the conditions page at 105 minutes, fastest as 92 minutes. Not bad.
Overhead walkway was used at Tsawwassen, which seemed new to the crew, so assuming that's a recent change?
BC Ferries always amuses and annoys me with the seeming surprise in the cafeteria that people are boarding and will order food, "we will be another ten minutes" should just get permanently imprinted at the front of the line.
I think the boat is full of cars? Ballpark 50 walk ons, didn't look that closely, I walked on but was first so I could enjoy my cafeteria wait experience. It actually feels like a very light load on the passenger deck, I can only assume a lot of people are in cars but haven't been down there.
I imagine on busier sailings things wouldn't be this pleasant, but it's been quite a nice crossing so far. Perhaps the thirty minutes after a Spirit leaving helps too, the 3pm SoBC had a very, very long foot passenger line.
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Post by Dane on Dec 1, 2023 19:58:09 GMT -8
From BC Ferries on pronunciation: Hello there. The phonetic pronunciation is Pun–a–la–hutt. You hear the pronunciation here: ow.ly/8AJE50QeEKh . ^ed
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Post by Dane on Dec 1, 2023 12:48:29 GMT -8
I've been watching the sailing times on the Heron yesterday and today (albeit only one sailing today, so far). Average sailing time has been 1h43 with slowest at 1h48 so far. Probably a little tight for a two hour turn around with the car deck layout/garage, but not that bad at all.
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Post by Dane on Nov 29, 2023 19:40:20 GMT -8
Surveys aren't really intended to give you answers, though.
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Post by Dane on Nov 20, 2023 10:05:33 GMT -8
Some more critique of this study, "we just did this," from the Northern Sunshine Coast FAC. Link: www.coastreporter.net/local-news/northern-sunshine-coast-fac-chair-wonders-about-survey-7852461--- Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) chair Kim Barton-Bridges was scratching her head last August in Victoria when she heard at a meeting that BC Ferries was launching another survey. “I was surprised because I was involved in one that began in the fall of 2019,” said Barton-Bridges. “A report was released in the spring of 2020.” The 2020 report stated: “What we have heard from the public is that while the current ferry service works well for some, there is lots of room for improvement for those who most depend on it and in ferry dependent communities. Our vision is that travel by coastal ferries is seamless, equitable and compatible with the needs of coastal communities.” “What I expressed in August was, what the heck? Why are we doing this now?” said Barton-Bridges. BC Ferries launched Charting the Course: A Vision for Coastal Ferries on November 8; the survey asks for public feedback on topics such as sustainability, convenience and integration with land transportation. Barton-Bridges has been chair of the Northern Sunshine Coast FAC since 2014, and said that the committee spent a long time doing this [consulting, surveys et cetera] already, and believes the same concerns remain looming. Now BC Ferries is looking ahead to 2050. “We don’t have the ferries meeting our needs now, so I’m frustrated,” said Barton-Bridges. “I feel like the government is trying to look like they are doing something, when we need to get through this period right now.” BC government funding is provided to BC Ferries through the contract that defines routes and minimum service levels. The province announced that it will be fining the company for sailings missed due to crew shortages, which will take effect on April 1, 2024. Barton-Bridges believes that there hasn’t been enough investment in infrastructure or new sailing vessels, and with a growing population, more problems will arise and coastal communities are the ones that suffer. She said she has witnessed improvements on the connection for the Saltery Bay to Earls Cove route. “I will give credit where credit is due,” she added. “Finally they [BC Ferries] have recently been holding the ship at Earls Cove, and that’s a positive.” The survey runs until November 28 and can be found at Charting the Course: A Vision for Coastal Ferries.
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Post by Dane on Nov 19, 2023 11:12:23 GMT -8
Just some notes from summer 1985... Comox: 130 cars... Princess of Vancouver? Had to be. Joined BCF fleet in 1985 from Ministry of Highways. Made it into the Expo livery, with Expo86 logo. We know her career at BCF was very very short. What operated Comox in 1986? flic.kr/p/e8KHHZI think that may be the only photo I have seen in the expo livery, maybe second? There was a years long debate on here whether that had happened or not! Here's the relative end of that debate, which may have actually preceded the forum by a bit and started in *ahem* Yahoo! Groups: ferriesbc.proboards.com/thread/8335/cps-princess-vancouver-photos-discussion?page=2 [this thread has one Expo photo, but only a small part of the vessel - and reference to a second photo that seems to be lost to the winds of time].
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Post by Dane on Nov 17, 2023 14:43:23 GMT -8
B
U
F
F
E
T
But more seriously, I'm not really sold that this is real engagement.
As an organization BC Ferries has been so tone deaf the last few years, I've really lost a lot of confidence in the organization which historically I'd be rather willing to defend. This isn't to say that good isn't happening, there is some real success stories, but the failures seem more significant than they've been in some time.
Personally I find the single biggest ridiculous decision to be the 3 boat service to Tsawwassen / Duke Point instead of Route 2. Ultimately this is a failure of vessel procurement, as both routes could obviously do with 3 boat service, but Duke Point is such a isolated location for anything but very specific commercial traffic. Additionally, and this is admittedly anecdotal, but BC Ferries had to lay on the discounts to Route 30 this summer quite disproportionately to that of the other two major routes. And as transit use in BC leads North America is post-Covid recovery for ridership, big 'ol LOL if you're in Duke Point.
And adding more VPs a few weeks ago seems stunning. Quite surprised the Province okayed that.
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Post by Dane on Nov 16, 2023 20:42:18 GMT -8
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Post by Dane on Nov 16, 2023 17:25:47 GMT -8
Wow. Zero food service on a route one sailing. Wonder how many times that's ever happened? Once, the 18 of October 2023 ... I can't remember exact details, I think it was a C Class clutch thing. Anyways Queen of Esquimalt got put back in service after its presumed last sailing - and it was several days later. By that point it had literally nothing for food, even the vending machines were gone. I managed to make that actual last sailing, and ate on the CR for my return trip. I know, I know, that's route 2. But pretty close.
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Post by Dane on Nov 16, 2023 17:23:23 GMT -8
Kuper was repainted last week (ish). And as of today is still painted as the Kuper.
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Post by Dane on Nov 13, 2023 23:23:23 GMT -8
Nanaimo Daily News story, with more detail on the proposal, including the ship names and specs. ============================= And here's a link to a website with PHOTOS of the ships. - the headlines are a bit optimistic. This is not a done deal yet. CLICK HEREI have been wasting hours of my life trying to understand where the two Hullo ferries actually "came from", more from a chronological standpoint. And while I've made great progress with Stuqhi (laid down 2017, nominally completed November 2018) I'm stuck on Spuhels. Anyways, I got a bunch of lawsuit documents from a few years ago when I was in Vancouver several weeks ago, and had been working my way through them. What a back-and-forth history this company has had; it's effectively in its third iteration. I didn't fully appreciate until a few days ago that Hullo, via it's predecessor (the original company in the lineage) actually owned two 4212 class ferries as far back as 2013. Going back to the Flugel Horn days, there's some info in the long quoted passage above. The decade between then and now made a disconnect in my mind that these were actually the same thing. And now I'm curious where the two "Island class" 4212 boats went on to sail. I'm pretty close to just flying to the actual shipyard and asking ha!
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Post by Dane on Nov 13, 2023 20:27:55 GMT -8
Tachek is in my notes from '91-'99 as the #3 boat on Route 5, with Nicola as the spare to Tachek for that entire decade more or less. That is from BC Ferries' annual reports of the time.
That's got to be a pretty rare assignment - cool photo catch.
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Post by Dane on Nov 11, 2023 8:37:17 GMT -8
They're also cancelled for the first half of today due to a mechanical issue. I suspect, merely via Vessel Finder, that only one of the two boats is working right now - one hasn't sailed for weeks. So presumably they've lost the second to a hopefully minor issue.
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Post by Dane on Oct 30, 2023 17:33:04 GMT -8
Same could be said in any industry for that matter. Aviation, Trains, Cars, etc... Working in the aviation industry I see it all the time. You can keep up with the maintenance as much as you want but at the end of the day its always the 10 cent o-ring that keeps it from going anywhere! Queen of Oak Bay's $2.49 cotter pin enters the chat.
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Post by Dane on Oct 29, 2023 12:18:50 GMT -8
I have been a bit torn about this myself. Until the recent announcement that all three Coastals needing part replacements, I thought the FSG discussion was largely a creation of the online-panics that can happen when everyone decides they want to be upset about something. I also remind myself that the ferries aren't new, by any means, anymore. If it where anywhere but Western North America they'd be mid-life.
BC Ferries has a robust history of major vessel issues; however, the age of the major vessel fleet means that the Coastals are the only vessels to have their whole history online.
The C Class have had clutch issues on and off for their entire lives. At some pretty significant expense, I can only imagine. At least twice BC Ferries has had custom-made clutches made for all five C Class.
The V/B class engine issues depending on the ship/engine type. The Queen of New West has had at least two catastrophic events with its engines - one which directly led to it being the vessel that was lifted from among the B class. It was 'dead" and in storage at the time. The Burnaby was the vessel scheduled to be lifted]
The SoBC had major sewage issues for the first few years of life that caused it to be pulled from service - once for 45 days, not fully corrected until the trip to Poland.
Although not a major vessel, the Skeena Queen had been a mess or needing to be re-powered, re-designed. It took years to get it working right. The Queen of Capilano had propulsion issues to with 'bad' RADs.
This is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, just some reflections that there has been a lot of issues in the past. Washington State seems to have similar experiences with similarly aged ships, I seem to recall?
It is certainly unfortunate what is happening right now for the traveling public though. And BC Ferries, in my opinion, has demonstrated persistent terrible management decisions for the last several years so I am cynical, albeit with no direct knowledge, about what the maintenance program looks like these days.
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Post by Dane on Oct 27, 2023 20:04:19 GMT -8
For the first part of her life she wss based in Swartz Bay ... Actually, she was based in Tsawwassen. A summer 1980 schedule is attached.
I'm assuming those 15 minute "offsets" on Route 1 are to avoid the two boats in Active Pass at the same time? I'm a little puzzled by that 1h50m crossing time on Route 2? Is that the sailing time for a V class (edit, in hindsight I think it would actually be Queen of Burnaby or Nanaimo??), whereas the Cowichan / Coquitlam at that time were probably at 1h35m? The two hour turn around for the #1 boats on both sides is indicative of a faster than published sailing time. That said, I wasn't alive in '80 but when I was young I was a somewhat regular Route 2 passenger and it would run wildly late because the schedule was unrealistic when busy.
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Post by Dane on Oct 27, 2023 17:39:19 GMT -8
New shuttle bus service has presumably started. Hullo has sent one of their now business-as-usual vague emails:
Free Shuttle Bus - Now Running!
The day has come and we are now bringing guests right into downtown Nanaimo from our Nanaimo Port Authority terminal. Here's what you need to know: Our shuttle bus operates every day between 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, and can carry a capacity of 20 guests. Getting into downtown Nanaimo has never been easier, with two drop-off locations: Near the Bus Loop (corner of Port Drive and Front Street) and in front of the Coast Bastion Hotel. Your luggage, pets, and belongings are welcome aboard the shuttle with you.
--
I can't find a schedule anywhere. My guess is it is a dial-a-ride situation for departing sailings and waiting for passengers on arrival? A welcome addition.
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Post by Dane on Oct 26, 2023 19:32:30 GMT -8
Here is the release/service advisory text for the sake of history:
Issued on: October 26 at 3:20 pm
Coastal Celebration Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay Temporary Change to Route October 29 – November 26, 2023
The Coastal Celebration will not sail through Active Pass while servicing the Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Victoria (Swartz Bay) route from October 29 to November 26. Instead, the vessel will sail south of the area, via East Point, adding about 15 minutes to the voyage.
The Coastal Celebration is currently one of the extra vessels sailing on this route. The other vessels that provide the odd-houred sailings, will continue to sail as usual between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm.
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I have two reservations affected by this, and got emails from both of them.
Surprisingly, I've never actually been able to get on this reroute before. Excited to see it.
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Post by Dane on Oct 18, 2023 12:15:25 GMT -8
Pay parking signage was up, but payment terminals not working yesterday at Nanaimo.
My first rough sailing. Wasn't great lol. But on time and advertised crossing time.
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Post by Dane on Oct 18, 2023 6:50:41 GMT -8
Route 1, 7am from Swartz Bay and 9am return cancelled due to crew availability. Haven't seen a major route sailing cancelled on the "full time" schedule in awhile!
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Post by Dane on Oct 15, 2023 10:12:51 GMT -8
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