|
Post by Dane on Oct 14, 2023 16:11:36 GMT -8
BCFS has been pushing users away from route two in favour of route 30. Maybe it’s time to make route 30 more resilient.
I truly think BC Ferries should just unveil the long term plan for route 30 if it’s going to become main route from Metro Vancouver to Nanaimo for BC Transit and TransLink can start the process of connection of bus service and ferry schedules. I hope this doesn't happen, and customer pressure beings back service on Route 2 with a third boat. The use of Route 30 led to an overall reduction in sailings, and is just a horrific route for transit. While I do hope BC Transit starts serving Duke Point, even when they do it'll be a terrible place to have to serve. Urban transit doesn't do great with low density areas with occasional very high volumes of passengers.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Oct 10, 2023 13:37:36 GMT -8
You may have actually hit the last weekend of free parking, so well timed. Next weekend a shuttle bus is supposed to start running between the Nanaimo terminal and I'm-Not-Sure?
I have my next Hullo trip next Tuesday, will report back on parking and perhaps the shuttle if I can.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Oct 9, 2023 7:47:56 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Oct 3, 2023 17:41:10 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 23, 2023 16:52:00 GMT -8
The weather system over the next 3 days will provide us with a good indication as how these vessels will handle the seas in a stiff SE blow, and how Hullo will deal with the outcome. I predict many cancelled sailing as the Victoria Clipper did until the bigger vessel entered service. Hullo has actually had a couple cancellations in the last week, and ran the first two round trips two hours late last Saturday due to weather. In the absence of any online service notices I'm only aware of this because I had a hotel overlooking the Vancouver side dock. I did manage to get a small amount of court documents that I think on first flip through give some idea of the companies' history. Will get through it this week sometime, just been too busy to look at them.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 14, 2023 15:20:12 GMT -8
New October schedule.
Leave Nanaimo: 7am, 11am, 330pm, 730pm
Leave Vancouver: 9am, 1pm, 530pm and 930pm. Several 930pm sailings delayed for concerns and Canucks games.
Seems like another good incremental step to service increase.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 11, 2023 13:30:48 GMT -8
Tonight is Hullo's first later evening service for Beyonce's Vancouver concert. Hopefully it goes well and is well patronized. Surely makes events a lot more affordable for Island residents.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 7, 2023 14:18:26 GMT -8
BC Ferries service notice for Langdale:
Langdale berth 1 will be closed from October 2 to 5 and instead use berth 2:
"To accommodate two-ship operation, the Queen of Oak Bay will be temporarily moved from its Departure Bay (Nanaimo) – Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) duties and will join the Queen of Surrey to provide main deck loading service for Horseshoe Bay – Langdale customers."
So, what vessel is going to help Queen of Cowichan on route 2? Looks like it's the Coquitlam, but starting the service day from Departure Bay, so, first sailing from Horseshoe Bay and last sailing to Horseshoe Bay cancelled. This is based on the Reservations system, which is a bit fragmented right now (showing the Oak Bay on cancelled sailings with reservations unavailable).
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 6, 2023 23:34:02 GMT -8
There were also two Seaspan tugs at Tsawwassen. Coincidental? The don’t usually park there … I can't remember when they started parking there, but it's been a while. Maybe a year?
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 6, 2023 21:45:02 GMT -8
The CCel returned for a few minutes, carried on with the day and over six sailings made up the lost time. Not bad.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Sept 5, 2023 20:00:00 GMT -8
I requested the Vancouver Island Ferry Company lawsuit documents from 2019 and 2020; they're in Vancouver (and I am not), so I'll review them on September 20.
Having wasted perhaps a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out where these boats are derived from, it seems that very broadly they were laid down in 2017 for another company - order cancelled - purchased by Hullo's legal successor in 2019 sometime and actually structurally completed in 2021 with fitting out in late 2022. But I'm still trying to confirm that chain of events.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 31, 2023 16:06:12 GMT -8
I wonder if this caused by other vessel not being available. I hope they don’t keep changing schedules last minute because that will effect public minds and choose not use them. Both boats have been in service for about one week now. They have been tag tagging half the service day each on many days, including today.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 31, 2023 13:41:54 GMT -8
According to Global news at 12 it sounds like all extra sailings between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay and Langdale are scrubed due to ship availability for the fall. It was mentioned that refit season is beginning and they can not get another ship to fill in. So it appears the Coquitlam may in fact go into refit right after Labour day as per normal. Bcf news release here. www.bcferries.com/news-releases/busy-terminals-expected-over-labour-day-weekendDoes this mean Queen of Alberni won’t do the Horseshoe Bay routes? The schedules on the BC Ferries website haven’t been changed yet. Between Sept. 5 and October 9, the Queen of Alberni will continue to sail in place of the Coastal Renaissance on the Tsawwassen-Duke Point route. These sailings are contractually required sailings under the Coastal Ferry Services Contract. As a result, the Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay and the Horseshoe Bay – Langdale routes will experience some sailing cancellations.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 31, 2023 10:50:24 GMT -8
This is actually a service reduction in a shiny service improvement announcement. Service through September 30 (from August 31) was to include a 830pm from Nanaimo and a 1030pm from Vancouver daily, as opposed to whenever Hullo defines peak traffic periods. I actually end up with a cancelled sailing as a result of this, but don't have an email from them yet.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 30, 2023 19:57:07 GMT -8
With Hullo going to four sailing a day starting tomorrow; I wonder what load factor will be with four sailing a day with two sailing the vessel was almost full. I'm a gluten for punishment so I'll be trying it out 😂
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 24, 2023 11:35:34 GMT -8
I had RSVP'd for this year's AGM, but have missed it as I was needed to do something at work. Thought it may be one of the more interested AGMs in a while, maybe. Not that I attend that many AGMs, but I have historically found the BC Ferries ones to be particularly general and not very transparent; I have not attended since pre-Covid, though.
Hopefully someone here made it! I checked my usual suspects from local media online and I do not see anything yet. Hoping to see what was discussed. I am particularly interested in major vessel procurement. I did not realize until just last week that the major vessel project was delayed in December 2022, again.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 24, 2023 7:20:32 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 18, 2023 23:11:44 GMT -8
I haven't ridden downstairs but suspect the views are actually better on the first level.
On the second level it's all port / starboard save two rear doors with windows facing aft.
The second level is blocked from any front facing view by a wall, and a door/stairs to the bridge. I was worried row 1 would hug that wall and impede the views, but it does not and you can see left & right no problem.
Views on the second level were very obstructed by salt build up on the windows, and there was frequent splashing onto the windows. You can easily enough see through, but definitely not camera friendly. Can only assume it's the same on the first level.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 18, 2023 18:34:25 GMT -8
Saw some photos on Instagram today - looked like very healthy loads, couldn't tell which sailing time it was.
If Reddit is to be believed, which I approach with caution, 20 people were left behind due to a train blocking a crossing this morning for the 10am sailing. There's a very accessible alternative route, so hard to feel too bad.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 17, 2023 21:44:46 GMT -8
Was just playing with the booking tool for the next week and a lot of level-of-service specific sell outs; looks like every sailing for the next week has some sort of availability. Nonetheless that's pretty good that they've got at least partial sell outs going on!
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 17, 2023 21:19:22 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 17, 2023 21:10:24 GMT -8
My knowledge doesn't go far enough back for the V class; the last few years weren't great, particularly for the Esquimalt.
However, the C Class have had several dramatic summers. In maybe 2005 (ish) all five of them were out of service for a week or so in August. It was pandemonium.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 17, 2023 21:04:19 GMT -8
I'd like some confirmation or dismissal of Dane's report of a builder's plaque that says these vessels are six years old. We had been told they were purpose built. In any event... this service certainly seems to have renewed discussion on this Forum. Neil you have such a way with words. Anyways for whomever is on next, it's next to the door to the bridge. I was trying to Google (and failed) but I remember that the hulls were bought out from something else, or something to that general effect. I should have asked the Damen staff today but didn't think much of it.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 17, 2023 21:02:29 GMT -8
Has Spuhéls entered service yet? Apparently it's been out of service for a couple days, but should be repaired imminently.
|
|
|
Post by Dane on Aug 17, 2023 18:38:14 GMT -8
Some general thoughts in no particular order, with an overall comment that today's round trip was very pleasant.
- I was in business class. I would have booked business, anyways, but I actually had to on my 6pm return as whatever downstairs is called was sold out! (I booked twice for this sailing, chickened out because of reliability concerns, cancelled and then booked again about 150 minutes before the first sailing).
- hypothetically Premium class (that's the middle class) doesn't get snacks and drinks. Today they were. I didn't measure but honestly the seats look very close in size to business. I don't think premium or business are worth it, personally if you're using your own money. I was able to make this a work trip, and could claim the whole cost of business so that was nice. The snacks I consumed were worth about $8, total. The priority exit was nice too, but again whatever. No priority boarding.
- lots of "it's obvious this is brand new things". Crew everywhere. Customer service reps not knowing some things. Scanning in Nanaimo took quite awhile to get everyone on the boat. It was all fine though.
- 2 people with bikes were turned away. That was really disappointing, and they (Hullo) were kind of passive aggressive about it. That was the only thing today that I was a bit taken back by.
- Nanaimo terminal has 22 seats, few of which look comfortable. There are literally four conventional chairs, that's it. When the weather gets back they'll absolutely need a heated tent or something to get passengers out of the weather. Vancouver actually has no seating, but huge under cover areas and a ton of various businesses to hide. Unlike BC Ferries you can, so far, really show up last minute at least.
- Nanaimo terminal needs some sort of connection to downtown. It's a parking lot to the South of downtown that's absolutely car dependent, particularly because they're being silly with bikes. Whether this is a shuttle (like HeliJet) or BC Transit? The walk to the boats is actually kind of far from an accessibility standpoint, but nothing that can be done about that.
- I had thought I read somewhere that the boats are actually six years old, and this was confirmed by the builders plaque. You'd never know, though. Clearly new inside.
- the food selection could stand significant improvement, and I bet they'd do okay with a liquor license. But I am pretty confident that will come.
- sailing time over was 72 minutes all in. Impressive. We are on track for the same with the sailing I'm on now; we just ripped past the Cowichan.
- they're getting a lot of heat online for saying "don't bring luggage". They deserve that, IMO, as airport travelers are probably going to be huge for them. Anyways, I am a bit unclear on why Hullo had adopted that position. Lots of people brought large luggage. It all fit in the luggage storage. I would happily disregard that direction in the future.
- tons of splash comes onto the windows, which restricts the view and makes photos essentially impossible for the exterior.
- this was my fifth attempt to get on, and I've already received three of my four refunds. I'm happy with that despite being annoyed at the cancellations.
- the ride was generally very smooth, and today was a bit windy.
I was quite annoyed at Hullo for not publishing anything about yesterday's cancellations as it felt very bad faith. Today was very pleasant though, and they're clearly working hard to get their sea legs. A soft launch like they've ended up doing will probably really help. People on board seemed very happy.
I'm trying to book myself to work in Vancouver next Friday so I can try whatever the downstairs is called? Steerage?
|
|