KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Jul 7, 2013 0:52:44 GMT -8
Even sometimes, the 1-888-BC-FERRY phone number which has schedules by an robot, it sometimes has a brainfart and I end up having to ask a customer service person. I ran into this last year when I was on Salt Spring trying to figure out the best way to get back to Vancouver.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Jul 3, 2013 1:11:36 GMT -8
So here's an interesting one for you and maybe someone knows the awnser. In this photo I took back around March of this year, I was out on my friends boat by Swartz Bay and when my friend pointed out the boat seen in the photo below on the left. Its not Navy, but appears to be navy-like. Anyone have an idea?
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Jul 1, 2013 17:05:56 GMT -8
I always come to the conclusion that BC Ferries just has werid accidents like this...its a curse I think of the pseudo-privatization. A few of my friends in the maritime trade also agree with me. Strange comment. This was the only incident involving loss of passengers' life due to shipboard actions in the fifty three years of BC Ferries operations. Two lives lost out of somewhere near half a billion passengers carried; I'd say that's a pretty decent record of safety. Not only that, but it was just 2 people just lost period. Its not known if they are at the bottom with the ship, made it to shore then died, or even changed identities... I'm involved with search & rescue here in Oregon and we have a few searches on our books for people that just have disappeared. Those are the ones that keeps you up at night sometimes wondering.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Jul 1, 2013 3:44:49 GMT -8
I always come to the conclusion that BC Ferries just has werid accidents like this...its a curse I think of the pseudo-privatization. A few of my friends in the maritime trade also agree with me.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on May 17, 2013 2:37:57 GMT -8
One of my friends is a over the road driver and routinely goes into BC and uses BC Ferries or the Coho all the time . His opinion is that the drop trailer service offered from what he is seen is from organizations that seen to own trailers and use local hostlers to get loads between the Island and the mainland. He says there is also lots of people using Seaspan for the same purpose but Seaspan also he thinks has a door-to-door service as well which gets good money.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Apr 16, 2013 23:32:15 GMT -8
I could see Salt Spring Island getting a bridge before some buffoon attempts to build a bridge across the strait... Saltspring Island won't be bridged to anywhere. The Islands Trust will raise a big stink if someone tries. I'm assuming somehow, the Island Trust gets pushed aside....or the bridge is a drawbridge....
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Apr 9, 2013 3:56:34 GMT -8
I could see Salt Spring Island getting a bridge before some buffoon attempts to build a bridge across the strait...
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 17, 2013 1:17:50 GMT -8
I bet you the training on vessels like the Coastals is from BC Ferries and not the manufacturer direct to the primary crews of the ships. I bet you right there the BC Ferries training people are rewriting training material and skipping out lots of the small stuff that could be handy to know.
I know with new cruise ships, before the boat is delivered, the first crews are doing bridge training on full scale bridge simulators from the manufacturer to familiarize them with everything.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 5, 2013 22:24:23 GMT -8
After reading about all the political issues that BC Ferries has been through since the FastCat, it makes me wonder why instead of the so-called privatization, they just didn't go to a franchise system for the ferry system which retains provincial control but allows cost savings. While we can agree that BC Ferries as a crown corporation for decades was a great operation, there is now some decent private operators such as Bay Ferries back east that could run routes.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 3, 2013 2:07:47 GMT -8
While I am working on getting pictures of this, one of my friends just bought a vintage Jeep that has been sitting in a barn since 1990 and he found several BC Ferries & Alaska Marine Highway tickets & brochures from the 70s to 1988 and what he says look like a bunch of old credit card slips from purchases made aboard some of the last CPR passenger ships including the Maggie II.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Aug 8, 2012 0:43:52 GMT -8
Pretty much rest of the world, cable ferries are considered "limited navigation vessels" by most maritime agencies and can be staffed differently than regular vessels but I am surprised that someone would actually put a cable ferry down there on that water....
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Jul 12, 2012 11:12:33 GMT -8
Ah yes, Lake Champlain....bringing back memories as a wee child crossing that lake not just on a ferry, but also by a cabin cruiser.
And yeah, that water is full of rough rock...and zebra muscles....
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on May 19, 2012 12:47:50 GMT -8
When I took the Coastal Renaissance back in March, I remember there was two BCF big wigs one table over from me who were talking about the "upcoming menu changes" and both of them were talking about if it was going to get complaints. Now I see what they are talking about!
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 21, 2012 23:42:14 GMT -8
I dunno why, but I picture an aerial tramway across the strait being built Yea, or maybe teleportation portals. Hell, put one of those in my front yard. Makes travelling just a little more convenient! Hahaha yeah! I remember when the City of Portland needed to address the transportation problem between the two campuses of the hospital we have on the West Hills, OHSU, one of the options looked at was a incline railway. Yes you heard me, an INCLINE RAILWAY like you find in Niagara Falls.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 21, 2012 18:30:04 GMT -8
I dunno why, but I picture an aerial tramway across the strait being built
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 17, 2012 13:10:35 GMT -8
Keep in mind too, the Orca class ships also go play with some US Navy vessels.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 7, 2012 11:15:53 GMT -8
I think both terminals are useful, but I could see some sailings moved from Route 2 to a new Horseshoe Bay-Duke Point route.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 7, 2012 9:55:09 GMT -8
It would be interesting to see if some of the other shipyards like Austral USA would do for WSF.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 4, 2012 2:04:08 GMT -8
Yeah, the whole one berth thing is part of the problem too. Knowing the history of Duke Point, I'm surprised it's not two berths.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Mar 3, 2012 14:52:25 GMT -8
You know, of all the weird BC Ferries incidents that have occurred in recent years, this one I think tops the weirdest. Its one thing to sink a vessel or accidentally crash into a marina, but to crash the ship into the dock resoling in the entire terminal to be closed for repairs for like 4 months is quite a whopper in the wallet. I don't even want to know what whopper of an incident will occur next!
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Feb 24, 2012 0:32:39 GMT -8
I would have no problem with this unified bidding if all the Washington yards were all the best in their work; but Martinac I know not just from these kind reports, but also some friends "in the trade" who tell me Martinac just doesn't have the resources to manage a project larger than a small USCG vessel at a fixed cost.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Feb 23, 2012 23:31:05 GMT -8
Thanks for the help!
I'm going on a Saturday and actually coming up from Seattle that day. Because of my schedule, I am going to catch the 5 PM, which I have done in the past. I looked at taking route 9, but I see there's only two sailings, the 2nd one doesn't leave TSA until 845 PM, and gets into SSI until 11:00 PM, which is a bit late for me.
I'll make a reservation for the 5PM now I think.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Feb 22, 2012 21:42:21 GMT -8
I have a circa 2001 Magellan handheld GPS that I picked up at a garage sale for $25 USD that the previous owner loaded both the Marine and Land maps onto it.
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Feb 22, 2012 21:38:16 GMT -8
Ah! My next question was about making a reservation for the TSA-SWB ferry; when I make this trip every year, I do that anyways but because of this connection, I was wondering if this was still advisable. If I did, while pick up my reservation at the toll gate at TSA, I just ask the attendant for the thoroughfare ticket to Fulford as well? Won't be a problem at all? I'm so used to trains, buses and airplanes where you can read the rules/regulations/tariff book to find out these things
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KE7JFF
Chief Steward
Posts: 106
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Post by KE7JFF on Feb 22, 2012 4:39:14 GMT -8
I'm taking my annual trip to Vancouver Island once again in March. I'll be first heading to Salt Spring Island for a night and I look like I will be doing the throughfare ticket deal instead the direct sailing. I want to do the 5 PM sailing from Tsswassen to Swartz Bay then do the 7 PM sailing to Fulford Bay. Is 25 minutes enough to switch vessels at Swartz Bay? And I take it I need to U turn back to the fare booths to board the 2nd ferry? Or is there another way?
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