Neil
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Post by Neil on Mar 6, 2020 20:34:28 GMT -8
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Mar 2, 2020 21:52:30 GMT -8
Jeez... Craigslist? No actual ship broker? Probably not a good sign that there are only two photos, with nothing showing any interior or mechanicals. Your $20k would probably do just as well on lottery tickets. At least you wouldn't be left with the question of where to dock them.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 27, 2020 21:44:20 GMT -8
As I was touring the historic ships at the National Maritime Museum in San Francisco last week, I pondered how cool it would be if one of our retired ferries was incorporated into a museum. Specifically, I was thinking of Evergreen State going to the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma and being moored permanently in the Thea Foss Waterway, or perhaps somewhere out of the water if possible, but of course, this would be a monumental undertaking which very few people would be willing to fund. WettCoast pessimistically but accurately reflects on the possibility of such a thing happening, given our history of preserving our maritime past. Still, it's a really worthwhile idea. We have historical transit societies, with buses lovingly preserved and brought out for fan runs. Train museums as well. Washington, BC and Alaska have been so dependent on ferries for so long, who could argue against the value of preserving at least a few of the more treasured workhorses? I guess it's partly a matter of scale, and obviously, money. Restoring a forty foot trolley bus is an entirely different matter than a 300' sea going Evergreen State. I agree though. Wish it could happen. On a small scale, I'm hoping that the new owners of the Lady Rose make her restoration a reality.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 26, 2020 21:09:46 GMT -8
...and in the appropriation notes for the 2020 supplemental transportation budget from the Senate today:
10.Elwha Reduction Funding is reduced due to the retirement of the MV Elwha ferry.
(meaning they don't have to come up with the money to run the boat, so the money added to the budget is "reduced.")
So, the governor's budget, the house budget and now the senate budget all call for the retirement of the Elwha.
*** and an update in the Seattle Times today: Both proposals assume the ferry MV Elwha, with its mounting maintenance costs, would be retired, leaving only one other ferry certified to make international crossings from Anacortes to Sidney, British Columbia.
Maybe it's time for the good folks of Washington State and the State of Alaska to goodness forbid, examine the BCFS model of doing business? Alaska is in a horrible situation, and I foresee Washington State continuing to be saddled with a never ending merry-go-round of just keeping pace, if not falling behind in their fleet renewal plans. The biggest obstacle I see in new vessel procurement is the 'build in America' edict but surely there are American shipyards that are able to produce quality vessels faster than what I see coming out of the Vigor yards in Alaska. Starsteward, I can't agree that the governance model for our marine transit systems matters much. BC Ferries, for instance, could be under the Department of Highways, or a crown corporation, or the present 'private' model. What matters, here or stateside, is how the government of the day regards the system that connects coastal communities. We've seen a sea change (small joke) in the fortunes of BC Ferries with the Horgan government. The three systems on the northwest coast of North America thrive or contract at the pleasure of their political masters. That supersedes whatever operating model is put in place, in my opinion.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 22, 2020 23:09:42 GMT -8
Regarding the names for this new class of ferries ... Yes, the names are as bad as those given to the Coastal trio. Further, I do not think they should reuse names already given to other ferries currently in the fleet. For instance, Island Connector would sort of duplicate the BS Connector; Island Adventure would duplicate Northern Adventure.
Maybe they could just go back to Queen names seeing as they seem to have trouble coming up with anything original & meaningful.
Not a snowball's chance in hades that there will be any more 'Queen' designations... they wouldn't want to conjure up notions of our imperial past. At least the 'Salish' names speak to the natural heritage of our coast. The first two 'Island' class names suggest that we've gone back to the focus group nothingness of the 'Coastal' vessels.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 22, 2020 21:14:37 GMT -8
More name suggestions. Island Transporter. Island Link. You're not serious? Also, just curious... why a new account, when you already had one? The old 'Stingray'. I guess one might forget one's past online ventures.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 20, 2020 21:42:31 GMT -8
Using the Canada cost of living inflation guide, the $7 car and driver major route fare charged in 1960 translates to $60.90 today. The current actual fare is $74.70. More than inflation, but not scandalously so. Neil, I find it very hard to believe that the official inflation over the past 60 years is less than a factor of 10. I would have thought that that factor would be closer to 20 times, which would make ferry fares today seem almost like a bargain compared to 1960. It used to take a 5 cent stamp to send a letter across Canada in 1960. A chocolate bar was 10 cents (how much now - $1.50?). You could buy a single family house in a nice part of Vancouver for $25,000 - what now?
Bottom line: BCFS ferry fares are not out of line compared to what they were six decades ago.
This is the website I used... www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/related/inflation-calculator/Real estate inflation has been insane, but not everything has gone up as much. Home entertainment, for instance... TVs are cheaper now than in 1968, and I remember that our first computer was $2200. The ferry fares, at least for the major routes, aren't out of whack.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 19, 2020 18:18:33 GMT -8
@curtis can you post your tour here? The ships look quite terrific inside & out to me. The passenger lounge still has the not particularly comfortable metal seating, but is arranged nicely with consideration for charging, large windows, a TV and generally open space. Car deck markings are also quite distinct. I will continue to make fun of the names, but still really like these new builds! Tour?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 19, 2020 16:27:16 GMT -8
It's these outrageous ferry fares that have practically stopped me from driving my car off the Island. My position is that the entire BC tax base should be paying more of the operational bill for BC Ferries, so passengers do not get gouged like this at the farebox. I have never considered BC Ferries to be anything more than an agency of the Provincial Government, even after the passage of the Coastal Ferry Act in 2003. Using the Canada cost of living inflation guide, the $7 car and driver major route fare charged in 1960 translates to $60.90 today. The current actual fare is $74.70. More than inflation, but not scandalously so.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 19, 2020 16:14:49 GMT -8
Island Aurora, meet Coastal Celebration. More witless, meaningless names, not commemorating anything to do with the coast or its people.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 18, 2020 21:48:57 GMT -8
Good concept, Curtis... that's something that might work. I'm going to go a step further, for the sake of argument.
The current government, and the current BC Ferries management have shown that they're open to a broad rethink of ferry services. Who would have thought, ten years ago, that there was a chance of two vessels serving both Quadra and Gabriola?
I know that Powell River has long argued that the Comox ferry should be based at Westview, since it serves Powell River interests. I suppose that one factor against that happening is the fact that Westview has only one berth, serving two routes. The Comox ferry homeporting there would impact Texada. Given the current and future growth of the Powell River and Comox Valley areas, BC Ferries probably needs to think about a second berth, which would allow homeporting as well as mitigating scheduling. I would think there would be advantages to having all crewing for Saltery Bay and Westview in the Powell River area. It would also allow for two morning trips for Powell River residents to get to medical appointments and whatever else they need in the Courtenay area.
The schedule is currently loose enough, with a long afternoon layover at Comox, that one additional stop at Texada each way shouldn't be an issue. In the long run, I think things have to change from the way they've essentially been since the Comox Queen arrived in 1964.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 17, 2020 11:41:43 GMT -8
In an email reply to a Texada resident, posted on the Texada facebook page, a BC Ferries rep contradicted the news release, and said that depending on deck space, more than ten cars might be loaded for the Comox-Texada leg. She also indicated that this project may be adjusted as they see how things are playing out. Good that they're giving it two years- that's a proper trial period.
I'm a bit curious about the payment method leaving Texada- get on board, and pay the ship's cashier. Honour system?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 13, 2020 20:22:04 GMT -8
BCFS ought to consider adding Texada to the reservations system on the same basis as they do for the Southern Gulf Islands. Then they will know exactly how much car deck space to reserve for the Texada stop. This would be the smart thing to do. The general consensus on Texada is that although BCF upper management is supportive of the pilot, groups closer to the front lines are opposed to it and have structured it to fail. BCF should have the numbers from the previous times that direct Texada-Comox traffic occurred, it was well in advance of 10 cars per trip and at those times it was going more than 2 days a week, so they've either lost that data or are just ignoring it. BCF doesn't have a current method to track Texada-PR-Comox traffic, they just count it all as PR-Comox. The reason those days and sailings were chosen for the pilot is due to the normally low traffic on them, so BCF shouldn't be too concerned about deck space issues. I've attached a traffic summary that was prepared as part of the pilot proposal. It's for using 2018 traffic stats for October because that was the previous proposed pilot start month. As a former islander (Hornby) I know that the 'general consensus' is that BC Ferries is an ogre, always opposed to the needs of the communities. Misplaced animosity, in my opinion. This is a pilot project, and it can be adjusted as things go along. My understanding is that Powell River and Texada have a need to access medical specialists and services in the Courtenay/Comox area, so I was a little surprised that Saturday was included in the schedule. Maybe that's for shopping. I predict that this schedule will be expanded as the needs become clear.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 12, 2020 23:03:48 GMT -8
I suspect that BC Ferries has a really good idea of how many Texadians are transferring from the NIP to the Comox vessel currently, and are allotting very close to the correct space for the stops at Blubber Bay. Space can also be re-allocated if demand exceeds expectations.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 8, 2020 23:28:39 GMT -8
So the same person who wants to make a new Ferry company called BC Speakers and wants to bring the Queen of Sidney also wants to sink my favourite BC Ferry, The Queen of Oak Bay which makes me very sad. It sound like he actually wants to become a pirate and use the Queen of Sidney as his ship and sink the Queen of Oak Bay. I will make sure to protect the Queen of Oak Bay. Is this the early leader for WCFF Bizarre Post of the Year?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 8, 2020 23:26:11 GMT -8
Is Island Ferry Services LTD still alive? I am asking because there hasn’t been update since June 2019. You know that saying, 'no news is good news'? Well, when it comes to privately operated passenger ferry services in BC, no news is typical news. This stuff just doesn't work out, and I don't know how many more times we have to learn the same lesson. (V2V, I'm looking at you...)
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 7, 2020 10:40:23 GMT -8
The one real head scratcher in the list of suggested new services was, Swartz Bay to Nanaimo with car service.
I'm thinking something got confused in the transcription.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 7, 2020 10:06:07 GMT -8
A conversation with my spouse prompted this post. She's more in-tune with ferries than I am, these days. It's sad when people lose their way in life. If your better half is growing in her connection to ferries and you're not, that could cause problems down the road.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 2, 2020 21:03:32 GMT -8
Does anyone know where Northland Vancouver pier was located? If you look in the Northland thread, you'll see a schedule from 1962 which gives the address of the 'Northland Pier' as 2285 Commissioner Street, which is very close to the foot of Nanaimo Street. It also has 'Terminal Two' at the foot of Carrall Street. So perhaps they used two docks.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 1, 2020 22:19:17 GMT -8
Admittedly, a really minor question here, but as a schedule nerd, I'm curious... The turnaround time is fourteen minutes southbound, morning or afternoon, but the northbound turnaround time is sixteen minutes. Anyone know why the unloading/loading time at Lonsdale is two minutes longer? I'm assuming the vessels run at the same speed in either direction.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 31, 2020 18:30:19 GMT -8
I hope you can all understand what i am about to say, but it sickens and disgusts me that my favorite ferry and the jewel of the BC Ferries fleet sank because of total crew incompetence! The fact 2 people went down with the ship,it should've never ever happened! The fact that the officer in the wheelhouse that fateful night couldn't do the most simple da** job by looking out the da** bridge windows and make sure that they were on the right heading is a absolute crime and the life lost could've been much greater especially considering the engineers! it will always haunt me knowing that the Queen of the North was sunk because two crew members couldn't do their jobs in the bridge! RIP Queen of the North 1969-2006 I don't think anyone here wants to go through again the arguments we went through many years ago. I would suggest you hold your fire, and collect some information. A good book to read is Colin Henthorne's, 'The Queen of The North Disaster', from Harbour Publishing. He was the captain, and while some may dispute his version, there's some valuable background there. Reflection is always more worthwhile than reaction, and that's more doable with the right resources.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 31, 2020 12:20:02 GMT -8
Regarding the car-deck slope/hump design of the Salish Class: My elderly mother in-law avoids traveling on Salish Class as a foot-passenger, because of not being comfortable walking up/down the steep hill on the main car deck, on her way from dock to elevator. The slope is the issue for her personal stability and mobility. When you have a relative or close friend with mobility issues, you really get insight into all the obstacles there are in this world to things that so many take for granted and never think about... just walking around, using washroom facilities, the dangers of being in crowds... We've made a lot of progress in that regard, but as you point out, there's a long way to go. Who would look at the car deck of a ferry and see a problem, when one has 100% mobility?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 29, 2020 20:57:26 GMT -8
A friend recently suggested a summer road trip, starting with the ferry from Bellingham to Alaska. She is definitely not ferry fluent, and didn't know if it was a Washington ferry, or an Alaskan enterprise. Somehow, she had it in mind that it might cost us about $800.
I priced this trip out a number of years ago, but hadn't done it recently. Turned out, the cost for one person under the age of 65, one over, an inside two berth stateroom, and my little Toyota Corolla, was $2795 American, or $3690 Canadian.
Mind boggling. And that's for this time of year. I imagine the prices are higher in summer. Also, AMHS has gone to what they euphemistically describe as 'dynamic pricing', which means that what you actually pay depends on how fully the vessel is reserved at the time of booking. So, a similar booking in July on a 70% booked boat could perhaps cost $5000 Canadian.
Two nights and three days on a ferry, with cafeteria food on top of that, at that price? No thank you. I'm thinking that would buy a pretty decent week long cruise.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 28, 2020 21:50:59 GMT -8
Ok i appreciate the clarification and again i am sorry my resources are Victoria regional transit system drivers so i am just repeating what they say so again i hope i haven't made anyone upset.Jimmy. I've talked to BC Ferries deck crew who had 'information' that didn't actually reflect what the company was going to do. Probably the same with transit personnel.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jan 28, 2020 21:14:17 GMT -8
Looking at the post immediately above this one, and taking into account the recent closure of Highway 4 at the Kennedy Lake project, I thought of how the Frances Barkley would have been utilized. I wonder if LRMS would have been able to run her around the clock, given how Tofino and Ucluelet were completely cut off from everything freight oriented. Stores were running out of groceries, and fuel was in short supply. Even more useful would have been the ex- Tenaka, now Alberni Legacy, sitting unused in Port Alberni for, what, three years now? After all this time, one can't be very hopeful LRMS will ever get her operational, but occasions like this highlight the need for more than one connection to the Long Beach area. The Frances Barkley route to Ucluelet crosses two wide sections of open Barkley Sound which get some big winter swells. I think this is a main reason of why Lady Rose Marine Services only does a Ucluelet route in the summer, because of weather. Granted, but I think another reason for not operating to Ucluelet off season might be the level of tourist travel. And... for emergency situations, like the last few days, it might be worthwhile for local or even the provincial government to set up a protocol for how LRMS might assist with supplies and connection. In any event, it's unfortunate that things have not worked out to incorporate the ex- Tenaka (still can't quite buy Alberni Legacy as her name)... I recall reading how LRMS was even thinking of buying a second car ferry at one time. In the end, they didn't even make one ferry work.
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