Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 22, 2019 20:33:49 GMT -8
Will Quinista be able to meet Gabriola Island route schedule crossing time? Will she be place on Gabriola Island route during any part of year? Quinitsa, not Quinista. Not clear on why you're asking this question. Bowen Queen has filled in for Quinsam in recent years. Quinitsa hasn't been seen at Gabriola for a long time. Looks like the Bowen is going to be around for a while, which makes me happy, so she'll no doubt be the vessel to fill in at Gabriola, when required.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 21, 2019 12:58:20 GMT -8
Interesting. I don't see it actually happening, but Iona would be a great location for a ferry terminal. Would this potentially be the new mainland terminus for Route 30? What would a Duke Point-Iona crossing time be, anyway? 1hr-15min, 1hr-20min? There would be a tremendous amount of road infrastructure upgrades required on the Vancouver side, in terms of connecting to Hwy 99, and/or 91, and the bridges into Vancouver, as well as expansions to those highways themselves; not impossible to do, but likely very costly and complicated. Connection to YVR, as noted, would be great, however. They're referring to a report made public in June of last year, and this very old idea rated no more than a sentence or two, noted as a 'suggestion'. Not going to happen. Horrendously expensive, a logistic nightmare to set up, and it would take many decades to recoup the cost, from shorter sailing times.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 21, 2019 8:54:29 GMT -8
Possibly. Would really depend on if BCF has chosen to staff the ship with the additional crew needed to run the snack bar during her time on Route 5. Yes, if she is relieving for the Cumberland on Route 5, the Snack Bar would be in service. Otherwise if it was to replace the Mayne Queen on Route 5a, it would remain closed. A few years ago when the Cumberland underwent it’s MLU, the Bowen Queen ran Route 5 and Route 4, but home ported from Swartz Bay. The snack bar was in service while it did a few sailings on Route 4. In one more week, the Skeena Queen will depart for MLU. The Queen of Cumberland will be deployed to route 4 and the snack bar WILL be in service. The Salish Raven will be deployed on route 5 but will only be serving a limited menu similar to what the Cumberland would serve. Wasn't there speculation in the past about the Skeena Queen getting a snack bar at her MLU?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 20, 2019 19:59:53 GMT -8
On her previous seasonal route from Tsawwassen to the Gulf Islands. Unless she's on the Saltery Bay route, I don't imagine there are any other occasions, unless BC Ferries wanted to give Fulford customers a treat. The other instance that comes to mind is when she filled in for the Queen of Capilano on Route 8. ...of course. Forgot about that one.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 20, 2019 19:57:12 GMT -8
Spending a week on Hornby right now. Coming back from Buckley Bay yesterday afternoon, I was thankful for the signboard information that the vessel on the route was the Baynes Sound Connector, that the next departure was indeed 5pm, and that the port of arrival would be Denman Island West, at 5:10. Not to mention the handy info on where the vessel was at the moment. Mainly because it's so hard to see. Don't know how much it cost to put that equipment in. I just know that when the barge is waylaid, say by prawn traps or a malfunctioning cable sheave, the signboard is of little help. But at least everyone knows that when it finally starts operating, it will indeed be going to Denman West, where the cable ends.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 20, 2019 19:48:24 GMT -8
This class however looks very similar to the Island Class vessels though. I think that possibly these vessels may be purchased at some point in the next few years but will be considered part of the same class of vessels. Here are potential routes that I could envision for fully electric ferries: Nanaimo-Gabriola (can charge in Nanaimo harbour) Brentwood Bay - Mill Bay (can charge in Mill Bay) Crofton - Vesuvius (build charging infrastructure in Crofton) Maybe even Campbell River to Quadra Island Just a bunch of very short routes that could have frequent charging in between and are all relatively sheltered passages. Any thoughts? Naniamo to Gabriola Island and Campbell River to Quadra Island while be getting two Island class vessel each. I don’t see a need for or even replacement built for Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay route. I also think that Crofton to Vesuvius will also get two Island Class vessels. Vesuvius is not slated to get Island class vessels. The plan is for Quinsam to go there, after Gabriola gets the new boats.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 20, 2019 19:45:58 GMT -8
What routes does Bowen Queen have her snack bar in use? I am wondering because most minor vessels don’t have snack bars. On her previous seasonal route from Tsawwassen to the Gulf Islands. Unless she's on the Saltery Bay route, I don't imagine there are any other occasions, unless BC Ferries wanted to give Fulford customers a treat.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 18, 2019 21:34:21 GMT -8
This is one of the "hmmh" stories of local hockey.
The Surrey Knights play in the Pacific Junior Hockey League, at the 'B' level. I've been to league games... it's kind of borderline some nights, as to whether it's actually spectator sport, or more for junior aged players to compete, and have fun. B level players don't usually move on to pro, even the ECHL level.
Never been to a Knights game, but I've followed their plight. Most seasons, they win a handful of games, and get blown out regularly. This year, they moved to a new arena in north Surrey, and there was brave talk of new recruits, and turning a corner.
Their most recent game was a 15-0 loss to Aldergrove.
One wonders what it's like to be a teen on such a club. Does losing like that build character, or is it just depressing?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 18, 2019 21:00:17 GMT -8
BC Ferries just issued a News Release which gave me a good ferry nerd chuckle. The NSW has wrapped up its first operating season without issue. Notwithstanding missing a year of service, BC Ferries is gloating about this success - perhaps not unfairly given the critics. I got a chuckle out of that news release as well. The line, "successful first season", should actually have been phrased, "first successful season", since summer 2018 was supposed to be the service introduction, and it most certainly wasn't a success. Still, this little vessel did run without incident this season, and hopefully demand will build to the point where something bigger will be required.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 15, 2019 15:25:36 GMT -8
M/V Cy Peck - circa 1962 - Howe Sound (not sure)
Note: This is placed here to replace an earlier version of this photo now 'fuzzed out' by 'photo crap bucket'
Is that Bowen in the background? When Bainbridge wasn't on the run around that time, it was usually Cy Peck.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 12, 2019 9:51:35 GMT -8
Kinda disgusting. Don't think BC Ferries ever did this, although they certainly did empty their sewage tanks out in the strait.
Visitors and residents alike protested the early practice of throwing garbage overboard. A twelve year old boy whose family owned a cabin on Admiralty Island complained about the unsightly mess and the unwelcome visitors: "Then the bears we've got come down on the beach and tear it to shreds and that makes it look twice as bad." In 1970 the system began installing trash compactors on board and ceased the practice.
On another topic, I'm sure that many people question the real 'savings' in under funding or even shutting down the Alaskan ferry system.
A 1991 study reported that for every dollar the state spends on the system, almost three dollars spill into the economy, creating hundreds of jobs.
-from Alaska's Ocean Highways, by Mark Kelley and Sherry Simpson, 1995 Epicenter Press.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 9, 2019 20:26:10 GMT -8
Way back in the 1960's there was this new kids breakfast cereal named Capt'n Crunch. I am guessing that some people thought it was amusing to apply that name to any ferry skipper who had had a hard landing or some other such occurrence on his watch. I am willing to bet that more than one skipper may have been labelled with the nickname back in the day. Whether the names were deserved was a whole other matter.
The skipper that I believe had this name worked V-class vessels out of Swartz Bay. He may have also been the master of the Mayne Queen, perhaps a little earlier in his career. My brother David told me that said skipper had charge of the newly lengthened Queen of Esquimalt in 1969, when, immediately after stretching, it was re-positioned from Esquimalt back to Swartz Bay. While docking it at Swartz Bay, and being obviously unfamiliar with the handling characteristics of a stretch ferry, he had somewhat of a hard landing. I don't know if there were other incidents. I would think that the skipper in question is probably no longer around to defend his reputation. There was a "Captain Crunch" working the Texada - Powell River route on the NIP in the 80's, so I think you're right on it being a popular nickname. Agreed. I've heard that term lots of times. Couple of hard landings and ferry users have a new folklore character. I remember the cereal from my youth. Still rated as one of the unhealthiest cereals you can eat. Much more hazardous than a skipper with an energetic affection for wing walls.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 3, 2019 20:14:00 GMT -8
Ah, preservation of the Lady Rose ... A wonderful idea. Why do I have this ‘déjà vu’ feeling? Well... maybe because it's hard to remember a preservation project for a ferry/steamship that actually panned out, and the images of vessels like the San Mateo rotting into the muck of the Fraser riverbank are pretty hard to erase from the mind. Cause for optimism, in this case: the purchaser does actually seem to have some resources. Also, the Lady Rose is a fairly small vessel... not quite so difficult to find dock space for, and less steel to deal with than say, the Kalakala. They also seem to be open to a dryland exhibit, which might be necessary, depending on her hull condition. We'll see. I'm expecting another disappointment, but hoping for something remarkable.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 2, 2019 20:44:58 GMT -8
I was looking at the route 1 schedule posted in the Vancouver Sun today, for the period of September 3 to October 14th. For that short period, there were fourteen symbols below the departure times, indicating exceptions on certain dates. Fourteen. That indicates to me that BC Ferries either has to stop fine tuning their schedule to the point of incomprehensibility, or they need to have an option on their website where you can get the schedule for a given date, with no weird little symbols. A ferry schedule should not be rocket science.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 29, 2019 22:02:13 GMT -8
I am told the Lady Rose has been sold. It's most likely destination is a land based exhibit in Sechelt, after some restoration. Thanks Dorian. Much appreciated. Can you give us some more information on the Sechelt exhibit place? For example, whether it's a new museum-type place, or an existing place that's just adding a new "artifact." Jeez... in this case, you have to hope that looks are deceiving, because recent photos don't inspire confidence about the Lady Rose's ability to get as far as Sechelt.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 26, 2019 21:05:04 GMT -8
A radical and expensive thought for next summer, which I only mention since BC Ferries has changed their plans for Vesuvius: Quinitsa to Shingle Spit, with Quadra Queen II based at Alert Bay, and slowpoke Kahloke serving the shorter Sointula run. This Bowen Queen re-assignment is bad news for those communities, and BC Ferries is moving to two boat service on other traditional one boat runs elsewhere, so there's a precedent. Neil, just a gentle reminder that the Island Class should be in service next summer, based on my own guesstimate. The first of Island Class was on sea trials about a month ago, with the second one following very closely behind as far as timeline is concerned. When they arrive and get put into service, the first two displaces the Quadra Queen II into relief/standby, and the North Island Princess to retirement as well. It will be interesting to see where the Quinitsa ends up next summer though. If your timeline pans out, it's hard to see how the Quinitsa wouldn't be available for Hornby, if they choose to do so.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 26, 2019 19:32:15 GMT -8
The Salt Spring Island community felt the pain of Quinitsa during busy 2019 season. Bowen Queen will serve this route during busy 2020: From Salt Spring Exchange website: from HEREGee, who could have predicted that? Indeed. Their re-jigged AEQ calculations and hopeful projections of increased heavy vehicle capacity over the HSQ couldn't disguise the fact that Quinitsa was a significant step back. Too bad the 'Hound Dog' couldn't be kept around until the new boats arrive, but I guess TC requirements would just have involved too much investment, if it could be done at all. I wonder if ears are perking up on Hornby. Quinitsa will be available next summer, and she's too slow for Alert Bay and Sointula, without a schedule frequency downgrade. A radical and expensive thought for next summer, which I only mention since BC Ferries has changed their plans for Vesuvius: Quinitsa to Shingle Spit, with Quadra Queen II based at Alert Bay, and slowpoke Kahloke serving the shorter Sointula run. This Bowen Queen re-assignment is bad news for those communities, and BC Ferries is moving to two boat service on other traditional one boat runs elsewhere, so there's a precedent.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 25, 2019 20:58:07 GMT -8
Our esteemed moderator assigned me much more age than appropriate when he suggested I might have had a 'crush' on the North Vancouver ferries. I'm actually of similar vintage to 'WettCoast' Jim, two years or so younger.
My family wasn't big on photography, so I have nothing of the Bainbridge's prime years, but that's the vessel that hooked me, at the age of five or six, from our summer holidays on Bowen. I've posted a shot of her rotting away on the Fraser, but that doesn't seem very nice.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 18, 2019 20:49:16 GMT -8
saw this about 1.5 wks ago. not sure if any of u guys saw it. thoughts? Maybe they're realizing that they've priced themselves out of the market with most people for a lengthy crossing between Vancouver and Victoria, and they're trying to entice more business?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 17, 2019 19:51:21 GMT -8
Not a question or an answer... but 'general', so I'll put it here. It's kind of a pet peeve, and we don't have a thread for 'general BC Ferries pet peeves'. That's probably a good thing. 'Dear BC Ferries' is nothing but, and we all know the value of looking in there.
Did a day trip yesterday, Surrey to Courtenay and back, for my daughter's birthday. I always thought she was a bit nutty for keeping her Kitsilano dentist and coming to the mainland for just the day for that, or book signings to do with her literary career, or other stuff. But after doing the trip, I kind of get it. You wouldn't want to do it every week, but once in a while, a couple of long drives and a couple of meals onboard isn't really such a trial. Glad I raised someone who doesn't hate ferries, even if she pretends not to notice the the fine details.
Anyway, it seemed to me that the announcement about nearing the terminal was made ridiculously early as we rounded Gabriola, heading toward Duke Point. Way sooner than normal, and I wondered if it was just a miscue, or if they had actually changed procedure on route thirty. We were certainly more than the announced ten minutes from the dock. But as I hung around upstairs watching us pull in to the dock, a teacher shepherding a group of high school kids was going about with a student frantically looking for a lost bag. An announcement was made on the P.A. Hopefully they resolved things. If so, it might have been due to the early call for people to get down to either the car deck, or to the foot passenger disembarkation area.
And maybe other ferry veterans like me have noticed how early the announcements are made at Tsawwassen and other terminals for people to get back to their vehicles, because "the crew is ready to welcome you onboard for your trip to..." The crew isn't actually ready. They haven't even unloaded. But yesterday morning, there was a guy with an armload of Starbucks goodies dashing back to his car in the reserved lane, as everyone in front, behind, and in the adjacent lane had left his vehicle as a tardy outlier in the loading process. Would have served him right if he missed the boat, I thought.
I guess the announcements have to be made with the most inattentive travellers in mind.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 13, 2019 20:27:56 GMT -8
The other part that had me confused is "to hostle customer vehicles". Can't in the life of me understand what they're really trying to say. . . The two dictionaries I poked into last night both provided the historical meanings of the verb 'to hostle'. Beats me why someone at BCFS would pull that particular word out of the dust bin? Maybe they just wanted us to actually do a bit of homework. Isn't that the usual term for hooking up to trailers and loading or unloading? Or driving unattended vehicles on or off the ferry?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 12, 2019 21:32:31 GMT -8
I will ask the same question: What is a "Capacity Tractor." - the simplest of worded-explanations will suffice. Thanks After putting "Capacity Tractor" into a search: It's the truck that BC Ferries uses for loading and unloading drop trailers. Capacity is the company that makes them. I recall they had one parked on the Nimpkish when I rode her last year and it appears that same practice is done on the Sea Wolf. I'd be interested to learn the extent of drop trailer business on the central coast. With about fifty residents year round at Ocean Falls, can't be much there, and Shearwater can't generate much more. Through traffic from Port Hardy to Bella Coola? Maybe it's mainly a seasonal thing.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 12, 2019 10:44:29 GMT -8
I have not commented on this as I have been traveling, and have not had the bandwidth to watch the show, or access to my books. I will be home soon, however. I think I'm pretty much done with the Queen of The North story. I won't be watching. Bottom line, for me; the ship sunk due to a navigation error, caused by a combination of inattentiveness, and issues around training and new equipment. The Henthorne book was worthwhile, if somewhat self serving (who can blame him?), but I get the sense that at this point, there's little insight to be gained from re-hashing old information.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 10, 2019 20:02:55 GMT -8
I hope they go bankrupt. I'm one of the lightest posters of photos on this forum, and I have a very modest number of photos on photobucket, even over many years... and I'm still over their limit.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 9, 2019 20:13:47 GMT -8
BC Ferries now has confirmed that alcohol sales on route 1 will start in late October: www.bcferries.com/bcferries/faces/attachments?id=1377978I don’t see this continuing after trail period because it going to be hard to deal with enforcement of drunk drivers and one drink per person. I personally hope that they check every one ID and puts in the they name in a system that can them who has a drink. Washington State Ferries has had beer sales for decades, with little evidence of abuse. BC Ferries has a lot more employees on board to keep an eye on things. I have little doubt that this will be a success, unless it's not profitable to jump through the regulatory hoops for the sake of serving one drink per customer.
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