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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 21, 2024 6:41:11 GMT -8
An update on the Carrier Princess as of yesterday... Thanks for this. It's different and a bit sad to see the Carrier Princess cut-down to a barge deck, but I understand that this has been the fate of many old ships on our coast. I like the glimpse of the Queen of Tsawwassen in the background.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 29, 2024 10:53:15 GMT -8
Exciting times at Departure Bay! Crew members are raising the Canadian flag on the Coastal Renaissance this morning (I never noticed it was down) and it has been untied from the mooring buoy so it must be going out soon. It's a lovely day for sea trials! It will be strange to not see the Coastal Renaissance at the maintenance berth. It's been a constant presence for 6 months! Thanks very much for your reporting on this, over the past months.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 27, 2024 6:47:52 GMT -8
Some interesting notes from what the supplier must be willing to accept: TimmyC, thanks very much for this. I appreciate your commentary on this.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 21, 2024 16:16:55 GMT -8
I am thinking that Mr Phillip Spaulding, marine architect, might roll in his grave if he saw this alteration to his design. What do you think, Low Light Mike? Haha, it does beg the question of what Mr. Spaulding would think about this issue, but also for modern marine design in general. I'd like to think that Philip would roll with the times and enjoy some comfort. But if PFS were able to time-travel to the present-era and design a covered bridge-wing, I think it would somehow show yet another example of his signature style. (thanks for a fun think)
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 13, 2024 7:42:59 GMT -8
Ever since I moved to PG nearly a decade ago, every six months or so I punch the Omineca Princess into the 'news' section of Google to see what comes up. Finally, my patience and persistence has paid off. The ferry that has sat dormant on Francois Lake for two decades, spending about 40% of her life mothballed, will officially be scrapped. Thanks for this update. Probably similar to other people here, the presence of the yellow/orange/whatever coloured ship at the northside berth captured my imagination when I took that route. My sighting was in 2010 and was a ferry-nerd style over-&-back trip. The fact that my sighting was 14 years ago gives me a personal connection to the story of how long that old ship has rested idle awaiting her fate.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 12, 2024 17:37:37 GMT -8
Nice to see you back out on the water again! Thanks. It was fun to record that, and it was totally a last minute decision to do those recordings while on a trip with my sister.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 12, 2024 10:39:29 GMT -8
VIDEO of a trip on the BC Ferries ship Island Kwigwis, on a sailing from Descanso Bay on Gabriola Island to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. This is the 3:25pm sailing on February 5, 2024.
Other ships seen in this video are the Coastal Celebration that had just left Duke Point headed for Tsawwassen, Queen of Cowichan having left Departure Bay headed for Horseshoe Bay, a Seaspan ferry leaving Duke Point to Tilbury Island, and a Hullo fast passenger ferry leaving Nanaimo heading to Vancouver.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 11, 2024 8:21:04 GMT -8
VIDEO of a trip on the BC Ferries ship Island Gwawis, on a sailing from Nanaimo harbour to Descanso Bay on Gabriola Island. This is the 9:55am sailing on February 5, 2024. Other ships seen in this video are Island Kwigwis (also working the Gabriola Island route), the Coastal Celebration at Duke Point, and a Hullo fast passenger ferry arriving to Nanaimo from Vancouver.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 10, 2024 19:17:16 GMT -8
Really like Mad Rona's, though. It's such a perfect name for a gulf island business. It took me a while to get the reference in the name, but I eventually figured it out. My sister loved that place (I usually go to Nester's Market, pretending to be hip. I need to learn the slow cafe way of life...)
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 10, 2024 18:40:06 GMT -8
Good grief. That plays on every twenty minute crossing to and from Gabriola? From what you suggested in one of your recent posts, there might be a lot more need for safety warnings for people venturing through downtown Nanaimo to get the ferry. Glad you lived to tell about it, Mike. Somehow we managed to survive... If I would have been in the spacious deck-2 indoor passenger lounge, I'd have been able to learn if there was a video-screen graphic to accompany the audio of the safety announcement. Perhaps some things are best kept a mystery. But in all seriousness, it was a good day for a trip with my sister to Gabriola. She is very much into beaches for the rocks and driftwood, and we had fun at both Descanso Bay Regional Park and Drumbeg Provincial Park. Drumbeg Park is on the southeast corner of Gabriola, across a narrow channel from the north tip of Valdes Island. There are views down the "Corridor" of outside islands, down the east coasts of Valdes, Galiano and with the mountains of Orcas Island in the far distance (and probably a view to Mt. Baker, on a non-cloud day). I'm so accustomed to Gabriola's north-west corner as a "Nanaimo-centric" view, and I forget that the opposite corner is the start of the southern Gulf Islands. In other spots on the south side of Gabriola Island, there are views down the sound that is between the outer islands (Valdes, Galiano) and the inner group of islands (Mudge, Link, DeCourcy, etc). For a map nerd like me, it's a fascinating place.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 10, 2024 16:16:50 GMT -8
Here is a recent recording of the Safety Announcement on an Island Class vessel.
This was heard on Island Kwigwis on a trip from Gabriola Island to Nanaimo on February 5, 2024.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 29, 2024 7:37:40 GMT -8
Tug Rapid Bear - Nanaimo Harbour. This little tug could be the 'star' in a children's TV show about tug boats based in Nanaimo Harbour. There would need to be a 'Harbour Master' & I'm looking at you LLM. Everyone needs a retirement hobby. But the odd thing is, I think it's been over 5 years (probably longer) since I've done any Nanaimo harbour photography, probably longer. It's not a place where I feel safe and comfortable. Years ago, I used to love doing dusk photography of the Gabriola ferry arriving at its Nanaimo berth. These days, I prefer the more predictable risks of an old timber trestle in the woods.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 4, 2024 12:51:30 GMT -8
According to Marinetraffic there is a large European cruiseferry sitting at anchor in Vancouver right now. I wonder what it’s doing here. She's the Isabelle. Here is her Tallink company webpage: H E R EHere's the news release explaining what she is doing on the west coast of Canada: H E R EIt doesn't say much:
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 15, 2023 13:09:02 GMT -8
Couldn’t it be Port McNeill because that way Quadra Queen II approached the terminal. Yes, for the win ! The land in the background supports that this could be Port McNeill.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 15, 2023 12:48:15 GMT -8
Here is a Video of an old guy talking about old ships from an old era, in front of old people who also are interested in old ships from an old era.
Photos and ephemera shown in this presentation are courtesy of the collection of author, historian and awesome-human Steven J. Pickens.
Yes, the photo chosen by that group for their YouTube thumbnail is neither from the era of my talk, nor the routes of my talk. That's ok.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 15, 2023 11:12:48 GMT -8
Tenaka, c1986 - location & photographer unknown (Capt Bob Gentles collection)
Originally, the Comox Queen; my guess on location Heriot Bay, Quadra Island
I think this is more likely to be Whaletown, just after her departure turnaround. Traffic is loaded after a bow-in berth. Yes, she could be approaching Heriot Bay, but her direction is wrong, based on the jetty railing in the foreground. If this were Heriot Bay, she'd be coming in from right to left in the photo. This stuff is fun to ponder. Thanks for these posts.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 11, 2023 15:00:34 GMT -8
Not a schedule per se, but a brochure from 1999 detailing CirclePac discounts, and the routes associated with it. It didn't quite fit on my scanner, so some of the edges are cut off. It must have cut off the parts that mentioned "Tokina Power" and "Bathtub !" and "Ernie's Hour" and the "Cinnamony"
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 11, 2023 7:51:00 GMT -8
I had thought, in some of the old schedule discussions, that we'd noticed one of the small single ended MOH vessels assigned to the Gulf Islands in the summer on a very limited, overflow type schedule. I remember seeing Tachek doing just that, in the early 1990s out of Swartz Bay. I saw her from Ruckle Park, Salt Spring Island.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 9, 2023 21:50:58 GMT -8
While surfing the internet recently I stumbled upon something most people (including myself) on this forum have likely never seen before, a rare picture of the Queen of the Islands in expo livery. I recall the discussion many years ago on this forum whether on not the QotI was ever painted in expo colours, this confirms it! Thanks "Ferry Freak Shane." That is great to see. I love a solved mystery.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 31, 2023 10:19:42 GMT -8
Random comment on this October 31st Halloween day: In forum history, Chris changing his username from Ferryman to "Scaryman" was one of the most clever moments. I still smile when I think of it, as evidenced by this post.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 26, 2023 18:09:03 GMT -8
Nanaimo Historical Society has monthly meetings where a guest speaker presents on a topic that is relevant to Nanaimo's history. Their upcoming November 9th meeting (Bowen Park meeting room, 7pm) features a talk on passenger ships and ferries serving Nanaimo in the era up to 1961. Some old guy will be mumbling about E&N Steamships, Canadian Pacific Navigation, CP'S BC Coast Steamship Service, and Black Ball Ferries. Here's the talk synopsis: The talk presenter fashioned a Princess of Nanaimo 1958 photo from the Steven J. Pickens collection (sounds like a great name for an author of history and mystery books) and used that photo as the cover poster for the upcoming talk. Do you think that some of the script colours for the cover poster were deliberately chosen to match the "CP Buff" of the ship's funnel? hmmmm. NHS Nov 9 2023 title photo NEW by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 26, 2023 16:27:07 GMT -8
More like the Coastal Nightmare. Coastal Photo Opportunity
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 5, 2023 6:52:23 GMT -8
I am going to Coldpay tomorrow night, and they have an 11:30 sailing. Hope it works out for them. Hey how'd this go? I'd be interested to know the details. Hullo probably did a safety announcement of what might happen if the lights go out and you can't be saved, with the tides that you try to swim against. If that scenario would have brought you down upon your knees, then you'd be instructed to beg, to beg, to beg and plead.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 3, 2023 11:38:59 GMT -8
Queen of Nanaimo, and there I would stay for the remainder of the "Summer of '64". For real history buffs, Canada would make a major change during this time, what was it? Canada was in the process of choosing and adopting a new national flag, during 1964. I think this got formally adopted as the new flag on February 15, 1965.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 22, 2023 17:32:38 GMT -8
anybody ever seen these before? is it just a supplementary anchor or something? This is known as a Mooring Buoy. They are common in boating anchorages, such as marine parks where many pleasure boats anchor in a harbour. And here at Departure Bay's berth 1, it serves the purpose of tying up the bow (or stern), because there is no dolphin structure out that far.
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