Controversial Symbol on New Ferry

[Ferryman]

If you look close at this picture, do you notice a certain symbol near the stern?



Us Ferry and/or ship fanatics would know that it's the international symbol for "Propellar". But by how the symbol is shaped, some people have taken it the wrong way, and have mistaken it for a swastika. I just saw this on CH News at 6, and was basically rolling on the floor laughing, once I saw this. BC Ferries has said that David Hahn will be speaking with FSG to make some adustments to the symbol, to make it look not so offensive.

On another ironic note, alot of Hitlers U-Boats were built at the FSG shipyard.

[jcachristian2000yahooca]

Sorry too lazy to sign in again.

I just want to say in regards to the Propeller symbol, there are a lot of "Screwd" up people out there. What a joke. Get the pun?

In no way shape of form does this symbol reminds me of the Swatzica. Give me a break

A screw is another word for propeller.

[Political Incorrectness]

Just to add some humor to this, I think that is for mr bush to recognize what he is

[Northern Exploration]

Haha Chris never noticed the similarity.

Many of the successful German firms today are related to companies that have or themselves have some Nazi history and were used whether willing or not during the Reich. VW, BMW, Dornier Aircraft, Bloom and Voss (cruise ships and luxury yachts), Mercedes, etc. etc. And because most men were conscripted in the forces, they used women (by choice and not) and used slave labour from concentration camps (by choice and not). Some of the companies that were forced to use slave labour actually tried their best to help as in the movie Schindlers List. There is a story of the wife of one of the German industrialists actually helping and hiding Jews.

[Low Light Mike]

Good thing the ferry will be a MV (motor-vessel) and not a Steam-Ship.

(Flugel's subtle atempt at a WWII-reference).

Also, if C-Renaissance had been launched today, April 20th, instead of on Apr.19th, it would have been on Hitler's birthday.

[Irate Ferry Rider 42]

Sadly, I assume the person making this outrageous remark knew full well what the symbol is intended to represent; a propeller. Perhaps it was simply someone in the local media looking to fill a few minutes with a somewhat controversial story. Or worst case, it’s an angry citizen waiting for anything and everything to whine about in revenge for outsourcing the boats production.

I will hypothesis further; the person making this claim is monitoring the Flensburg site because they are interested in the new ferry’s development. And, because of this interest, there is a very high likely hood they visit this forum. If in fact the individual does come upon this post; ‘I hope you feel quite the fool because of your childish claim’.

[bcfbccsscollector]

I saw this story on CH today and I too thought that it must have been a slow news day to come up with this story. For many years, companies have been using a symbol vs. using the written, "Keep clear of propellers", as BC Ferries used to use. Someone in the news research centre at Global or other, must have found a link between Hitler and Flensbuger and thought, "How's this for a headline!!" The past is the past and let's not keep dredging up ideas to rekindle it. That monstrosity will never be forgotten, so let's try not to go out of our way to resurrect a long dead dictator. It's a bloody propeller........take it at face value and stop trying to interpret it like a priceless Picasso.........

My two pennies worth....I haven't drifted too far..

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

flugelhorn said:

...it would have been on Hitler's birthday.

Hmmm...coincidence??? How interesting that this story came out on the day it did.

[Neil]

Well, I guess BC Ferries pretty much had to address this nonsense, absurd as it is...

Shipyard to modify propeller symbols on new B.C. ferry
Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, April 21, 2007

The media pictures of B.C. Ferries' new Super-C-class vessel, the Coastal Renaissance, certainly turned heads.
But not in the way B.C. Ferries was hoping.
So the international propeller symbols painted at both ends of the ship will be replaced with a softer, rounder version in hopes no one mistakes them for swastikas.
"The last thing we want to do is alienate anyone, so we have asked the shipyard to make modifications," B.C. Ferries spokesman Mark Stefanson said yesterday.
B.C. Ferries received about 10 calls from people who thought the symbols looked like swastikas, he said.
"We didn't see it that way.
"To us, it's an international prop symbol, but, if people are concerned about it, obviously we are concerned about it, so we will make sure it's changed before she leaves Germany."
Maritime rules demand that ships have symbols showing the location of propellers, but those used on other B.C. Ferries vessels are more rounded and have three blades, he said.
Stefanson said he has no idea whether the fact the new ferries are being built in Germany played a role in the swastika perception.
"I couldn't even speculate about that," he said.
The Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard, where the ferries are being built, constructed U-boats during the Second World War.
Stefanson said there will be no problem replacing the symbols.
"The [shipyard] is excellent in terms of response to our needs."
The new ferry will leave Germany for Canada in late October and is expected to be on the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay run before Christmas.
Two other new ferries from the same shipyard will arrive in B.C. next year.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007

[Curtis]

I was thinking the exact same thing about the propeller sign.

A whole bunch of Irony and Coincidence.

[queenofcowichan]

Bone Heads win again.

[Hardy]

Ach du Lieber! Ze ass-toot Kanadian meedia haz zpotted U-733's true porpoise to rule ze Seas again!

Jezt mussen wir noch ....err, now we must again come up with a better plan!!

HO-GAN!!!!!

;D ;D ;D

[Retrovision]

I'm not really going to weigh-in on this one except to briefly step on the scale by pointing out how suprisingly political such symbolism in infrastructure, etc., can be, even close to home. Take local politics; it is widely understood among those in-the-know around BC that the colour of bridges, for example, is quite politically motivated. The Patullo Bridge, for one, is being repainted, and surprise, surprise, it's turning BC Liberal/SoCred blue from when the NDP added their orange touch to it the last time around. I wouldn't have put a second thought to this symbolism, though, if it weren't built in Germany at a shipyard formerly associated with WWII, let alone if this were before the steady rise of right wing governments, on many different scales, around the world since 2001. I would have immediately discounted the controversy as silly like most probably have, but I simply won't allow myself to discount anything without a second thought based on the notion of 'silliness' in today's political climate, especially because the tide of change has been in the same direction as the Nazi Party - to the right.

After all, if you were FSG, wouldn't you be keenly aware of your shipyard's former fascist assotiations and do everything to try to have the prop symbols *not* resemble such a closely linked symbol to such a closely linked and negative chapter in your history, as all other BC ferry builders have managed to pull off without even trying?

[Political Incorrectness]

All I have to comment on this regard is welcome to the world of *cough* "political correctness". People feel that it is because it is too "hitler" related, so why are we not accusing the neighbour down south of the same with his action eh?

[Ferry Rider 42]

First off, the Liberals should leave the Patullo Bridge orange. That way, once they tear it down painted in orange. Then they can rebuild it in blue which would be even stronger symbolism. Perhaps, the NDP could one day even tear down their own orange bridge.

But seriously, I can appreciate the need to have an open mind; particularly after your bridge analogy. But on the other hand, I also refuse to live my life in pessimistic fear of subliminal messages. So, to make things simple I often resort to the rule of majority. What I see going on here is a small vocal subset of the population whining and complaining just to give BC Ferries a hard time. I’d argue that an absurdly large proportion of the population couldn’t even fathom the propeller icon and the swastika link.

Sure we need to ensure the majority doesn’t infringe on the minorities rights for personal safety and equal opportunity. But, this isn’t one of those cases. I say majority rules; Ferries made the wrong decision giving in to this group. Consider this, I personally believe the life jacket symbol plastered everywhere looks a lot like a dress; now this is a symbol that should be changed.

[Low Light Mike]

[WettCoast]

The BCF's graphic used for a life jacket (as seen above in Fluge's post) is a good one for representing a keyhole style of life jacket. That style is, I believe, what is in fact available on most, if not all BCF's vessels. Furthermore, that is the style that gave the QotN crew trouble in the early morning hours of 22 March 2006.
I believe that the more modern type of life jacket (as is commonly used by canoeists) is what will be available for crew to use during future emergencies.

Switching gears now...
This GAJ - Tsawwassen Terminal photo of the Q of Esquimalt...
www.ferrypicsbygraham.fotopic.net/p40531375.html
shows both an existing propeller symbol, and the cranes used on V/B class vessels to haul supplies on board.

BTW, the controversy surrounding this propeller symbol on the Rennay is just perfectly absurd - and apparently BCFS is going to have it changed? Maybe they could replace the slugs while they are at it.

[Retrovision]

hardy said:

Ach du Lieber! Ze ass-toot Kanadian meedia haz zpotted U-733's true porpoise to rule ze Seas again!

Jezt mussen wir noch ....err, now we must again come up with a better plan!!

HO-GAN!!!!!

;D ;D ;D

You have to love free online translators for an occasional laugh.
This one
www2.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html
Gave me this for your post...

Oh you dear one! CPU eat toot Kanadian meedia haz zpotted U-733's true porpoise ton rule CPU Seas again!
Now we must still….err, now incoming goods must again come UP with A more better flat!!

[Ferry Rider 42]

Hummm.... was poking around the web and ran into another discussion about the new ships launch.

forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=129695

These guys where talking about the propeller symbol right away on April 19th. I think they where just joking around, but then again, perhaps more people then I initially though made the swastika connection.

[Northern Exploration]

It is fun to poke at some of this silliness. However, can you imagine if all the complainers who just wait for something to pounce on directed their energy to doing something constructive.

I wonder if that is the same symbol they have used all along on their ships? I think Flensburger should have anticpated something like this knowing buying a ferry offshore was a little controversial and would be garnering a lot of attention. And also the reality that they would be dealing with a different constituency than the European public.

I hope they are as thorough and efficient with the sea trials and testing as they are with construction. If not I can write the news items right now and just leave blanks to fill in the details .

[North Islander]

Check out photos of other ferries. Symbols have been rounded and feature three blades on the props, not four, it looks like to me.

[North Islander]

Very sorry, I was wrong. Some have four blades. Queen of Esquimalt and so on.

[kylefossett]

so if this vessel was built somewhere other than germany do you think the propeller picture would have been connected to the swastika? just a thought here

[Scott]

It's hard to say. I didn't really give it a second thought until someone pointed it out. However, once I took a second look... it really does look as much like a swastika as it does a propeller. They could easily make it look more like a propeller than it does - to leave no confusion.

I very highly doubt there are any subtle political undertones whatsoever and I would be very hesitant in making any connection between this and Flensburger or Germany... I would say Germans are probably the most sensitive when it comes to this symbol and have the most stringent laws anywhere in banning its use.

It really has nothing to do with right-wing anything... and I think when people so easily link Nazism and the swastika to current governments (for the most part) they are really cheapening the seriousness of what really happened in the years leading up to and of World War II.

[kylefossett]

i am not saying that the german ship yard meant for it to look the way it does. what i am saying is that maybe somebody else pointed it out because it was built in a german shipyard. if the vessel was built and painted at vancouver shipyards with the exact same propeller painted on it would there have been such a big deal made