Minor vessel replacements

[Political Incorrectness]

This has not been talked about so I might as well bring it up. The newest addition the Kuper was meant to add extra capacity to the fleet but not retire any of the old ministry of transportation and highways ferries. What will replace them once they come of age for retirement?

[Scott]

Anyone know the future of the Garibaldi II, Kulleet, and Klatawa? They might be able to be used to lengthen the lifetime of the current "crop" of ferries.

[Political Incorrectness]

I am thinking these vessels will have to go in the next few years

Mayne Queen
Bowen Queen
Powell River Queen
Howe Sound Queen
Mill Bay
North Island Princess
Quadra Queen 2
Tachek
Tenaka

Anyone else know of minor vessels around the V class time period?

[Neil]

As of the first Coastal Ferry Services Contract in 2003, these were the planned retirement dates for all vessels. Interesting to see what has changed since then.

Following, is also some of the new vessels that were planned at the time.

Spirit of BC 2039
Spirit of Vancouver Island 2040
Queen of Saanich 2009
Queen of Vancouver 2010
Queen of Cowichan 2022
Queen of Coquitlam 2022
Queen of Oak Bay 2027
Queen of Alberni 2022
Queen of New Westminster 2015
Queen of Surrey 2027
Queen of Esquimalt 2008
Queen of The North 2011
Queen of Prince Rupert 2010
Queen of Chilliwack 2009
Mill Bay 2010
Skeena Queen 2042
Queen of Cumberland 2037
Mayne Queen 2016
Howe Sound Queen 2013
Queen of Tsawwassen 2007
Queen of Capilano 2036
Queen of Nanaimo 2006 (under review)
Bowen Queen 2015
Queen of Burnaby 2017
North Island Princess 2006 (under review)
Quinsam 2028
Klitsa 2018
Kahloke 2020
Quinitsa 2025
Tachek 2013
Powell River Queen 2017
Tenaka 2010
Quadra Queen II 2014
Kwuna 2021

New 110-118 car vessels by 2013 for:
Crofton- Vesuvius
Bowen Island

New 60 car vessels by 2013 for:
Texada
Hornby
Cortes
Alert Bay/ Sointula

New 185 car vessel by 2013 for:
Comox - Powell River.


Again... this was what they had planned four years ago.

[Coastal Drought]

Yet the North sunk last year so it got a sudden and unexpected retirement.

[Mike C]

So they're downgrading the Comox run? the Burnaby holds 192, and on Holidays she leaves a few people behind.

[WettCoast]

mainlander101 said:

So they're downgrading the Comox run? the Burnaby holds 192, and on Holidays she leaves a few people behind.

I think that a new 185 car vessel will have an equal or greater capacity than the Burnaby's currently listed capacity of 192. The listed capacity of 192 for unlifted B's/V's requires a good mix of Smart cars and Honda Fits in order to be achieved.

Also, they could easily add a filth round trip per day on this route, and maybe even base the vessel on the PR side which is where it really ought to be.

[Neil]

Route 17 has the fifth lowest vehicle capacity utilization in the system, and last year, it was one of only two routes that didn't have a single extra trip due to demand, so it could easily make do with a slightly smaller vessel.

Don't know if it's been mentioned before, but in answer to an e-mail I sent them, BC Ferries says that after improvements are made to docks at Gravelly Bay and Shingle Spit, the Kuper will be transferred to the Hornby run, sometime later next year.

[Mill Bay]

They should at least keep passengers in mind, and make sure that any vessel on the Comox-Powell river run has a mostly enclosed deck, because the weather seems to have a tendency to get suddenly snarly as you cross, and it would be really mean to expect customers to dash for the stairwells in a blinding rain squall. Then once everybody was up in the lounge, it would make everything very warm and humid up there with all those warm soaked bodies in a confined space.

[Low Light Mike]

millbay said:

They should at least keep passengers in mind, and make sure that any vessel on the Comox-Powell river run has a mostly enclosed deck, because the weather seems to have a tendency to get suddenly snarly as you cross, and it would be really mean to expect customers to dash for the stairwells in a blinding rain squall.

If you're talking about the car-deck, then Transport Canada regulations have made most options moot. Using the Bowen Queen on the Tsawwassen-GulfIslands route as an example, there are regulations controlling when and where open decked vessels can be used in the open strait.

These regulations will make eventual refit-replacement ships an interesting guess (and nerd rider opportunity), as there won't be the Q-Tsawwassen available to fill-in during the Burnaby's refit. The list of possible fill-in ships for that route is pretty short....

[Curtis]

wetcoastkidjst said:

I think that a new 185 car vessel will have an equal or greater capacity than the Burnaby's currently listed capacity of 192. The listed capacity of 192 for unlifted B's/V's requires a good mix of Smart cars and Honda Fits in order to be achieved.

Exactly the type of thing I would have said, I agree.
185 on a new ferry Would Probably be alot more accurate then Burnaby's 192

wetcoastkidjst said:

Also, they could easily add a filth round trip per day on this route,

Also Agree. All they'd need to do is cut time in the dock so a 5th Sailing is Possible...In the Summer and possibly holidays and long weekends, I've done the Math and this is what the 5 Round Trip Schedule would Look Like on the Current 1 Hour and 20 Minute Crossing Time with 30 Minutes in Dock, Work Day 6:00AM-12:30PM
Leave Home Berth (*0:00=Crew Change)

---

6:00, 9:40, *2:00, 5:40, 9:20

Leave Away Berth

---

7:50, 11:30, 3:50, 7:30, 11:10

That would be the Proper Queen of Burnaby Schedule, However, if the Crossing Time was Cut by 20 Minutes with a new Ferry, The Result could not only make the 5th Round Trip a Regular and possibly add a 6th Round Trip on the same work day of 6:00AM-12:30PM. If Not the Work Day is 6:00AM-9:30PM

Leave Home Berth (*0:00=Crew Change)("0:00=If Necessary)

---

6:00, 9:00, 12:00, *4:00, 7:00, "10:00

Leave Away Berth("0:00=If Necessary)

---

7:30, 10:30, 1:30, 5:30, 8:30, "11:30

wetcoastkidjst said:

and maybe even base the vessel on the PR side which is where it really ought to be.

Once they have a Schedule figured out they'd have to build another dock at Powell River to Accommodate the Queen of Burnaby. There's 3 Ways they could do it.
1. Build another dock on the Opposite Side of the Current Dock
2. Build the 2nd Dock Beside the Current Dock
3. Build Two New Docks Facing Outward Toward Vancouver Island and Demolish the Current Dock

[Political Incorrectness]

Curtis, you could probably do another round trip with the Burnaby if she did not have all those breaks in the middle of the day. The new boat if it can do 21 knots could easily cut the time in 20 minutes, it just needs to be able to accelerate fast out of the docks unlike the B's and V's. Now can the holding lot in Powell River accomadate current Peak loads? I find it somewhat of a weird one since you go onto an access road to get to the berth not to mention it is also on a hill with a high grade.

[Neil]

Don't mean to spoil your fun (well, actually, I do, because I'm really mean), but they don't need a faster boat, and they don't need any more crossings. This is one of the most under utilized routes in the system. Most days of the year, four round trips is more than enough.

[kylefossett]

hornbyguy said:

Don't mean to spoil your fun (well, actually, I do, because I'm really mean), but they don't need a faster boat, and they don't need any more crossings. This is one of the most under utilized routes in the system. Most days of the year, four round trips is more than enough.

i agree with neil. just because a dozen times a year this route leaves cars behind does not mean it need bigger, faster boats or more sailings. if that was the case they would be using the queen of tsawwassen or a similiar vessel on the fulford-swartz bay routes most of the summer.

[Scott]

Couldn't they just add a round trip the dozen times a year they need to? I've been on the route a few times and it's never been even half full.

[Curtis]

millbay said:

They should at least keep passengers in mind, and make sure that any vessel on the Comox-Powell river run has a mostly enclosed deck, because the weather seems to have a tendency to get suddenly snarly as you cross, and it would be really mean to expect customers to dash for the stairwells in a blinding rain squall. Then once everybody was up in the lounge, it would make everything very warm and humid up there with all those warm soaked bodies in a confined space.

It most likely will. If you think that's bad, Try the Comox Queen AKA Tenaka when she ran the Comox-PR Route in a storm bobbing like a cork.

[ferrytraveller]

do we have any idea on a possible design or idea if the new minor vessels will be double ended or not? will they look more like a ship or more like a barge?
i would also say the Nimpkish has to go soon too.

[Nick]

I don't know about the Nimpkish. She had a lot of work done to her last summer. I can't see them pumping that much money into her if she wasn't going to stick around for a few more years. I did a number of trips on/to her last summer, and she seemed like she was in good condition throughout, from bridge to engine room. Also, the engines had a complete rebuild in her refit(s) last year.

[ferrytraveller]

oh wow, really??
well maybe she has found a new permanent home in the midcoast.
i saw her at point hope shipyards last year, looked like a major refit.

[ferrytraveller]

although they seem to be putting quite a sizeable amount of money into the howe sound queen this year too, so maybe she will be sticking around for a while as well !

[Nick]

the HSQ had what was supposed to be basically a MLU last year, but it wasn't completed on time, so they are finishing it now. Last year they did all the below decks and structural stuff that nobody sees, and this year they are doing the passenger spaces.

I wasn't aware the Nimpkish was at Point Hope. I saw her at Nanaimo shipyards, and then at Deas.

[ferrytraveller]

sorry meant to say Nanaimo shipyard.
but she was there for a while.
got a few shots of her there
so coxnnick, do you figure the HSQ will stick around for a while then?

[Nick]

I think the HSQ has at least 10-15 years left in her. I spent a fair bit of time on her last summer preparing for this last part of the MLU, and she seems to be in pretty good shape. A few quibbles down in the engine room with bulkheads corroding and noise levels, but it sounded like that was going to be re-done this refit. The engines were completely rebuilt last year, same as the Nimpkish's. She has all electronic engine control and fuel delivery now, as opposed to the previous mechanical system (think fuel injection in a car rather than a carb.).

[ferrytraveller]

oh wow! 10-15 years still, thats quite few years still. well that means that there is about 8 minor vessels to be replaced in the coming years. they would be the..

Mayne Queen
Bowen Queen
Powell River Queen
Mill Bay
North Island Princess
Quadra Queen 2
Tachek
Tenaka


Do any of these other vessels have significant life left in them? any major work done to keep them running 10 -15 years longer?

[ferrytraveller]

well after being at the Coastal Renaissance open house, i heard David Hahn say that over the next 10 years 26 ferries will be replaced, well we know of the 3 new coastals, northern adventure, kuper, island sky, the northern expedition, northern discovery. thats 8 new vessels. I would assume the 2 B's and the new west would also be replaced in that time period. bring the total of vessels replaced or to be replaced to 11. Add on 9 known minor vessel replacements (Mayne Queen
Bowen Queen, Powell River Queen, Mill Bay, North Island Princess, Quadra Queen 2, Tachek, Tenaka) and the total is now at 20 vessels.
So my question is, what are the other 7 vessels in the fleet to be replaced??
and as such, which Minor vessel will be the first to be replaced?