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Post by Scott on Jan 26, 2008 17:27:15 GMT -8
Today I was thinking about what "sights" will be rare or never seen again over the next year or so as new ships arrive and the old ones are either sold or relocated. Here are a few - some have already been mentioned in other threads before:
1. V-vlass ferries passing in Active Pass
2. Any V-class ferry (or Queen of New Westminster) on Route 30.
3. Obviously, seeing the Queen of Tsawwassen or Queen of Esquimalt is a short-term possibility.
4. Two C-class ships passing mid-trip on Route 2 and closely related - 3 C class ships at HBy together (already quite rare)
5. The Queen of Prince Rupert as a BC Ferry on the North Coast.
There are probably more. Any in particular that you'll miss the most?
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Post by DENelson83 on Jan 26, 2008 17:39:56 GMT -8
Never heard of a V-vlass before.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 26, 2008 18:05:59 GMT -8
Never heard of a V-vlass before. Viva Las Vegas. =================== Ok, must mix the seriousness with the silliness: - Powerslide turn of an incoming vessel at Duke Point.
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Post by shipyard on Jan 26, 2008 19:17:43 GMT -8
I am quite certain we will see the New West as the regular winter refit replacement on route 30.
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Post by Hardy on Jan 27, 2008 9:23:26 GMT -8
I am quite certain we will see the New West as the regular winter refit replacement on route 30. I am not completely sold on that idea, what with the extensive renovation that she is currently undergoing to become a Rte-1 vessel. Don't forget too that the Spirits tend to head for refit when it starts to snow... It will be interesting to see how the new Coastals are brought into the "refit/maintenance" schedule. The chess game of refits and ship replacement is an interesting and complicated one, to be sure. You already have a bunch of ships that are on a fixed refit/maint schedule, and all this work takes a certain amount of time. Where in the calendar year are the Coastals going to fit in? You certainly cannot take them out of rotation in high season. Low season is when most of the other vessels are already scheduled (due to the still problematic lack of adequate *temp* replacement vessels). Which shoulder season are you going to plan to pull them out? Will they be blended in to the existing refit schedule, or will dates/times for existing vessels need to be bumped/modified to fit in the new arrivals? As for future rare sightings -- how about two Coastals passing on Rte-30? I can hear it now ... "doggamn truckers!" hehehe
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Post by shipyard on Jan 27, 2008 19:57:54 GMT -8
Here's my theory- with the SoVI being the number two vessel out of Swartz Bay, she is the ideal refit replacement for both the SoBC and the CC. This would mean there would be no service level changes (Capacity and amenities) during refits. This leaves the New West as an ideal replacement for at least the Alberni, as she is based at the same terminal, and is quite suited for this run due to her overheight capacity. During low season, the third vessel for route 1 is usually based out of Swartz Bay.
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Post by DENelson83 on Jan 27, 2008 20:00:44 GMT -8
I'm thinking the SOBC and the SOVI will remain in-service full-time on route 1 after the CC enters service. When the CC is not needed on route 1, she'll go up to route 30, allowing the CI to go onto route 1.
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Post by Ferryman on Jan 27, 2008 20:06:15 GMT -8
I'm thinking the SOBC and the SOVI will remain in-service full-time on route 1 after the CC enters service. When the CC is not needed on route 1, she'll go up to route 30, allowing the CI to go onto route 1. Maybe there's a typo in there, but I can't find any logic in having the CI and CC trade places in the off season. In my mind, it would make sense to either have both Spirits + the CC running full time on Route 1. If the CC is going to be delegated to part time service in the off season, it would make more sense in putting it on Route 2, in place of the Oak Bay. Otherwise the CC being used 2 or 3 times a week doesn't seem right. To put this topic back on track again, for rare sightings in the future, would be seeing the over exposed Island in the Sky ploughing through the waves in the Georgia Strait as it replaces the Nanaimo and/or Burnaby for refits.
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Post by DENelson83 on Jan 27, 2008 20:25:46 GMT -8
I'm thinking the SOBC and the SOVI will remain in-service full-time on route 1 after the CC enters service. When the CC is not needed on route 1, she'll go up to route 30, allowing the CI to go onto route 1. Maybe there's a typo in there, but I can't find any logic in having the CI and CC trade places in the off season. Bah! Brain and fingers didn't connect there! I meant to say the CI would be allowed to go to route 2. I was thinking "Trans-Canada Highway" when I hit the "1" key the third time.
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Post by Queen of Nanaimo Teen on Jan 28, 2008 16:10:36 GMT -8
Never heard of a V-vlass before. AHH! BLASPHEMY! Just kidding! Yes, it will truly be a sad day when the V Class don't pass in Active Pass anymore
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Post by ruddernut on Jan 28, 2008 16:52:20 GMT -8
The same way we should miss black-and-white TV's with rotating manual dial.
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Post by Scott on Jan 29, 2008 20:40:55 GMT -8
So are we looking at the early (or whole?) summer of 2008 as the last time to see V-classes regularly passing in Active Pass?
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 29, 2008 21:58:08 GMT -8
The same way we should miss black-and-white TV's with rotating manual dial. Not a good analogy, for me, at least. The V's are like old vinyl LP records; the new boats more like DVD's. There should be a place in your heart for both the old and the new. The passing of the V's is sad, but after 45 years I guess their time has come. Are experiences that one has today, or in the future, better than those of the past? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. As far as BC marine history is concerned I think I would rather witness the Princess Kathleen passing her sister, the first Princess Marguerite, then witness two Coast Boats passing one another. I think I would also rather witness Canadian Pacific Railway's Dominion hauled by two massive Selkirk locomotives, cresting the Great Divide at Kicking Horse Pass, then see the Rocky Mountaineer train go by at the same spot.
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Post by ruddernut on Jan 29, 2008 22:13:37 GMT -8
The same way we should miss black-and-white TV's with rotating manual dial. Not a good analogy, for me, at least. The V's are like old vinyl LP records; the new boats more like DVD's. There should be a place in your heart for both the old and the new. The passing of the V's is sad, but after 45 years I guess their time has come. Are experiences that one has today, or in the future, better than those of the past? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. As far as BC marine history is concerned I think I would rather witness the Princess Kathleen passing her sister, the first Princess Marguerite, then witness two Coast Boats passing one another. I think I would also rather witness Canadian Pacific Railway's Dominion hauled by two massive Selkirk locomotives, cresting the Great Divide at Kicking Horse Pass, then see the Rocky Mountaineer train go by at the same spot. Am I to take it that you are much older than your username suggests (West Coast Kid)?
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 29, 2008 22:15:09 GMT -8
Just a tad...
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Post by Queen of Nanaimo Teen on Jan 29, 2008 22:47:08 GMT -8
Wow, that is a great analogy because it is so true!
Although I would rather see the Princess Adelaide and Alice Pass, I know exactly what you mean! ;D
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Post by Scott on Jan 29, 2008 22:49:09 GMT -8
He's old enough to be my dad:) But I agree with him. As much as I'm excited about the new ships, there's a certain class about the old ferries. They've also got a history on the coast... played a big role in thousands of lives and been involved in various historical events. The super-C's will probably someday give that same feeling, but we'll have to wait 20-30 years. And the way things seem to be going, ships might not be around that long.
So it's possible that this is another rare thing in the future. That you can travel on a boat that has been involved in 40+ years of the coast's history.
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Post by DENelson83 on Jan 29, 2008 22:53:14 GMT -8
And we've been told that the Super C's will last 50 years...
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Post by Scott on Jan 29, 2008 22:58:29 GMT -8
Yes, they might. But if you have a company that wants a modern, fuel-efficient, comfortable fleet, are they going to be keeping ferries for 50 years? I suppose one factor in favour of keeping them for that long would be that not many places in the world have a use for our style of ferries so there's not a huge market for them.
I'm sure they're built well enough to last that long, just not sure if they would want to keep them that long. In 50 (or 25) years there will probably be new technologies and ideas in engineering that would possibly make it more cost effective to sell them for scrap and build new ferries than to keep them running.
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Jan 29, 2008 23:03:18 GMT -8
Surely, if they are that expendable, they will also never develop the same nostalgia that the original V-class and Sydney class did.
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Post by Scott on Jan 29, 2008 23:12:15 GMT -8
Surely, if they are that expendable, they will also never develop the same nostalgia that the original V-class and Sydney class did. Don't take my word for it:) I'm just speculating and I have heard it said before by someone else on the forum that we shouldn't get used to having ferries stay on the coast as long as they have in the past.
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Post by BreannaF on Jan 30, 2008 1:51:17 GMT -8
Reply #21 on 30 Jan, 2048 1:51 AM
Sorry to have brought forward this thread after 40 years, but I was just reading the historical accounts of the former BC Ferries system on the old Internet archives. I thought I would share some thoughts on what has happened in the future with the ferries.
Of course, it was pointed out to me by our administrator Victoria H (who took over the forum several years ago to allow her father to spend his days counting up the royalties on that great invention, you know the one) that it would not be fair for me, a relative non-contributor with a mere 8,400 posts over the years, to pick on those people who talked about the future of ferries some 40 years ago. But in the spirit of historical research, we agreed to update the old forum records.
In the olden days, we talked about the ships that preceded us: The Princess Marguerite, the Queen of the North, the Queen of Tsawwassen, the Northern Expedition, and so on. Of course, those ferries are mere memories now. But we have the stories of these and other old ferries to discuss even now.
As an aside, in the last 40 years, the Queen of Tsawwassen has been a logging camp, a First Nations casino, a restaurant, and a Dept of Tourism office at the base of Grouse Mountain. There have been rumours that it will be flown to Turkey for some purpose in the future, but there are no confirmed reports at this time.
But I promised that I would start with the MV Coastal Renaissance, which was the first ferry put into service with the old BC Ferries after the birth of our esteemed administrator. She always talks about how she loves to ride on the old-style Super-C Class ferries. Even though they need a lot of maintenance now, and they are mostly used by trucks now, she still loves to watch the antique lines of those old German-built ferries and the hum of their engines. We reminded her that before they were upgraded to the fuel cells that they has the old oil-based fuel technology. But, despite the modifications, she still thinks they are fine old specimens of ferries.
Indeed, the 12 Super-C class ferries have served us well, especially since most countries were combined into one political unit in 2029, dramatically increasing world trade as the borders were dropped. We still use Fleinsburger, the great ship builders of the Europa District, as our main builders. But since BC fuel cells are used almost universally throughout the world, it was a matter of each producer doing what they were good at.
Of course, travel between Vancouver and the Island is not such a big deal anymore, since new material alloys and hull design technologies have allowed BC Transit to operate a fleet of fast, quiet, and energy efficient ferries to take the non-flying public from Vancouver to Victoria, harbour to harbour, in about 25 minutes. The designs really did a good job of making wakes a thing of the past. These Sea-buses take both passengers and autos, and in a nod to history, have names of historical ferries: The Tsawwassen II, the QotN II, the Coho II, and so on. The little-seen charter vessel is known as the Richmond II.
Of course, with the dropping of Earth's borders, the old WSF combined forces with BC Ferries and AMHS to form a regional system for the routes not covered by BC Transit. Most of the new ferries have now been built to the new hull technology, and use larger, faster ferries. The one exception is the town of Port Townsend in the Cascadia region. They insisted that they needed to support their historical heritage, so have several smaller ferries built to their specifications. They are not very efficient, and some consider them dangerous, but the public has spoken. They even found a way to save the old MV Nisqually. However, locals will bristle when reminded that the bell is the only remaining part from the original ferry. It just doesn't matter to them.
All in all, the state of the ferry system is fine. Ferries adapted to their times. While many people still swear by air travel for all their errands, land and water travel seem to continue to be the most efficient mode of transport for many purposes, as our century progresses.
In other matters, I was pleased to find out that the great art & photography critic and forum member Air-Commuter 16 was also the "King of Posts" back in 2008, as he still is today. Many of his 170,000 posts have been made on his 65 minute daily commute into Toronto from Powell River each day. "I still enjoy riding the old ferries" he said for this report. "I miss riding the Spirit of Vancouver Island on it's trips to Comox," referring to the boat that spent it's last 8 years of revenue service on that run.
That's all for now. If anyone has any questions, I can attempt to look into the historical records to find the answers.
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Post by DENelson83 on Jan 30, 2008 9:46:32 GMT -8
The thing is, will this forum even exist in 40 years? That's the big question. I'll be sure to thank John Titor for delivering this message.
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Oct 5, 2008 21:56:38 GMT -8
Alright, I just had a brain flash, and I couldn't find a dedicated QPR thread tonight, so I decided my thoughts would be relevant here...
With the Queen of the North gone, and the NorEx on the way soon, and the Spirits serving as the poster children for our model ferries fleet I feel it is only right that we return the honor of flagship of the fleet to where it truly belongs...
For the duration of her service life, I feel we should hold the Queen of Prince Rupert in the position of flagship even if it is an honorary and unofficial designation that only us ferry fanatics will recognize. After all, she was built to be flagship, so it is only right that she should carry the flag once again seeing as so many of the original ships are now leaving, representing the dissolution of the original Dogwood Fleet that she was meant to symbolize.
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Post by Dane on Oct 5, 2008 22:46:45 GMT -8
I was sitting on the Queen of Vancouver today realizing she's the last (major) vessel I'll ever be on with the old-corporate 1980s style interior with the movable chairs and gawky fake wood.
I really hope that the Coastalized interiors start smelling like cheap hotels in the future as I miss that the most about BC Ferries from 8-10 years ago. Smells, many psychologists believe, bring forward the most powerful memories and I am inclined to agree. I still remember dreading getting the Queen of Surrey to Nanaimo because it smelt the worst of the four C Class by far.
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