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Post by mybidness459 on Mar 2, 2018 15:14:42 GMT -8
Trying to do some possible Northern trip planning for late Spring or Summer and wondering if the Northern Expedition will be done with her refit and back in service on route 10 BEFORE the 2018 Summer season commences? I am not sure exactly when she will be going in for refit, but it should be soon. When she is taken out of service she usually does not return to service untill the Summer schedule kicks in. Your best bet is to phone BC ferries directly.
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Post by WettCoast on Mar 2, 2018 17:30:57 GMT -8
Trying to do some possible Northern trip planning for late Spring or Summer and wondering if the Northern Expedition will be done with her refit and back in service on route 10 BEFORE the 2018 Summer season commences? The NorEx summer 'Day Cruise' season commences in mid June (the 19th according to the BCF official web site). Prior to that I assume that it is just the NorAd doing both routes 10 & 11. The summer season used to begin around the long weekend in May. When the BC Government directed ferry service cuts were made a few years ago, the first month of the summer day cruise service was lost, as well as most of September. There has been no reinstatement to former service levels on the northern routes. The NorEx is currently in service on routes 10 & 11 and the changeover to the NorAd, I gather, takes place toward the end of March. I will be on the NorEx next Friday for its run south from Rupert to Port Hardy.
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Post by Starsteward on Mar 3, 2018 6:40:37 GMT -8
Trying to do some possible Northern trip planning for late Spring or Summer and wondering if the Northern Expedition will be done with her refit and back in service on route 10 BEFORE the 2018 Summer season commences? The NorEx summer 'Day Cruise' season commences in mid June (the 19th according to the BCF official web site). Prior to that I assume that it is just the NorAd doing both routes 10 & 11. The summer season used to begin around the long weekend in May. When the BC Government directed ferry service cuts were made a few years ago, the first month of the summer day cruise service was lost, as well as most of September. There has been no reinstatement to former service levels on the northern routes. The NorEx is currently in service on routes 10 & 11 and the changeover to the NorAd, I gather, takes place toward the end of March. I will be on the NorEx next Friday for its run south from Rupert to Port Hardy. Thanks for confirming my worst fears about the 'NorEx' not being available prior to the start of the Summer season. 'Jim', you're quite right about the start of the Summer season as back in the day we started the Summer schedule on Thursday, May 19 1967 and carried a full load. Unfortunately, that Summer season would come to a grinding halt as Haddington Reef must have shifted position and failed to notify our bridge crew. The ever-increasing fares for both passengers and vehicles on routes 10 & 11 have had a very negative effect on traffic volumes although I'm convinced that with what seems like a new 'pro-service' attitude at BCFS, there couldn't be a reasonable expectation of rebuilding traffic volumes that existed prior to the slice and dice regime of the Clarke administration. But...don't get me started on that whole mess.
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Post by mybidness459 on Mar 7, 2018 11:51:42 GMT -8
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Post by mybidness459 on Mar 8, 2018 12:12:44 GMT -8
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Post by Curtis on Mar 18, 2018 12:10:58 GMT -8
With the Island Sky back on Route 7, the Bowen Queen has finished her assignment there. The Bowen left Saltery Bay early this morning and is currently docked at Berth 5, Swartz Bay. Presumably she’ll head for Fulford Harbour next.
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Post by bigcountry on Mar 18, 2018 12:57:20 GMT -8
With the Island Sky back on Route 7, the Bowen Queen has finished her assignment there. The Bowen left Saltery Bay early this morning and is currently docked at Berth 5, Swartz Bay. Presumably she’ll head for Fulford Harbour next. I believe she is actually running in place of the Mayne Queen
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Post by mybidness459 on Mar 19, 2018 15:08:44 GMT -8
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Post by mybidness459 on Mar 27, 2018 12:20:07 GMT -8
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Post by arrrrmatey on Mar 30, 2018 7:58:39 GMT -8
As of 9am this morning, NorAd is nearing Prince Rupert, and Mayne Queen is leaving Burrard Inlet.
Also, Queen of Surrey has been back on route 3 for a few days, Coquitlam is #2 out of Departure Bay for the long weekend, and Salish Eagle is back on Route 9, with the Raven running 9a (is it still called 9a?) for the long weekend.
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Post by WettCoast on Mar 30, 2018 8:16:54 GMT -8
As of 9am this morning, NorAd is nearing Prince Rupert, and Mayne Queen is leaving Burrard Inlet. Also, Queen of Surrey has been back on route 3 for a few days, Coquitlam is #2 out of Departure Bay for the long weekend, and Salish Eagle is back on Route 9, with the Raven running 9a (is it still called 9a?) for the long weekend. The NorAd is back; just in time for the first of April.
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Post by Scott on Apr 22, 2018 9:26:18 GMT -8
Quinitsa is currently southbound in the Strait of Georgia.
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Post by Chris City on Apr 22, 2018 10:31:47 GMT -8
Quinitsa is currently southbound in the Strait of Georgia. Fulford Harbour is noted as the destination.
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Post by bigcountry on Apr 22, 2018 19:39:25 GMT -8
Quinitsa is currently southbound in the Strait of Georgia. Fulford Harbour is noted as the destination. She made stops at Nanaimo Harbour, Pender Island, and Swartz Bay Berth 4 along the way but she’s almost there 😨
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,175
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Post by Neil on Apr 22, 2018 21:54:47 GMT -8
Fulford Harbour is noted as the destination. She made stops at Nanaimo Harbour, Pender Island, and Swartz Bay Berth 4 along the way but she’s almost there 😨 I know she was destined to take over at Vesuvius, but I'm wondering if perhaps she's going to provide some route five relief with the ' Cumberland out for several more days. Albeit at 9.5 knots, with room for only 48 cars.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Apr 22, 2018 21:59:11 GMT -8
She made stops at Nanaimo Harbour, Pender Island, and Swartz Bay Berth 4 along the way but she’s almost there 😨 I know she was destined to take over at Vesuvius, but I'm wondering if perhaps she's going to provide some route five relief with the ' Cumberland out for several more days. Albeit at 9.5 knots, with room for only 48 cars. It's very possible. They've been making do with the 'Eagle and Skeena covering some of the busy periods but it's been difficult. 48 cars is still 48 cars.
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 23, 2018 3:17:43 GMT -8
I can confirm Quinitsa was brought down to help out. I imagine she’ll be used to run around inter-island hopping mostly to transfer traffic to the bigger ships. Time will tell though.
As it was, the Skeena was sent to do a round trip from Otter Bay to Swartz Bay in between runs to Fulford. The Bowen Queen had dropped her traffic at Otter for the Skeena and then returned back to Village to retrieve traffic that the Eagle dropped off at Village Bay. Quite the operation to handle Gulf Islands traffic at the moment
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Post by arrrrmatey on May 7, 2018 13:36:45 GMT -8
Coastal Celebration currently under tow from Burrard Inlet, presumably to Swartz Bay. Or maybe Deas.
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Post by Chris City on May 7, 2018 17:06:33 GMT -8
Coastal Celebration currently under tow from Burrard Inlet, presumably to Swartz Bay. Or maybe Deas. Looks like Swartz Bay? Or Esquimalt? Wish I could get out there to photograph this, I'd love to see it! Edit: Swartz Bay. Why would she be towed there? Has this kind of thing happened before?
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Post by arrrrmatey on May 7, 2018 18:30:53 GMT -8
Coastal Celebration currently under tow from Burrard Inlet, presumably to Swartz Bay. Or maybe Deas. Looks like Swartz Bay? Or Esquimalt? Wish I could get out there to photograph this, I'd love to see it! Edit: Swartz Bay. Why would she be towed there? Has this kind of thing happened before? I've seen BCF vessels under tow before,though never saw where to. I would I would imagine it's difficult to get them into those berths with tugs.
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Post by futureferrydriver on May 8, 2018 7:30:08 GMT -8
Looks like she did end up in Swartz Bay, tied up in berth 3 with the Inspiration in berth 2.
With the 9:00 Renaissance coming into berth 1 in a few minutes we have ourselves another Coastal class triple up!
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Post by arrrrmatey on May 8, 2018 7:53:37 GMT -8
Looks like she did end up in Swartz Bay, tied up in berth 3 with the Inspiration in berth 2. With the 9:00 Renaissance coming into berth 1 in a few minutes we have ourselves another Coastal class triple up! Looking at the reservations page, the Inspiration is remaining on Route 1 for the remainder of her 'service notice' (until May 16th). I guess they've realized they can't avoid using Berth 1 for the Coastals in certain cases. I'm guessing we'll see this a lot until then. No spring refit for the Inspiration this year? Also, NorEx is currently docking at the drydock in Burrard Inlet.
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Post by futureferrydriver on May 19, 2018 13:28:59 GMT -8
With the Queen of Cumberland back in service the Quinitsa’s time in the south has ended. She’s on her way back up (to Buckley Bay I assume?) passing by Nanaimo currently.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,175
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Post by Neil on May 19, 2018 16:24:28 GMT -8
With the Queen of Cumberland back in service the Quinitsa’s time in the south has ended. She’s on her way back up (to Buckley Bay I assume?) passing by Nanaimo currently. For one day- yesterday- there was the novelty of three vessels on route five, as Quinitsa did at least one trip out of Swartz Bay.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 19, 2018 16:59:57 GMT -8
With the Queen of Cumberland back in service the Quinitsa’s time in the south has ended. She’s on her way back up (to Buckley Bay I assume?) passing by Nanaimo currently. For one day- yesterday- there was the novelty of three vessels on route five, as Quinitsa did at least one trip out of Swartz Bay. The arm-chair anti-BCF crusaders must have been in heaven with Quinitsa on the busy Route-5. You know, the "The ships are a bus, not a cruise-ship" crowd. You want utilitarian, you've got it. Well those good times are over now.
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