Tachek, what a neat little ship

[Low Light Mike]

I spent Christmas on Hornby Island, and so I rode the Quinitsa, and the Tachek. The Quinitsa was basically a barge with tall sides (sorry HL-Kid, I know you love the river class ships). But the Tachek was a treat....what a charming little ship. She was rocking in Lambert Channel on Christmas day, with high winds. I went upstairs on both Tachek trips, and she has a neat little passenger lounge, with restaurant-booth style tables....and lots of locals to add a colourful atmosphere. Too bad it's only a 10-minute sailing, because the Island folk were sure interesting to talk to & to observe. (ie. I wonder what % of Gulf Islander have UK accents....I'd guess 50%).

I liked the sloping car deck, that raised up at the bow end. Similar to the North Island Princess, in the "hill" on the car deck.

Happy Festivus to all !

[Ian]

I see you must watch sienfield "Happy Festivus"

[NMcKay]

i like those boats only for thier versatility.

[Low Light Mike]

I think the reason I liked the Tachek, was maybe because it reminded me of a cute little tug boat, with it's look. A cartoon boat, perhaps.

HL-kid, please elaborate, as you seem to have lots of experience with the smaller ferries. What do you think are the differences between a K-class & the Tachek/Tenaka/Quadra-Queen/Nimpkish. Besides the look, please enlighten us on the different purposes and reasons for the different designs. I'm really curious, as all I see is a different shape, and I don't know what purpose the different ship designs are for. Is it just style, or a choice between designs, or does the original intended route also come into play? In simple terms, why did "they" build some ships like Tachek as single-enders, with taller superstructures.....and then others like the Quinitsa-barge?

ps: your father got lots of air time on TV yesterday. Good on you guys.

[NMcKay]

yeah, woulda been fine had they not spelled his last name wrong...not a big problem though. The K Class in all thier wonder. is a glorified barge with engines, the Tacheck, and albert j savojie etc we built to take a little more pounding, hence the lift at the bows. but if you look closely at the k class (And the chilliwack too) they have a flat bow. which nessesitates a calmer environment. they do have the ability to be larger than the small ships (Up to 1000 cars if done right)

[clay]

Does the Tachek still have that stupid divider running down the centre of her passenger lounge? Haven't been on her since she was on Campbell River-Quadra Island with Quadra Queen 2 back in the mid 80's. QQ 2, Tachek's sister, didn't have a divider upstairs for some reason.

[noleaksyet]

"they do have the ability to be larger than the small ships (Up to 1000 cars if done right) "


Well, IMO the century class (Skeena Q) is a newer version of a barge with engines, the engines though being where they should, down below. She is a 100 car ferry, sometimes 108 if in a pinch. A 1000 car ferry would be called a bridge!

[noleaksyet]

On another note, I have also always thought that the Tachek, Tenaka, and QQ2 looked like large Tugs with a cartoonie feel and always admired them for it.

[Koastal Karl]

I have never been on the Tachek. She looks like a neat little ship. The closest ship to the Tachek, that I have been on would have to be the Tenaka, and also the NIP with the raised bow. So how come the QQ2 has a larger passenger deck than the Tachek?? QQ2 has two extra windows on each side near the rear, the Tachek dosent.

[NMcKay]

in theory. you could just keep putting sections on a boat. till it hit 1000 cars.

[Doug]

Well, the Skeena Queen would need to be replaced before she ever needs to carry 1000 cars.

[clay]

Okay, here's one for all you ferry nerds. Does anyone remember the Vesuvius and Saltspring Queen(s)? For those who don't, they were sister ships, the V.Q. ran the Vesuvius (Saltspring)-Crofton run from the 70's till the early 90's. She was originally called the Lloyd-Jones, and originally operated between Kelowna-Westbank (my home and home town--Kelowna, that is) until the the floating bridge was opened in 1958. As for the Saltspring Queen, I think she came from back East, but I do remember she was a supplementary vessel on Fulford Harbour-Swartz Bay in the 70's-early 80's.

[Koastal Karl]

I remember seeing the Saltspring Queen at Deas one time and it looked like she was in pieces and she had no bridge. I think, I have a video clip when I was at deas once and she was sitting there along with the Queen of the North, Vancouver and Powell River Queen.

[NMcKay]

yeah. the vesuvius queen used to run @ albion when the klitsa and kahloke was unavailable

[Dane]

True Ferry nerds know they're not sister ships from birth though LOL One of them (Im dont even remember which one) underwent extensive work by BCF to make it a sister to the other.

[NMcKay]

that was the vesuvius queen that had that happen. she had extensive work done when she was cut up and driven to the coast.

[Queen of The north]

Apparantly as it is stated in the Ships of BC Book both the Vesuvius Queen and the Salt Spring Queen "Started thier days crossing the Fraser River linking no5 road(Beside current Deas Dock) to Ladner".

I was on the mv Tenaka Last Summer and she also has quite a slanted car deck. It is a neat little ship, slightly bigger than the Tachek. I like riding on her.

[Curtis]

Ah the Tenaka. It looks like the Tachek and Nimpkish combined.

[kylefossett]

the vesuvius queen was built in victoria for service between kelowna and westbank. in the early 60's she was bought by the ferry corpse for the vesuvius crofton run and named the bowen queen until 1965 then re named vesuvius queen.

the saltspring queen was built for the fraser crossing at what is now the george massey tunnel. she was bought by the gulf island ferries company in 1959 and then when this company was bought in 1961 she became a bc ferry and the saltspring queen.

they looked almost identical but the saltspring queen was 8 feet longer

[Dave]

Burn the TACHEK! I mean hear that name?! Take a torch to her!

[Koastal Karl]

So what does the name Tachek mean anyways??? Anyone know?

[queenofthenorth]

In respons to the Tachek name, there is a book on the Ministry of Highways ferries that have a definition of the names, Next time I go to the Nanaimo Library I will look it up and post it on this group.

[NMcKay]

i think it might be like the other. a native group that was near the ships original home port. like kulleet, or klatawa