Q .of Nanaimo

[sean08]

Notice in the info Queen of Nanaimo is being retired soon. www.geocities.com/ferries_bc/profiles/bcf_qnanaimo.html

[mvqueenofnewwestminster]

Yes. & when that day comes, it will be a very sad one, as the Queen of Nanaimo is the last Burnaby class vessel that has not been signigigantly refit-or-redesigned since 1970.
I was speaking with one of the crew members a few years ago, whom told me (according to HIM anyway) That the plan was to retire the Nanaimo, replace her with the Queen of Burnaby & have one of the newly built intermediate-class vessels take up the Powell River/Comox run.

[Koastal Karl]

oh yes, that will be a very sad day when they retire any of the ferries. What's even more sad, I have NEVER even been on the Queen of Naniamo I have been on all of the major ferries except her, Chilliwack, and Prince Rupert. I want to go on the Queen of Naniamo one day, but I got to figure out a way I can do it going starting from Swartz Bay.

[Low Light Mike]

Karl: go from Swartz Bay to Fulford, on the Skeen Q.

hitch-hike up SaltSpring to the Long Harbour terminal (or bike up).

Take Q.Nanaimo from Long Harbour to Pender or Mayne or Galiano.

Stop, and enjoy the roses & hippies.

Return from Pender or Mayne or Galiano direct to Swartz Bay on the Q.Cumberland

Have fun.

[sean08]

I was on her last year going to Saltspring Island.So I was lucky

[Koastal Karl]

Well what I was going to do during the summer was take the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen ferry 1pm sailing on a Friday, then take the 4:10pm Queen of Nanaimo sailing to Mayne Island then back from there to Swartz Bay on the Cumberland, never got the chance to do that as I was always busy on a Friday. That would of been the best way to do it. As I wouldent have three fares to pay.

But I figure I can still take a trip on her, I will have to go, from Swartz Bay to Pender Island on the 2:10 sailing, wait around for an hour or so, but I guess by the time you make the long walk to the toll booth and back on Pender some time will be lost, the Naniamo leaves at around 4:20pm from Pender, gets into Tsawwassen at 6:20 providing she aint late then catch the 7pm sailing back to Swartz Bay.

[Koastal Karl]

Can anyone tell me what is the purpose of the 4:30pm Queen of Naniamo sailing from Mayne Island on Sundays, that only carries foot passengers???

[BrianWilliams]

Q of Nanaimo: We have a pal on Salt Spring, so we've had the pleasure of riding Nanaimo several times recently.

I love this retro tub, and her milk run is just great. It's better, for scenery, than an expensive cruise.

Scrape the barnacles and give her some new piston rings. She'll motor on for a few more decades.

[BrianWilliams]

Oh Karl: another strategy is to go to Crofton by bus or E&N rail, ride the Howe Sound Queen to Vesuvius, and go on to Long Harbour from there - it's closer.

[kyle fossett]

I have a relative who works on board the Q of Nanaimo and he was telling me that when the new Super C class arrives they will be double ramping long harbour and replacing the Nanaimo with a V-Class vessel, possibly the esquimalt. The upper car deck will be used for the sole purpose of cars for saltspring-tssawwsen. the lower deck used for overheights and the outer islands. With eventual plans for Village bay being double ramped too. This is the rumour he heard

[Koastal Karl]

hmm that would be interesting. I always thought Long Harbour was a tricky place to dock as it is not that wide, but I guess if the Queen of Naniamo docks there a raised V class can. There probably the same width. Another interesting idea but like this would ever happen would be to get rid of the Long Harbour and Fulford terminals and build one big one on Saltspring. If, they had the room. I dont know where it would go though, maybe redesign Long Harbour, put another dock in. But I guess really there is no need as Fulford is closest to Swartz Bay for Victoria traffic, and it would be more crowded too. Just a thought though, instead of having three different terminals on Saltspring.

[Curtis]

Wow that's intresting V Class on the Gulf Islands .

But woulden't that cause to expand the terminals on the Gulf Islands .

[kyle fossett]

years ago(sometime in the last 10) there was talk that of a new terminal being built at isabella point, and getting rid of fulford and long harbor terminals. anybody unfamiliar with saltspring, isabella point is the point on the southerly side as you come out of fulford harbor. this would cut sailing time between swartz and ssi. a v class vessel could easily handle long harbor

as it is basically the q of nanaimo but with another car deck and as for village bay they have docked the saanich there many times. last time i know of was on the thursday evening before easter when they filled the nanaimo with reservations and it did not get out of deas until 8:30 that night, and the tswassen was still on the route.

[Curtis]

Really so V Class Docked at Village Bay hmmm then that terminal could handle it and a new terminal at S.S.I. this could be the start of V Classes on the Gulf Islands ;D

[Gregg]

Just Visiting figured I could answer a few questions since I work on the vessel.

"Really so V Class Docked at Village Bay hmmm then that terminal could handle it"

Yes it can handle it, and even the SOVI has been in Village Bay, for a medical emergency.

"I have a relative who works on board the Q of Nanaimo and he was telling me that when the new Super C class arrives they will be double ramping long harbour and replacing the Nanaimo with a V-Class vessel, possibly the esquimalt. The upper car deck will be used for the sole purpose of cars for saltspring-tssawwsen. the lower deck used for overheights and the outer islands. With eventual plans for Village bay being double ramped too. This is the rumour he heard"

Just a rumour, the cost is to much to add an upper ramp at Long Harbour, the new ramp cost 2.5 million.

The Queen of Nanaiimo is not retiring anytime soon, at the next refit they are dropping about a million dollars on passanger areas.

"hmm that would be interesting. I always thought Long Harbour was a tricky place to dock as it is not that wide, but I guess if the Queen of Naniamo docks there a raised V class can"

A V-Class has been in Long Harbour, and yes it is very tricky place to dock.

"Can anyone tell me what is the purpose of the 4:30pm Queen of Naniamo sailing from Mayne Island on Sundays, that only carries foot passengers"

To pick up the Saturna Island transfers, then we go to Sturdies Bay then Tsawwassen, then return to Village.

Gregg

www.saveourferries.com

[Curtis]

Well that the answer for the Nanaimo being retired in the next few years

THE SOVI !!!!!!!! in Village Bay whaaaat... hmm Village Bay must be a big area you could never put a
S Class in long Harbour... or could you

[Koastal Karl]

I doubt you could use an S Class in Long Harbour. It would be pretty tricky as they are much larger. Would be interesting to see though, even the SOVI at Village Bay of been neat to see.

[kylefossett]

the queen of naniamo will probably not be replaced by the queen of burnaby. the queen of burnaby on an a licience can only carry 750 passengers becasue of the emergency chutes it is equipped with and the fact that the queen of naniamo can easily have 750 passengers on it on almost any given winter weekend sailing. also the queen of burnaby doesn't have a bow thruster(or that is what i have been told by an engineer ticketed to work on both boats) which would make it hard to dock at long harbour. that is one of the reasons the naniamo was picked over the burnaby when the went to the bigger boat in the late 80's early 90's. you will probably see a new ship before the burnaby on the southern gulf islands route

[Ian]

here here to the save our ferries guy.

[Koastal Karl]

Could they enhance the Lyall Harbour terminal so that the Queen of Naniamo could go to Saturna Island??Then you wouldent have all those transfers, and it might be easier. So why is it now the Naniamo cant go to Saturna, is the dock to small??? Cause I dont think she would have a problem going in there, and turning around except if the dock it too small for her.

[Sandi]

The Queen of Burnaby has a bow thruster.

[kylefossett]

they had taken the naniamo down to saturna for a test run years back. don't know if the dock is to small or not but if you are coming off saltspring or pender do you really want another hour plus on the ferry.

the burnaby and the bow thruster it might have but i know it took out the over head walk way on berth 2 at swartz bay when they were trying to dock aft in to the ramp.

this is all knowledge given to me by a retired senior route 9 master and an engineer from route 9

[Balfour]

When would the Queen of Burnaby ever be used at Swartz Bay?

The last time I went on the Queen of Nanaimo, I was on my way to Salt Spring Island with a friend, on bike and it was pouring rain. I did my tradition of that trip, which is buying a bacon burger and a coke, and sitting at a window seat on the port side, in the exact same seat. I've done this for the three years in a row I've done this trip with the same friend.

The Queen of Nanaimo is one of my favourite ships in the fleet

[Koastal Karl]

hmm, interesting, I dident know they had burgers on the Queen of Naniamo. Well my first trip on the Naniamo was last month. It started to rain as I boarded her at Otter Bay, I remember being up top and I could smell the soup cooking in the Cafeteria, mmm smells good. Never had any though. I guess they have the old traditional meals on the Queen of Naniamo. Chicken Strips, fries, and so on. Everyone now seems to get White Spot on the mainland ferries which is also great.

Well the only time I remember seeing the Queen of Burnaby on the Swartz Bay run was that year the Queen of Surrey had that fire onboard and ferries had to be redeployed. The Burnaby was down on the Swartz Bay run, I think the Tsawwassen was on the Powell River run. The Esquimalt was either on the Langdale or Departure Bay run, and,or the Vancouver was either on the Horseshoe Bay or Departure Bay run. Coquitlam was in the mid life, so there was only the Oak Bay Cowichan, Vancouver and Esquimalt on bothe Langdale and Departure Bay routes, they had to redeploy, and the Burnaby replaced the Vancouver on route 1 during the long weekend. Dont remember any other time the Burnaby was down here on route 1. She was on the Duke Point run too earlier this year. Cant remember why, must of been short a ship.

[Noleaksyet]

"The Queen of Burnaby has a bow thruster. "

Yes it true! BUT the Queen of Nanaimo has 2 Bow Thrusters. The forward is driven by a Mitsubishi SR6 diesel engine and the aft is driven by a Caterpillar D353 diesel engine. The cat has been there since new but the Mitsi was added less than 10 years ago. The primary unit is the mitsi with the cat as a backup. While on the cardeck near the bow you may have noticed a large square hinged orange hatch along the centerline (forward of the stairwell to accom). This leads to the BP comp't. We engineers must do checks on the machinery down there prior to starting the units on the first run out of LH on AM's and PM's as well as during our normal routines while underway. These two units are started from the engine room control room when requested from the wheelhouse.