Vessel Comparison

[ferrytraveller]

Well i was thinking today about which design would be a better design to go with for a new short haul - high passenger route.
These vessels would replace the Powell River Class, HSQ and Bowen (redeploy the Capilano to route 5a).

So the types of vessels i was thinking of were:

100 car - Century Class (Skeena Queen)
85 car without platforms - Intermediate Class (Capilano / Cumberland)
125 car - Intermediate Class (Island Sky)

Some Specs about each vessel:

Skeena Queen:

Built: 1996, Vancouver
Overall Length: 110.00 m (360'8")
Maximum Displacement: 2,884 tonnes
Gross Tonnage 2,652.00 t
Net Tonnage 795.00 t
Vessel Depth 5.35 m
Car Capacity: 100
Passenger & Crew Capacity: 600
Crew: 8
Service Speed: 18.0 knots
Horsepower: 5,040
Propulsion Method QUAD. SCREW
Number of Engines 4
Route: (time)
Swartz Bay - Fulford harbour (35 mins)


Capilano:

Built: 1991, Vancouver
Overall Length: 96.0 m (314' 11")
Maximum Displacement: 2,500 tonnes
Gross Tonnage 2,884.82 t
Net Tonnage 1,895.80 t
Vessel Depth 4.36 m
Car Capacity: 85
Passenger & Crew Capacity: 462
Crew: 10-14
Service Speed: 14.0 knots
Horsepower: 7,305
Propulsion Method QUAD. SCREW
Number of Engines 3
route: (time)
Horseshoe bay - bowen island (20 min)

Island Sky:
MV ISLAND SKY

VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS
Year Built: 2008
Gross Tonnage: 3500 t
Length Overall: 102.4 metres
Propulsion System: 4 – Niigata 6L25HX diesel engines
Horsepower: 4x1140 kw (MCR)
Generators: 3 – Caterpillar 260kw each
Speed: 14.5 knots
Crew 13
# of Passengers: 600
# of Vehicles: 125
Size of passenger accommodation:
846 square metres
Seating capacity in passenger lounge:
420 seats
Seating capacity on sundeck:
120 seats

www.sfu.ca/~danen/IslandSky2.PDF

a few stats posted by dane about the IS, from her sea trails:

Island Sky's trial speed was 16 knots at 85-percent power and 16.7 knots at 100 percent, compared with a contracted 14.5 knots at 85-percent power. An important featuref or short haulsi s accelerationand the contract requires the ferry to reach full speed (14'81 knots) in five minutes.

Armour says fuel economy was also impressive, with the vessel consuming 9.5 tonnes per day, far better than the expected 11.3 tonnes per day.

[Quatchi]

I think its obvious, the Skeena Queen was designed for a short haul high capacity route and serves it well. With a few modifications a "Super" century class vessel could be highly effective and efficient. For example I would consolidate the passenger lounges and install a coffee bar much like on the West Coast Express.
Cheers,

[rt1commuter]

As much as I hate the Skeena queen, it's the most simple and utilitarian of the bunch. In terms of capacity versus weight/crew size it's the way to go.

[ferrytraveller]

well i consider the Skeena design perfect for all routes 30 mins or under like
Swartz Bay - Fulford Harbour
Crofton - Vesuvious
Horseshoe Bay - Bowen (use Capilano to replace the Mayne Queen on route 5a, with the cumberland)
Campbell River - Quardra Island

[Curtis]

For the routes you're thinking of, a Skeena-Sized Vessel is Perfect for Bowen, Saltspring, Quadra, Etc.

A Capilano-sized vessel is better for Route 5A.

I-Sky-size is for good for Jervis Inlet or Route 9A.

[ferrytraveller]

i'd definately agree, Quadra, Bowen, Saltspring, Crofton are all great places for a skeena type vessel. Saltspring already has the Skeena but the other 3 places all have vessels with some type of overhead passenger accommodations, so how will they like having side lounges?

I think the Queen of Capilano to route 5A would be a perfect fit with the Cumberland and then you would have crews trained on both based outta SWB.

I think the Island Sky is great for Route 7 or even route 9 and 9A.

so we will see how this goes..

[Hardy]

Remember that with the exception of the IS, these designs are no longer being built. You would see some kind of a modification, which, seeing how far things have evolved, would little resemble the ships on which they were initially based.

The largest drawback that I see with the IS design is above the MCD - the pax accommodations and amenities. They'd have to ramp those up and provide real food service to placate the consumers on the higher volume routes. As it is, I think that there will be a backlash on this when she deploys out to Earls Cove as it is ....

[Nickfro]

I feel that the Capilano and the Island Sky are too much for the 20 minute Bowen Island run. You have the Skeena Queen that takes 30-35 min and it does the job just fine and takes more vehicles than the Cappy. You don't need an interior passenger lounge that large for such a short commuter run. There are more footies on the Bowen run than Fulford, I think, so that may justify the lounge. That, and Bowen folk seem to like having a snack bar on their ferry for their morning toast and muffins.

Heck, I scratch my head at the PRQ and its passenger lounge size on a 10 minute crossing! However, I do understand that there really isn't another viable option other than swapping with the Quinsam. . .which wouldn't happen due to the shallow waters that exist at really low tides occasionally on the Gabriola run. It would be a neat exercise and comparison for us to do our own ship deployments for the entire BCFS fleet!

[Taxman]

It is challenging, because even though routes may be 20 minutes, they can be very different. For example, a high foot passenger route is going to want to accomodate a larger passenger lounge, whereas a route where most commuters drive aboard will want something like the Skeena. Prima Facie I think that Bowen needs a Capilano style of boat, because there are a lot of School and Bussing commuters, but I have never been on the route to actually see it.

[ferrytraveller]

well hardy, i don't know how much of a change they would make to the skeena or capilano design other then now updating engines and safety equipment

[Hardy]

Nov 20, 2008 13:52:02 GMT -8 ferrytraveller said:

well hardy, i don't know how much of a change they would make to the skeena or capilano design other then now updating engines and safety equipment

I am more concerned with the "planning" part of the design - on the outside, the Cappy or Skeena "design" itself is sound, the look of the boat etc, but with newer materials and such, I am sure that we would see something like a more efficient hullform, perhaps deckhouse reworking due to lighter materials/layout changes/efficiencies (ie: better handicapped access, etc). From the outside, they may end up looking similar, but then again, I can see room for improvements on the way that the Cappy is put together too.

Obviously you learn from your previous experiences and modify them when you build/order again, so any new vessels based on the older designs would be more like cousins than sisters.

[Scott]

Bowen Island often has a lot of foot passengers... in the summer and daily with the students. I've only been on the Skeena Queen twice... so I'm not quite sure if she'd be able to handle it or not.

[kerryssi]

The Skeena is a very good hull design. Once they solved the many problems with the propulsion units it became a good boat. I think the Skeena hull with a Capilano style passenger area would be best. Getting rid of the side lounges would increase car carrying capacity. The design also lends itself to being stretched if needed.

[ferrytraveller]

i'm curious to know if anyone here who likes to design or draw bc ferry vessels on the computer can come up with a design for either a super century class vessel or a modified design of the skeena to possibily redesign the passenger areas

[lmtengs]

Jan 7, 2009 18:38:54 GMT -8 ferrytraveller said:

i'm curious to know if anyone here who likes to design or draw bc ferry vessels on the computer can come up with a design for either a super century class vessel or a modified design of the skeena to possibily redesign the passenger areas

I guess I could. But someone would first need to provide me with a floor-plan drawing of A)Skeena Queen AND B) A century Class Vessel.

[electrotech]

The Skeena and HSQ move relatively high volumes of traffic with minimal crew. The HSQ also does not have a graveyard shift for the engineers - a further savings.

Switching either one with something like the Cap, Cumby, Bowen, or IS is going to raise the operational costs without increasing revenue.

[c15cat]

I doubt BCF will be copying the I Sky it has problems. The hull design causes too much cavitation, the way it is shaped it causes the ship to to be rolly. The ship throws a swell worse than any other ship used on Rt7. The engines are troublesome same with the RADs. Heard residents say it rumbles louder than the old Powell River Queen.