Route 30 trip - Sunday, November 19th

[Scott (Former Account)]

Another Route 30 trip is currently planned for Sunday, Nov 19th.

Current plan for Islanders:
- Meet at Duke Point at 12:15
- Meet up with mainlanders arriving from the 12:35 arrival of the Queen of Vancouver
- Purchase tickets for the 1:05 sailing of the Queen of Vancouver
- Explore ship during 2hr 20min crossing
- Once at Tsawwassen, say goodbye to mainlanders
- Purchase tickets for the 5:45 sailing of the Queen of Coquitlam
- Explore the Tsawwassen terminal
- Board the Queen of Coquitlam at 5:30
- Explore ship during 2hr crossing
- Arrive at Duke Point at 7:45 - thus ending the trip.

Current plan for Mainlanders wishing to meet up with Islanders:
- Meet at Tsawwassen at 9:30
- Purchase tickets for the 10:25 sailing of the Queen of Vancouver
- Explore ship during 2hr 20min crossing
- Arrive at Duke Point at 12:35
- Meet up with Islanders in the Arrivals area
- Purchase tickets for the 1:05 sailing of the Queen of Vancouver
- Explore the ship during the 2hr 20 min crossing
- Once at Tsawwassen, say good-bye to the Islanders - thus ending the trip

So far Karl and myself are definite attendees. If anyone else is interested - speak up..!

[Retrovision]

I'm in.

[Mac Write]

Again I am on Saltspring that weekend (returning Nov 20). So no go since there is no bus service from Croften on Sundays.

[Mike C]

I'm fairly sure I can attend, the only V class I've ver been on is the Saanich . Graham tells me that I'm in for it (like eye-wateringly ugly) so my impression of a V is much different from all of yours.

Perhaps a change of scenery would be better... just a suggestion: We return on the 3:15 (don't kill the suggestor) and pull in a 5:15pm.

I hope I can come out.

[Koastal Karl]

well I think the best bet is the 1:05pm out of Duke Point and the 5:45pm (for the Islanders) out of TSA. We could do the 10:15am out of Duke Point and come back on the 3:50pm out of TSA (islanders) but 10:15am out of Duke Point is a bit early for me to get up to Nanaimo which is why I think the mid day departure from Duke Point is best. 3:15pm wouldent work out of Duke Point for the islanders unless we wanted to go roundtrip on the Coquitlam which really isent the purpose of the trip is to get on the Vancouver, as I dont think the islanders want to wait till 9:10pm out of TSA and I wouldent get home till late.

[Retrovision]

mainlander101 said:

Graham tells me that I'm in for it (like eye-wateringly ugly)...

lol. Actually I meant that it has a lot more character and is much more of a window into BCFerries' past than that it being "ugly". I guess that kind of 'character' in a ferry is really subjective; where I see a unique window into the ferry system's history, another person might see out-dated ugliness.

karl said:

well I think the best bet is the 1:05pm out of Duke Point and the 5:45pm (for the Islanders) out of TSA. We could do the 10:15am out of Duke Point and come back on the 3:50pm out of TSA (islanders) but 10:15am out of Duke Point is a bit early for me to get up to Nanaimo which is why I think the mid day departure from Duke Point is best. 3:15pm wouldent work out of Duke Point for the islanders unless we wanted to go roundtrip on the Coquitlam which really isent the purpose of the trip is to get on the Vancouver, as I dont think the islanders want to wait till 9:10pm out of TSA and I wouldent get home till late.

I have no real preferences one way or another, but I do have a couple questions for those who are going:
-Are you hoping to sail aboard the Queen of Vancouver roundtrip, or also sail aboard the Queen of Coquitlam on route 30?
-Do any people from the mainland want to have time at Duke Point before turning around and hang-out around Jack Point (where Duke Point terminal is located) and possibly even hike out to the point itself in Jack Point Park (weather permitting), or do you want to just go there and back and get back on the 'Vancouver right away for the sake of being aboard the 'Vancouver longer or just to get back quicker, etc.?

[Balfour]

tsawwassenterminal said:

mainlander101 said:

Graham tells me that I'm in for it (like eye-wateringly ugly)...

I have no real preferences one way or another, but I do have a couple questions for those who are going:
-Are you hoping to sail aboard the Queen of Vancouver roundtrip, or also sail aboard the Queen of Coquitlam on route 30?
-Do any people from the mainland want to have time at Duke Point before turning around and hang-out around Jack Point (where Duke Point terminal is located) and possibly even hike out to the point itself in Jack Point Park (weather permitting), or do you want to just go there and back and get back on the 'Vancouver right away for the sake of being aboard the 'Vancouver longer or just to get back quicker, etc.?

I think we can make that a "game-day decision." I think it will mostly depend on the weather. If it is really hosing down rain, then I think most people will want to head back right away, but otherwise I think it's a good idea to hang and Jack Point.

[Koastal Karl]

The purpose is to get on the Vancouver and Coquitlam on route 30 but we dont really need to do a roundtrip on the Vancouver. I would like to get on both ships the Vancouver and Coquitlam. I wouldent do the Coquitlam roundtrip either. One way on each ship would be good!

[Ferryman]

I'll consider doing this trip. I'm easy either way, if we do a round trip on the Vancouver, or do one way on both vessels, doesn't really matter. I think we should still consider going to Jack Point though, but only weather permitting, so we'd have to play that one by ear.

My Goal is to do a round trip on Route 30, on the Alberni, on Remberance Day? It would be direct to Duke Point and back. Everyone is welcome to join me if they like.

[Retrovision]

ferryman said:

My Goal is to do a round trip on Route 30, on the Alberni, on Remberance Day? It would be direct to Duke Point and back. Everyone is welcome to join me if they like.

I'm quite interested in getting aboard the Alberni again before MLU, and the 11th sounds good - it would also be nice to be with other ferry freaks, if only to spread around the attention from gawking onlookers

Shane tells me that he will be in town around that time, and is interested in going as well.

[Low Light Mike]

Mr. Efac Latsoac will regrettably not be able to attend this fine occasion.

[Koastal Karl]

I think I am working Nov 11th. Hopefully I can get on the Alberni again before midlife either to TSA or at Departure Bay. Me and Scott will definately be doing the Vancouver and Coquitlam on the 19th along with anyone else who wants to join us.

[Retrovision]

karl said:

I think I am working Nov 11th. Hopefully I can get on the Alberni again before midlife either to TSA or at Departure Bay. Me and Scott will definately be doing the Vancouver and Coquitlam on the 19th along with anyone else who wants to join us.

tsawwassenterminal said:

I'm in.

[Scott]

A little off topic, but is there a way to hike to Jack Point from the ferry terminal or from near the ferry terminal? The times I've been there, you've had to park at least a mile from the terminal to get on the trail to the park.

[Doug]

I may be in for this one.

[Retrovision]

admin said:

A little off topic, but is there a way to hike to Jack Point from the ferry terminal or from near the ferry terminal? The times I've been there, you've had to park at least a mile from the terminal to get on the trail to the park.

I'm sad to report that this is still the case.
There are signs from the shore side of the parking lot forbidding access, and chainlink barbed-wire fences everywhere else (yeah, they sure want you to enjoy this park ), but people who do reach the point the legal way and are wanting to catch a ferry they just saw dock, as was the case with me after witnessing a vessel change, they can carefully walk through the over-grown bushes (some prickly, unfortunately) where there are no signs preventing you as there are in the other direction. If you do attempt this, though, take your time, and for goodness sake do it during daylight not dawn, or you might get a surprised look like I did from the ticket booth attendant when she/he sees a couple bloody cuts on your hands.

[Ferryman]

Wow, that's too bad that there's barbed wire fences everywhere around that park. I remember hiking that trail a month before the Duke Point Terminal opened. Believe it or not, the parking lot for that trail used to be where the intersection with the traffic lights, just meters away from the vehicle toll booths are.

[Retrovision]

ferryman said:

Wow, that's too bad that there's barbed wire fences everywhere around that park. I remember hiking that trail a month before the Duke Point Terminal opened. Believe it or not, the parking lot for that trail used to be where the intersection with the traffic lights, just meters away from the vehicle toll booths are.

I don't know about metres, but it's not too far from the toll booths... The catch is that not too far in a car is a lot farther on foot

From Google Earth
Here you can see the distance from the terminal building south...


And here you can see where the entrance to the park is - the entrance is just south of where the green narrows between the water and the road - the catch is that, if I remember correctly, there's no legal parking at the entrance to the park (Again, they sure do want us to enjoy this park, eh? )...


It took me a good half hour to walk from the terminal building to the park entrance last time that I did it. When you factor in walking from the point, through the park, and back up to the terminal building, car or not, it's almost impossible to watch a ferry arrive from the point and catch the next departure of the same ferry (maybe if we ran? lol).