Queen of Alberni - Post MLU

[Kam]

BC Ferries is pleased to welcome the Queen of Alberni back to service following an extensive $40 million upgrade. The vessel will commence service on Monday, June 25 with the 5:15 am sailing from Duke Point to Tsawwassen.


The vessel’s extensive upgrade included significant mechanical and safety improvements, as well as upgraded passenger amenities that customers are certain to enjoy. This mid-life upgrade, which took approximately seven months to complete, will prepare the 30-year old vessel for another 20 years of service.


Some of the major project work included:

· New state-of-the-art marine evacuation system

· Structural fire protection upgrades

· New emergency generator

· Upgrades to hull and structure

· Main shaft refurbishment

· Annual machinery maintenance

· New elevator

· New heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

· Updates to washrooms and installation of new coin-operated showers

· Expanded and remodeled gift shop

· New food service facilities

· New interior design

· New and improved passenger seating areas


For reservations or additional sailing information, visit www.bcferries.com or call
1-888-BCFERRY (223-3779).


Hey, showers! Whodatunk?

Cant wait to take a ride on her and hear what everyone else thinks.

[staffer]

Nice upgrades. As for the showers, they should have been put on the other four C-class vessels. People are going to complain about that.

[Retrovision]

staffer said:

Nice upgrades. As for the showers, they should have been put on the other four C-class vessels. People are going to complain about that.

Though the Alberni is on the primary truck route as a regular vessel. It will be interesting to see if the New West gets a similar treatment during her upcoming major upgrade refit.

[Mirrlees]

The New West is to recieve coin-op showers during her MLU.

[Mike C]

Alright folks, I ventured out to Tsawwassen today a got a few pictures of the Alberni.

[Scott (Former Account)]

Very nice..! Thanks for those, Mike..!

[Retrovision]

Thank you, Mike, for those great shots; not intended to 'one-up' in anyway, but you might have inspired me to get out there for some similar pics for myself, cheers. Can anyone here remember the last time that a 'C' Class vessel might have been last tied-up at either Berth 1 or 2 at Tsawwassen Terminal?

[Mirrlees]

It might have been the Queen of Alberni in1976. Since she was built in Vancouver, she would have been provisioned there before starting Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay.

[Mirrlees]

Or, mabee i'm thinking after her grounding in'79. She was definitely there as our ferry docked in i think berth 3. All the wrecked trucks had been removed by then and, there was a steel plate covering an access hatch to the shaft room.

[Retrovision]

You've come a long way, baby

Queen of Alberni before lifting at Horseshoe Bay Terminal, 1983

www.ferrypicsbygraham.fotopic.net/p42499965.html

And during lifting, 1984

www.ferrypicsbygraham.fotopic.net/p42499963.html

As seen at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria (At Bastion Square)

[NMcKay]

www.ferrypicsbygraham.fotopic.net/p42499890.html

Does that Radar / Shadow of the antenna there look like a spear gun to anyone else?

[Mirrlees]

(Moderator: in response to deleted guest-post's alleged question re the purpose of having showers on the Q-Alberni):
--------------------

Kieran h:
This was discussed awhile ago now. The reason is to give long haul truckers the opportunity to "freshen-up" as they couldn't do so on the road. It makes for a nicer voyage for the other passengers too.

[queenofcowichan]

Kam: Your Avitar looks very famillar to me. Lets see now, You would not happen to have gone near Brooks Landing in Nanaimo would you? There is a Hydro box on Departure Bay road at The corner of Montrose and Departure Bay Road with the same painting.

[hwy19man]

tsawwassenterminal said:

Thank you, Mike, for those great shots; not intended to 'one-up' in anyway, but you might have inspired me to get out there for some similar pics for myself, cheers. Can anyone here remember the last time that a 'C' Class vessel might have been last tied-up at either Berth 1 or 2 at Tsawwassen Terminal?

I recall that before the SOVI & SBC came into service, a C-class vessel would dock in berth 1 or 2 just days before doing summer service on route one.

[Kam]

Well, I was just going out to Jack Point to take some pictures, but I see on the tracking page its still the New West and the Coquitlam..

anyone know whats up with the Alberni?

[Kam]

Ahh... I see the date on the press release has changed now...


BC Ferries is pleased to welcome the Queen of Alberni back to service following an extensive $40 million upgrade. The vessel will commence service on Wednesday, June 27.

[queenofcowichan]

That figures!

[Hardy]

queenofcowichan said:

That figures!

Hopefully they found the "Warner Brothers" Bugs-Bunny-vintage gremlin lurking and exterminated him (anyone else remember the gremlin on the wing of the plane Bugs was piloting, ripping the aircraft apart? Or is it just me that remembers cartoons?). Either that or they double checked the cotter-pins and decided to replace them all.

BTW: There's no truth to the rumour that Alberni's delay was to rectify an offensive "Propeller Warning" decal manufactured by a discount vinyl decal shop ......

[Barnacle]

[OT]

Hardy--I vaguely remember the gremlin cartoon, though I have a stronger recollection of "Gremlins From The Kremlin" by WB that featured a pretty narsty caricature of Adolf Hitler, production date, 1943. The local then-independent KSTW (channel 11 in the Seattle area) showed it back in the 1980s. I suspect someone may have done it on a dare, because I've never seen it before or since.

We now return you to the thread... ;D

[/OT]

[Kam]

queenofcowichan said:

Kam: Your Avitar looks very famillar to me. Lets see now, You would not happen to have gone near Brooks Landing in Nanaimo would you? There is a Hydro box on Departure Bay road at The corner of Montrose and Departure Bay Road with the same painting.

[Hardy]

[WOT]

barnacle said:

[OT]
Hardy--I vaguely remember the gremlin cartoon, though I have a stronger recollection of "Gremlins From The Kremlin" by WB that featured a pretty narsty caricature of Adolf Hitler, production date, 1943. The local then-independent KSTW (channel 11 in the Seattle area) showed it back in the 1980s. I suspect someone may have done it on a dare, because I've never seen it before or since.

We now return you to the thread... ;D
[/OT]

I think the Bugs Bunny gremlin had a wrench and was also chewing/ripping the plane apart. Bugs opened a door and walked out on the wing and tried to deal with him, IIRC. I'll have to do some internet searching and see what I can find out.

[/WOT]

In the mean time, I hope that Homer Simpson, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and the fellow buffoons from sector 7-G have managed to get the Alberni put back together properly. All nuts and bolts double checked and Lock-Tite(tm) 'd, Cotter pins TRIPLE checked, safety lockouts removed etc etc etc. Maybe someone should burn some incense and walk through the machinery spaces doing some Gregorian Chants or something .... maybe swing a live cat over their left shoulder too ..... ;D

[Low Light Mike]

It looks like the Alberni has had a rough first-day back in service.

I checked the GPS-page of the ferries website, and saw both Route-30 vessels near to Tsawwassen....and that means that something's out of whack with the schedule.

Sure enough, the current conditions page notes "operational issues" with the AlBundy today.

[Koastal Karl]

Not suprising that once a ferry comes out of mid life it always ends up being delayed and late due to operational issues. Happens every time!

[Balfour]

Crew just needs to get used to new stuff .