Minor vessels return to usual places

[tyty]

Effective today (Friday, March 31) with the 7:30 a.m. sailing from Hornby Island, the M/V Tachek will return to service on the Denman Island-Hornby Island service.

The 30-vehicle Tachek had been required to provide relief on the Powell River-Texada Island route while the North Island Princess was away for its annual refit.

The 49-vehicle North Island Princess returned to service yesterday with the 5:00 p.m. sailing from Texada Island.

The M/V Kahloke, which acted as the replacement vessel, will return to its normal operation on the Chemainus-Thetis Island-Kuper Island route beginning today as well.

Compared to the M/V Klitsa, the Kahloke is a slightly larger vessel with a capacity of about 30 vehicles. The vessel is licenced to carry the same number of passengers and crew, up to a maximum of 200.

Next week, the M/V Quinsam will return to the Nanaimo Harbour-Gabriola Island route. The Bowen Queen has been on the route since Mar. 5, when the Quinsam went in for refit.

[Koastal Karl]

The Quinsam is still at the Esquimalt drydock. I just caught of glimps of her today.

[SHipbuilders daughterwife]

They may be still working on the Quinsam. They still hadn't finished working on the barge, but took them both out of the dry dock in order to get the Queen of Prince Rupert out. (She came out of the dry dock ahead of the original schedule because of the QON sinking, and the need to put her back in service.)

[jcachristian]

Yesturday I spotted the mv Kahloke at the Nanaimo Shipyards. She is tied up to the end of the dock and I will keep you posted if she is taken out of the water.

Nanaimo Shipyards is located about half way between Departure Bay ferry terminal and downtown Nanaimo along Stewart avenue on the left side of the road.

[Mike C]

It will only be gone for a few days, though. This just in from BC Ferries:

Temporary Replacement Vessel
Posted May 03, 2006

Effective Sunday, May 7, with the 7:30 am sailing from Hornby Island, the 30-vehicle Kahloke will temporarily replace the 30-vehicle Tachek on the Denman/Hornby route.

The Tachek is required to provide relief on the Alert Bay/Sointula/ Port McNeill route while the regular vessel, the Quadra Queen II
is away for its annual refit.

The Tachek will return to Hornby upon completion of the Quadra Queen II’s refit, expected to be July 5.

[Neil]

The Kahloke always serves Hornby in the summer, so maybe this means that ugly little barge is actually going to be replaced for good by the Tachek. Hooray! A real ferry. Anyway, the only way they can get 30 cars on the Kahloke is if they're all Beetles.