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Post by tyty on Mar 27, 2006 19:30:48 GMT -8
BC Ferries is finalizing plans to restore passenger and vehicle service to customers on the central coast and Queen Charlotte Islands.
At present, the Queen of Prince Rupert is undergoing refit at a drydock in Victoria.
A return to regular operations has been tentatively set for April 15, when the Queen of Prince Rupert is expected to sail from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, with a stop at Bella Bella.
On April 16, the ship will resume service between Prince Rupert and Skidegate.
In the meantime, service between Bella Bella, Shearwater, Klemtu and Ocean Falls is continuing with the MV Nimpkish, as originally scheduled.
As well, a tug and barge service is in place between Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Islands for commercial vehicles to ensure a steady supply of goods to north coast communities. This service cannot accommodate private vehicles or passengers at this time.
Any passengers booked to travel on the Inside Passage and Queen Charlotte Islands routes prior to April 15 are being contacted by BC Ferries staff to arrange air transportation as required.
Further updates on will be posted to the BC Ferries website as more information becomes available.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 27, 2006 21:42:15 GMT -8
I saw a truck from Deas today going into Esquimalt so I take it everyone is working hard to get the Rupert back in service.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 28, 2006 19:52:17 GMT -8
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Post by tyty on Mar 28, 2006 19:56:29 GMT -8
I notice the QPR gets a lot of rust running down her side at the bow end... any idea that that's from?
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 28, 2006 20:03:51 GMT -8
Probably the rough seas and the ocean spray and I would assume sometimes maybe the water reaches up over the bow which would be why she gets so rusty on her bow.
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Post by Ferryman on Mar 28, 2006 20:50:15 GMT -8
There's little openings along the deck where the wall and the deck meet. So when the waves reach over the bow, the water will simply just drain by going out of those little openings. It looks like it was something that happened often, for there to be that much rust there. It really doesn't take long for the ferries up North to rust, as I think these photos were taken around this time last year, or maybe a little closer to the summer. community.webshots.com/photo/415309991/1415381297075594678uWqVaE |
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Post by mortiker on Mar 28, 2006 20:57:39 GMT -8
My understanding is that the QPR was due for replacement long ago... well before the QOTN. Does anyone know what kind of shape QPR is in? How much longer can she keep going?
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 28, 2006 20:59:50 GMT -8
And if you look at that photoy by Scott you can see the forward lounge windows are still there, at least it looks like they are! So they must of covered them up recently or last year as you can see in the photo I posted of the newspaper photo you can see if you look closely the filled in areas where the windows use to be.
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Post by tyty on Mar 28, 2006 21:02:30 GMT -8
Well the QPR does more work than the QON, doing double duty for most of the off-season, plus she's three years older.
She certainly is near the end of her service life, no question!
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Post by jjr on Mar 29, 2006 6:44:26 GMT -8
The QPR does handle some pretty rough seas. I've been on her going to the Charlottes in winter gales with the waves most certainly coming up over her bow - dishes crashing around in the kitchen, passengers trying to walk like drunks staggering around. I always take small pieces of cardboard with me to jam in the cabin doors and ceiling tiles to help stop the rattle and creak so I can sleep. Mind you it is my favorite ship - never fails to get you where you want to go - though of course I have also been stuck on it for more than 24 hours waiting for the storm force winds and waves to subside. Once I remember spending about six hours circling in the bay outside Skidegate waiting for the wind to drop so that she could dock - they tried three times to dock but the wind kept blowing her away. Try that with the Queen of Chilliwack - which was Mr Hahn's latest bright idea.
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 29, 2006 7:14:45 GMT -8
the chilliwack has the ability to move sideways. she can run @ 14 knots in any direction, and 16 knots in forward and rever, gawd i love Z Drives.
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Post by tyty on Mar 29, 2006 10:10:57 GMT -8
One thing I gotta say with the QPR -- boy do they ever pack the vehicles in!!
There is literally 2 inches between the underheight vehicle platforms on the sides and overheight vehicles adjacent. I remember coming back from Skidegate and my minivan was actually parked on the stern end RAMP of the side platform.
On the way over from Rupert, they had me stop before the ramp on the bow end so when I was driving on for the return trip (they loaded me first both times), I went to stop before the ramp again. That time, though, the attendant kept waving at me to pull forward and I was like, "are you sure??"
This was in late August 2003, and that's the only trip over I ever made. My father has been over a couple other times with the QON and on the second trip, he was stuck in Skidegate for the way back because of the high winds.
He was supposed to go across on an overnight sailing. After having enduring miserable weather and power outages for a week, he was pretty freaking pissed when he looked outside from the QON the next day to still be looking at Skidegate!!!
But I guess that's not an uncommon thing, eh?
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2006 18:12:18 GMT -8
I just heard on the news that they will be refloating the Rupert tommorrow and taking her to Vancouver for the rest of the work that needs to be done. I wonder what time she will be leaving, it would be neat to get some photos.
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Post by nolonger on Mar 30, 2006 19:35:10 GMT -8
She's been the workhorse of the North for 40 years. Like the old pro quarterback coming off the bench to save the game late in the 4th quarter. I've heard tell from some that have worked in the north on both vessels, that the Rupert is better in heavy weather.
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Post by Ferryman on Mar 30, 2006 19:46:20 GMT -8
Does anyone know if the North had stabalizers like the Prince Rupert has? Or do the stablizers even make that big of a difference? Kevin has posted some pics of the Prince Rupert in drydock, with fresh paint, nearly ready to go again. www.pbase.com/kstapleton/queen_of_prince_rupert |
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2006 20:53:22 GMT -8
Looks like they missed a few spots! Right under the stairs at the front of the ship, lol! I wonder what time she will leave???
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Shipbuilders daughter wife
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Post by Shipbuilders daughter wife on Mar 30, 2006 21:27:46 GMT -8
The barge is supposed to be coming out of the drydock tommorrow(Friday).
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2006 21:29:17 GMT -8
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SHipbuilders daughterwife
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Post by SHipbuilders daughterwife on Mar 30, 2006 21:33:56 GMT -8
Just asked Hubby, he thinks the barge will be coming out about 5:30 in the morning and the Rupert sometime later.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Mar 30, 2006 21:50:15 GMT -8
so probably later in the morning then she will be out. It would be nice to know the time she leaves for Vancouver as I live only mins from the Esquimalt Lagoon and it would be neat to see her leave, if it wasent too early, lol!
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Doug
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Post by Doug on Mar 30, 2006 21:52:59 GMT -8
Hmm...this "Hubby" sounds like an interesting person. ;D  |
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SHipbuilders daughterwife
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Post by SHipbuilders daughterwife on Mar 31, 2006 21:54:15 GMT -8
The Queen of Prince Rupert came out of the drydock about 4:30 this afternoon.
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Post by lest69 on Mar 31, 2006 22:39:54 GMT -8
The Queen of Prince Rupert came out of the drydock about 4:30 this afternoon. I can confirm this, and also that her destination is Deas. |
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Mar 31, 2006 22:44:27 GMT -8
Kevin has updated his photo's of the QPR... His new photo's show the flooding of the drydock, and the QPR being towed away from it. The photo's can be seen here... |
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Post by Ferryman on Mar 31, 2006 22:48:07 GMT -8
Woah, there are some cool shots there. I wonder how long it takes to fill that graving dock up.
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