New Intermediate Vessel official

[ferrytraveller]

well this new ferry is suppose to hold 125 cars
so that would be 40 cars more then the capilano
and roughly around the same amount as the tsawwassen

[Koastal Karl]

The Cumberland carries 125 cars with both platform decks down.

[Mac Write]

Lets not even get into the crap the Cumbie's platform decks cause. They could put in the Cap for 3-5 minths and add side permanent gallery ramps like the new ferry which would increase capacity while reducing over-height panes from 6 to 4 lanes, but it would increase Cap capacity to 125 cars. Looking at my photos form last year, (she's longer then I thought), they could retro fit her to have the same car deck space as the new Intermediate. That could be the most economical option. How much would that cost to add the permanentness galley decks?

[Political Incorrectness]

It would not be necessary to retrofit the Capilano , maybe put in one section of platforms but that is all she would need. Right now, it is not necessary and the cost of putting one set of platform decks in may not be cheaper in the long run. Demand in the coming years might put it under consideration. Why would it be necessary to scrap the Cumbie's platform decks? That is absolutely unecessary spending of money into a project that turns into a lose lose situation. Due to the fact you would have to take her out of service, decreasce capacity for the SGI route out of SWB, also the Cumbie can survivie with the platforms.

[Mac Write]

I never ever said scrap the cumbie platforms I said add gallery decks to the cap to make her 125 car ferry. Bowen Island needs hte capacity now. They are daily overloads due to too much traffic.

[Political Incorrectness]

macwrite said:

Lets not even get into the scrap the Cumbie's platform decks cause.

I rest my case.

[Mac Write]

That's a typo as you can plainly see it's supposed to be crap not scrap.

[Low Light Mike]

ferrymaniac101 said:

macwrite said:

Lets not even get into the scrap the Cumbie's platform decks cause.

I rest my case.

Pardon the United-Nations style intervention here:

I believe what Mac was trying to say in the above quote is something like "Lets not even consider scrapping the Cumbie's platform decks". Maybe he also said c-r-a-p, which gets translated as "scrap" on this board.

In any case, I interpret this Mac comment as saying that the Cumbie's platform decks should NOT be removed.

play on.....

[Low Light Mike]

from newspaper: Powell River Peak:
- this is obviously not "news" for us on this board, but it's interesting to read a local newspaper's perspective on the topic.....

===============================

07/12/2006
New vessel to sail from Saltery Bay - But ferry currently under construction may end up on Bowen Island route
Laura Walz - Peak Editor



BC Ferries has signed a $45.5 million contract to build a new intermediate-sized ferry slated for the Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route.
Construction of the 125-car, 600 passenger, 100-metre vessel will begin later this year at Vancouver Shipyards, a Washington Marine Group company, in North Vancouver. The design includes a lounge, snack bar and a new state-of-the-art lifesaving system.


The ship is expected to enter service initially on the Saltery Bay route by the summer of 2008. Originally the new vessel was slotted to go to Bowen Island, said BC Ferries' spokeswoman Deborah Marshall. "But the infrastructure at that location has not been upgraded," she said.

The Bowen Island terminal still has single-lane loading and discharge, Marshall explained. "There's no point putting a larger ship on the run that's just going to cause more congestion."

Although the new ship will start its sailing life on the Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route, there is a chance BC Ferries will put it someplace else, Marshall said. If it is eventually placed on the Bowen Island route, BC Ferries has considered putting the Queen of Capilano, the vessel currently on the Bowen Island run, on the Saltery Bay route, she added. "It is still a possibility," Marshall said. "We are a couple of years away. It will be the summer of 2008 when the ship comes online."

BC Ferries' indecision on where the new vessel will remain causes a problem for Powell River, said Greg Aivazoff, chairman of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee, because of the lack of stability. "We hope it stays on route seven and doesn't end up on Bowen Island," he said. "That's a contentious issue, that they're not capable of making a long-term decision. That's problematic for us because it puts Powell River right back in a scenario of not knowing what kind of service we're going to have."

The fact BC Ferries has signed a contract for the new vessel is great, Aivazoff said, but it would be better if the company said it was Powell River's ferry. "We're very pleased that they have finally decided to go ahead with it," he said. "It's a good thing that they are building it locally with the Washington Group."

The new vessel will allow BC Ferries to retire the 46-year-old Queen of Tsawwassen, the summer vessel on the route linking Powell River to the Sechelt peninsula.

The specifications for the new vessel are similar to both the Queen of Tsawwassen and the Queen of Chilliwack, the ferry on the Saltery Bay route in the winter.

While the Queen of Tsawwassen can carry up to 800 passengers and crew, it never does, Marshall said. "Having a maximum of 600 wouldn't be a problem," she said.

The Queen of Chilliwack, which is on the Discovery Coast Passage route during the summer, carries up to 115 vehicles and 400 passengers and crew.

The new vessel's service speed, 14.5 knots, is similar to the Queen of Chilliwack's 14 knots and slower than the Queen of Tsawwassen's 17 knots.

The process for selecting the successful builder was started last year with 14 shipyards invited to participate in the pre-qualification process for the new vessel. Two Canadian shipyards and one international yard were short listed. Last year, the three yards submitted bids in response to a request for proposals and on September 20, 2005, BC Ferries signed a formal letter of intent with the Washington Marine Group.

"The new vessel is just one part of our commitment to keep pace with the needs and expectations of our customers," said BC Ferries' president and CEO David Hahn. "Under the fixed-price contract, the shipyard is responsible for the detailed design and construction of the vessel. The shipyard guarantees performance related to speed, carrying capacity, manoeuvrability, fuel consumption and delivery."

Over the next five years, BC Ferries will add eight new vessels at a cost of $1 billion to ensure the continued safety and reliability of its fleet.

[e-mail]

[hergfest]

Sounds like they don't know what to do. What would be the different between the new intermediate and the Capliano with platforms? Besides the fact it would take longer to load with the Capliano.

[hergfest]

I was looking at the concept drawing again and does anyone else think that she will be a pain in the butt to load? The permanent galley decks work on the C-Class and the WSF vessels because they are separate from the center loading lanes. Looks to me like the car deck will be divided into two compartments, making the loading if cars under the galley deck very hard to do.

[Political Incorrectness]

Then how have the Spirits been able to load even though it is divided into two compartments? It really does not matter if it is divided in two or not I don't believe.

[hergfest]

Excuse my ignorance, I haven't been on a Spirit since the early 90's, but aren't the "galley decks" on the Spirit's platforms that fold up? Or are they permanent? Also, they are on the center tunnel, not on the outside. Not to mention the fact the Spirits are 550' long, so there is ample room to put cars underneath the platforms. This new intermediate vessel is only 328' long and the ramps have a pretty long slope. I may be totally wrong here though.

[Doug]

Actually...having the galleries off to the side would seem like a better idea to me as then the higher vehicles don't have to steer off to the side.

[Political Incorrectness]

That is how they exactly are on the C's, the gallery decks are on the side. The point hergfest was making was that it was divided into two sections and making a statement on how it may slow loading down and I was making a counter on that the Spirits car decks are divided into two compartments yet loading them would take about the same time.

[Neil]

This vessel is also going to be very beamy (27 meters) in relation to it's length, so room for loading side gallery decks really shouldn't be a problem.

[Curtis]

flugelhorn said:

from newspaper: Powell River Peak:
- this is obviously not "news" for us on this board, but it's interesting to read a local newspaper's perspective on the topic.....

===============================

07/12/2006
New vessel to sail from Saltery Bay - But ferry currently under construction may end up on Bowen Island route
Laura Walz - Peak Editor



BC Ferries has signed a $45.5 million contract to build a new intermediate-sized ferry slated for the Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route.
Construction of the 125-car, 600 passenger, 100-metre vessel will begin later this year at Vancouver Shipyards, a Washington Marine Group company, in North Vancouver. The design includes a lounge, snack bar and a new state-of-the-art lifesaving system.


The ship is expected to enter service initially on the Saltery Bay route by the summer of 2008. Originally the new vessel was slotted to go to Bowen Island, said BC Ferries' spokeswoman Deborah Marshall. "But the infrastructure at that location has not been upgraded," she said.

The Bowen Island terminal still has single-lane loading and discharge, Marshall explained. "There's no point putting a larger ship on the run that's just going to cause more congestion."

Although the new ship will start its sailing life on the Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route, there is a chance BC Ferries will put it someplace else, Marshall said. If it is eventually placed on the Bowen Island route, BC Ferries has considered putting the Queen of Capilano, the vessel currently on the Bowen Island run, on the Saltery Bay route, she added. "It is still a possibility," Marshall said. "We are a couple of years away. It will be the summer of 2008 when the ship comes online."

BC Ferries' indecision on where the new vessel will remain causes a problem for Powell River, said Greg Aivazoff, chairman of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee, because of the lack of stability. "We hope it stays on route seven and doesn't end up on Bowen Island," he said. "That's a contentious issue, that they're not capable of making a long-term decision. That's problematic for us because it puts Powell River right back in a scenario of not knowing what kind of service we're going to have."

The fact BC Ferries has signed a contract for the new vessel is great, Aivazoff said, but it would be better if the company said it was Powell River's ferry. "We're very pleased that they have finally decided to go ahead with it," he said. "It's a good thing that they are building it locally with the Washington Group."

The new vessel will allow BC Ferries to retire the 46-year-old Queen of Tsawwassen, the summer vessel on the route linking Powell River to the Sechelt peninsula.

The specifications for the new vessel are similar to both the Queen of Tsawwassen and the Queen of Chilliwack, the ferry on the Saltery Bay route in the winter.

While the Queen of Tsawwassen can carry up to 800 passengers and crew, it never does, Marshall said. "Having a maximum of 600 wouldn't be a problem," she said.

The Queen of Chilliwack, which is on the Discovery Coast Passage route during the summer, carries up to 115 vehicles and 400 passengers and crew.

The new vessel's service speed, 14.5 knots, is similar to the Queen of Chilliwack's 14 knots and slower than the Queen of Tsawwassen's 17 knots.

The process for selecting the successful builder was started last year with 14 shipyards invited to participate in the pre-qualification process for the new vessel. Two Canadian shipyards and one international yard were short listed. Last year, the three yards submitted bids in response to a request for proposals and on September 20, 2005, BC Ferries signed a formal letter of intent with the Washington Marine Group.

"The new vessel is just one part of our commitment to keep pace with the needs and expectations of our customers," said BC Ferries' president and CEO David Hahn. "Under the fixed-price contract, the shipyard is responsible for the detailed design and construction of the vessel. The shipyard guarantees performance related to speed, carrying capacity, manoeuvrability, fuel consumption and delivery."

Over the next five years, BC Ferries will add eight new vessels at a cost of $1 billion to ensure the continued safety and reliability of its fleet.

[e-mail]

I read the exact same thing last night
And I think Powell River Deserves the Ferry Bowen Island got our new ferry 14 years ago so why should it go to them. Just Refit the Cap to have Gallery Decks like the Cumbie and your problem is solved