Queen of Saanich - change ?

[Retrovision]

hornbyguy said:

Aircraft Carrier to Become Canadian Ferry

Reuters News Services/Annapolis MD 06/18/06
Report-Philip Heygood

...
-30- REUTERS/z-ppg

As my mom would say, "He thinks he's funny"

[Low Light Mike]

CTV said:

;DI just called BCF and they had no idea what I was talking about, AND the ship doesn't exist. Nice hoax, SERIOUSLY, it was well done!

Please tell me that you're not serious about calling BCF about this !

....and you're saying that the name "Benedict Arnold" for a USA Warship didn't mean anything to you ??

[Political Incorrectness]

Hornbyguy, I suggest you get off your computer cause the mod-squad is going to be after you on the most wanted list. Still, good satire wtih that.

[Low Light Mike]

ferrymaniac101 said:

Hornbyguy, I suggest you get off your computer cause the mod-squad is going to be after you on the most wanted list.

The mod-squad loves HornbyGuy, and is a proud supporter of his creative endevours.

[Political Incorrectness]

Mr. Sarcastic, I meant as in you will be after him to do what a rock star would do and give him the wave, and also you should downsize that pic and make it your display pics.

[Neil]

CTV said:

;DI just called BCF and they had no idea what I was talking about, AND the ship doesn't exist. Nice hoax, SERIOUSLY, it was well done!

Oh, come on, BC Ferries will deny anything.They just don't want to admit to us what's really going on.

'Nanaimo had some great ideas for developing the service past what the original story reported. I think we're really looking at a revolution in ferry service.

As a way of letting bygones be bygones, BC Ferries is thinking (I'm told) of re naming the new ship, the MV Glen Clark. Has a nice ring to it.

[Low Light Mike]

re Quote "BC Ferries is thinking (I'm told) of re naming the new ship, the MV Glen Clark. Has a nice ring to it."


The MV Glen Clark would be the first BC Ferry since the Bainbridge with a wooden-deck, but this would just be a small wooden sun-deck.

[Neil]

But it would be upgraded! With no hanky panky!

[EGfleet]

CTV said:

;DI just called BCF and they had no idea what I was talking about, AND the ship doesn't exist. Nice hoax, SERIOUSLY, it was well done!

I couldn't understand why there would be an aircraft carrier named "Benedict Arnold" who was a traitor as far as American history books are concerned:
United States general and traitor in the American Revolution; in 1780 his plan to surrender West Point to the British was foiled (1741-1801)
Not someone you'd name a US vessel after.

[Retrovision]

this was quite an interesting "Rorschach" type test, to me atleast.


Thanks, everyone, for the Entertainment,

Graham J.

[Neil]

Cascade- I am truly sorry that I did not treat your issue with the gravity it deserved. Given the weight of your previous posts, and the accumulation of rumors and speculation, not to mention your creating a second thread for this topic, I should have been more sensitive to it's obvious importance, and shouldn't have indulged in such facetiousness. I will try to behave better in future, and not muddy the waters with tales of aircraft carriers, and dead horses.

I appreciate your remarks on what you do for the benefit of this forum's members. I suppose I should try to live up to those standards, myself.

David Hahn made a statement on what BC Ferries aims might be with the Sidney terminal. Being a bit of a dullard, and not having your flair for lively speculation and maginative rumoring, I think I'll just go with that for now.

Humbly yours, Hornbyguy.

[Political Incorrectness]

Cascade, some people have been known to take action on this and find out, sometimes the load of effort to put into it is high. sometimes it is low. We do not know if this is suppposed to be kept behind the closed doors but I consider it up in the air right now. If BCF is keeping this behind closed doors, we cant get any more information. That's the bottom line

[Political Incorrectness]

If you considered what WMG has done, you might as well limit their prime real estate options for a ferry terminal and it can also bring in some more revenue if BCFS owns a terminal cause now it charges WSF to use the Sidney Terminal. There has been some speculation into a closed door partnership with the fast cat operation still rumored.

[Political Incorrectness]

How about I ask this, are we playing 20 questions or do we look like insiders?

[Mike C]

Next refit is probabaly next fall, space filled by the Queen of Vancouver.

There's one other one, the Queen of Esquimalt, sister/cousin to the Saanich. Others possibly converted include the Queen of Nanaimo/Burnaby. The C's have a low clearence, so they can't really take trucks.

[hergfest]

They won't convert the Saanich until the Super C's arrive. They need the platforms on the Saanich when she is on Route 1.

[Neil]

mainlander101 said:

The C's have a low clearence, so they can't really take trucks.

So... QB Teen, how do trucks get to the Sunshine Coast, then?

Aside from removing platform decks, what 'conversion' can be done to ferries which already have full truck carrying car decks? You could remove the platform decks and call the Queen of Saanich a 'truck ferry' if you wanted, but why would you not use the upper car deck, and the passenger capacity?
What I'm saying is that most of the ferries are 'truck ferries' already, with additional auto capacity.

[EGfleet]

hornbyguy said:

mainlander101 said:

The C's have a low clearence, so they can't really take trucks.

So... QB Teen, how do trucks get to the Sunshine Coast, then?

Aside from removing platform decks, what 'conversion' can be done to ferries which already have full truck carrying car decks? You could remove the platform decks and call the Queen of Saanich a 'truck ferry' if you wanted, but why would you not use the upper car deck, and the passenger capacity?
What I'm saying is that most of the ferries are 'truck ferries' already, with additional auto capacity.

And would B.C. Ferries really want to put the money into that kind of a project with a 43 year old vessel?

[Mike C]

EvergreenFleet: It's an oppertunity to conitnue to use BCF's Major "Workhorse" vessel. As opposed to a C class, which has much oppertunity.

HornbyGuy: The C class has good clearence already, just not as enough as the Queen of Alberni or Queen of New Westminster.

The removal of the platform decks was meant to increase truck capacity, so they would be able to fit trucks in all lanes of the New West, like the Queen of Alberni. I'm not sure, but they also could have raised the ceiling on the New West when they added the extra deck. I'm not sure, this rumour seems to be coming from way up on the status charts at BC Ferries.

[QSaanich]

What the hell are they doing to the saanich i am speech less.

[QSaanich]

Reuters News Services/Annapolis MD 06/18/06
Report-Philip Heygood

In a move hailed as a sign of improving relations between American officials and the new Canadian government of Conservative Stephen Harper, U.S. Naval officials today announced they were in the final stages of negotiating a three way deal involving Canada's Dept. of National Defense, and BC Ferry Services Ltd. of Victoria, B.C. which would see mothballed American aircraft carrier U.S.S. Benedict Arnold reborn as an combination auto ferry and patrol ship on waters straddling the U.S. - Canada border.

The arrangement, first of it's kind any where in the world, would see a continuing American presence on the ship as it performed it's role as the largest ferry in British Columbia's privatized fleet.

"The waters along the B.C. -Washington border have been under patrolled for some time, and drug and gun running in small craft is rampant", said U.S. Side Admiral William Dunstan.
"This is a win-win situation for us and our friends on the Canadian side. We will be keeping some gun placements on the ship, capable of reaching the border beach at Point Roberts, WA., and more than capable of eliminating suspicious marine traffic, and the Canadians will get a huge capacity auto ferry. They will operate the civilian passenger side of things."

The ship will operate from newly constructed facilities at Tsawwassen ferry terminal, south of Vancouver on the mainland, to a newly purchased terminal at the town of Sidney, on Vancouver Island, north of the B.C. capitol, Victoria.

"This is just a super deal for us', said BC Ferry Services CEO David Hahn.
"The Benedict Arnold has a vehicle capacity of 1150. We'll be able to retire all our 'V' class ferries. This is just a great example of private enterprise thinking outside the box, and doing some great things for British Columbia."

The carrier will be refitted at the Naval Yard at Annapolis MD, and should be ready for it's semi-civilian service by October of 2007.

Rumors of something big happening had been rife on Canada's west coast, after BC Ferries won a contract to manage the terminal at Sidney, which is needed for the Arnold, as it is too big to pass through the traditional ferries route of Active Pass in Georgia Strait to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island. BC Ferries had also failed to satisfy ferry experts as to the reasons for dock work at the Tsawwassen terminal.

Peace groups are expected to protest the arrival of the de-commissioned aircraft carrier, which saw action at the battle of Outer Malaya.

"There's always going to be some naysayers", remarked Hahn.
"But we have a mandate to deliver the finest ferry service to British Columbians for the lowest cost, and we feel that when people see those shining guns on deck, pointed out to sea, they will also appreciate the added feeling of security. We feel this ship will protect our passengers from terrorist attacks, which was a big concern of ours with the older un-armed ferries."

Canadian officials may also have to deal with protests from Sidney residents, as approximately 125 homes will be expropriated for approach roads, holding areas, and a security zone.
-30- REUTERS/z-ppg

Also this is a JOKE bcf are not going to do this becuase this ship would be too big to fit in our docks ok this is a JOKe ;D

[Doug]

The clearance is the same on all the major vessels of the fleet. It is that there is a full deck of space on the Alberni and New Wesminster that makes them "truck" ferries. However, the New West does indeed have a slightly higher upper vehicle deck.