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Post by Ferryman on Dec 28, 2005 11:35:23 GMT -8
Well, I would assume they would use a fire retardant on the steel so when there's a fire, it doesn't warp as much, and then eventually collapse as the passengers are trying to evacuate. A fire on the car deck, or the engine room would be bad because there is all sorts of fuel down there that would make the fire get real hot. Besides, I'm sure there would be alot of questions if there was a fire on a vessel, and then it collapsed because there was no fire retardant on the steel.
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Post by Starbucks Queen on Dec 28, 2005 12:20:42 GMT -8
I remember one example, when Color Line´s Prinsesse Ragnhild was on fire a few years ago - the fire was actually in the funnel and due to good fire - retardants used in the funnel-housing there did not much damage happened and they were able to put it out very quickly, no harm to passeners done. I though do not have any information on which materials were and are used on the ship. Less luck had this one here: www.fire.org.uk/marine/papers/scanstar.htm - should answer questions about importance of fire retardants. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 28, 2005 12:26:36 GMT -8
That Scan-Star story is pretty brutal, re the crew's lack of language skills, and the safety-signs also not in the home-port's languages.
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Post by NMcKay on Dec 29, 2005 10:39:14 GMT -8
the rescue signs must be in IMO universal signs. no english. they must be pictures. like in the airline
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Post by BrianWilliams on Jan 3, 2006 21:01:49 GMT -8
Having sailed Chilliwack just once (July 2004, Port Hardy-Bella Coola) I can't claim to know her well. However, John's comment about her unusual layout is very true. Chilliwack's interior corridors are a metre wide, very narrow by our standards. Her companionways are too steep for safety. Worst of all, her boat deck is interrupted by the bridge wings, making fore and aft travel impossible on the outside. In an emergency, Chilliwack could be a death trap, like a smaller MV Estonia. My first impression was terrible: the car deck plates are so badly warped, one gets seasick just driving aboard. Is this indicative of the ship's hull quality? I don't know, but it is worrying. Chilliwack was built in the 70's as Basto-II, a Norwegian coastal ferry. Norway knows a lot about seamanship and shipbuilding, for sure, but I much prefer our BCF standards. To be fair, the Z-drives are marvellous. Our skipper stopped us in an 8-knot tidal current in King Channel, spun 180°, and cruised sideways, tracking a pair of whales spouting nearby. We lost 1/2 an hour in that exercise (and were an hour late out of Bear Cove already); but he poured on the coal and landed us at Bella Coola right on the timecard. Earlier, we entered QC Sound, meeting 8-foot swells off Cape Caution. It was a nice summer day, but a storm had blown through overnight. The water was tall and green. Chilliwack sailed on, riding level as a Coupe de Ville on Sunset Strip. For sure Chilliwack is seaworthy, but her layout is poor, and her structural quality is questionable. At Bear Cove:  |
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Post by BrianWilliams on Jan 3, 2006 21:11:49 GMT -8
Chilliwack's unused B-end bridge: spacious and well-equipped --  The A bridge was busier:  |
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Post by Dane on Jan 4, 2006 0:40:53 GMT -8
Having sailed Chilliwack just once (July 2004, Port Hardy-Bella Coola) I can't claim to know her well. However, John's comment about her unusual layout is very true. Chilliwack's interior corridors are a metre wide, very narrow by our standards. Her companionways are too steep for safety. Worst of all, her boat deck is interrupted by the bridge wings, making fore and aft travel impossible on the outside. In an emergency, Chilliwack could be a death trap, like a smaller MV Estonia. My first impression was terrible: the car deck plates are so badly warped, one gets seasick just driving aboard. Is this indicative of the ship's hull quality? I don't know, but it is worrying. Chilliwack was built in the 70's as Basto-II, a Norwegian coastal ferry. Norway knows a lot about seamanship and shipbuilding, for sure, but I much prefer our BCF standards. To be fair, the Z-drives are marvellous. Our skipper stopped us in an 8-knot tidal current in King Channel, spun 180°, and cruised sideways, tracking a pair of whales spouting nearby. We lost 1/2 an hour in that exercise (and were an hour late out of Bear Cove already); but he poured on the coal and landed us at Bella Coola right on the timecard. Earlier, we entered QC Sound, meeting 8-foot swells off Cape Caution. It was a nice summer day, but a storm had blown through overnight. The water was tall and green. Chilliwack sailed on, riding level as a Coupe de Ville on Sunset Strip. For sure Chilliwack is seaworthy, but her layout is poor, and her structural quality is questionable I hate the Queen of Chilliwack. I liker her until yesturday when I actually sailed on her for the first time. I will be on her, tomorrow too. The floor plan is a joke, it's inefficient and generally poor. The ship is loud, and has far too much clutter by BC Ferry standards around the entire ship. It is very poorly suited for its current deployment and there are not enough seats. The stairs are far too steep. I'm not sure if I remember if this is posted but what I was trying to remember earlier about Tranport Canada having a problem with the ship is that there are not enough water tight compartments. |
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Post by Shane on Jan 4, 2006 7:24:57 GMT -8
Dane, are you in Powell River?
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Post by Quinsam on Jan 7, 2006 11:57:53 GMT -8
And, I looked at Kevin Stapleton's pics of the Chilliwack, she looks pretty comfortable, especially the solarium.
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Post by kylefossett on Jan 7, 2006 12:42:10 GMT -8
Does Canada have an information freedom act and can the general public get info from a government department? The reason I ask - is that you could ask under the ACT - for info on the BC Ferry fleet - what details they hold. That would give a fantastic inside into what Transport Canada is thinking and how much time they have left on each vessel. (Sorry Doug - I know you don't like ACT's) There is a Freedom Of Information Act (FOI) in Canada. To obtain information on something you have to apply to have it released under the FOI. Sometimes certain documents have a time span that they are not allowed to be released for a couple of years. This is mainly info in regards to something that might be before the courts |
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Post by Dane on Jan 7, 2006 14:10:08 GMT -8
Yeah I was in Powell River 3 times over the last 7 days... I didn't up up going on what would have been "tomorrow" when I posted that, but rather 2 days after. I good sign of the state of the Queen of Chilliwack is not being allowed to be on the car deck whilst she is underway. Always a sign of quaility  |
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Post by Curtis on Jan 7, 2006 15:26:52 GMT -8
The reason for that is because everything's water-tight down there if something goes wrong in the engine room like a fire you're kinda screwed
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Doug
Voyager 
Lurking within...the car deck.
Posts: 2,213
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Post by Doug on Jan 7, 2006 18:53:29 GMT -8
The North is watertight too and you are allowed down there during voyage.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Jan 7, 2006 19:14:00 GMT -8
The QPR is too, but there are signs posted not to be on the car deck during the voyage unless accompanied by a crew member. Public is allowed unsupervised access to the car deck 30 minutes before docking...
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Post by Dane on Jan 7, 2006 23:17:13 GMT -8
Isnt that the key issue with the Wack. It' got the vertical compartment but not enough horizontally?
They also don't have fried food. What's the deal with that?
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Post by Quinsam on Jan 8, 2006 11:31:56 GMT -8
Well I don't know, I think BCF wants it to be a healthy ship.
And the car deck, I suppose it is like being on the bounty main with it rocking about.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 8, 2006 11:39:46 GMT -8
Me personally, could do without the Chilliwack. When I rode on her on Rememberance Day, she rattled alot. She is very ugly and box-like.  And they don't sell burgers on it. That drives me up the wall. However, she has a lounge with reclining seats. You can't say no to a ferry with reclining seats. Overall, I approve BCF's desision to give the Chilliwack the boot. |
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Post by Curtis on Jan 8, 2006 16:11:35 GMT -8
Well I guess there was no space for deep fryers so they didn't put them in. Well theres still Beef Dip
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jan 8, 2006 16:44:51 GMT -8
I wanna go on the Chilliwack!!
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Post by Mike C on Jan 8, 2006 17:26:19 GMT -8
If you want to ride it, do it now. Don't commit yourself to the Discovery Coast. Make it a quick and easy and cost-effective (low season) 50 minute trip from ELSC-SLTB.
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Post by BrianWilliams on Jan 9, 2006 2:12:40 GMT -8
Friends:
One thing I loved about our Chilliwack trip was the surprising menu from the galley. Lunch began as we approached Calvert Island and continued past Namu.
There were many choices, but no burgers and fries. I had quesadillas, Jeannie ate jambalaya (shrimp and rice).
Later, we were very early for dinner. The chalkboard offered Red Snapper Vindaloo (limited quantities), and I was up for that. Jeannie chose poached salmon.
Other offerings were veal scaloppini, spaghetti carbonara, NY steak and halibut filet.
Chilliwack's galley is the size of a bathroom. On our trip, at least, the two people working in there were artists.
Our grub was excellent, and half the price of a Vancouver restaurant. We also had the mid-coast mountains drifting by ... with a few whales passing the windows.
So, ya want burgers and fries? Go to MacDonald's in Langley, Pitt Meadows or Saanich -- or ride a BCF mainliner.
Q of Chilliwack has many faults, but food is not one of them.
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Post by Curtis on Jan 9, 2006 8:32:59 GMT -8
Yeah if there's anything they screwed up it's the design of the ship it's intresting to look at but strange
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jan 9, 2006 10:18:22 GMT -8
I would like to go on the Chilliwack while on the Saltery Bay route but it aint that easy to do that being from Victoria.
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Post by BrianWilliams on Jan 17, 2006 1:52:30 GMT -8
A thought on Chillwack's safety: A few folks have mentioned Q of Chilliwack's narrow passages and steep companionways - and so have I. I am beating a drum you've heard before, but here it is again: Remember MV Estonia! 28 Sep 1994, MV Estonia capsized and sank in 40 minutes. This Spirit-sized ferry carried almost 1,000 people - only 124 survived. The loss of life was worse than Titanic's by percentage, and in an inland sea. Estonia was a killer because of her poor interior design, which unhappily mirrors our smaller Q of Chilliwack. Estonia was watertight, except for her car deck. That's unavoidable in a ro-ro ferry. Every BCF vessel has the same hazard .. but ... When Estonia's car deck flooded, the ship became a trap. Escape to the boat deck was restricted by narrow corridors and one steep central gangway. At a 40° list (reached in the first 10 minutes) the central staircase was vertical. The very few survivors lived by hauling themselves hand-over-hand up the railings - like climbing a slick fireman's pole. There were no alternative routes out of the lower six decks. No other gangways, no break-out windows. The one group with 100% survival chances were the engine crew. Though working at Deck 1, below the waterline, they were able to climb a ladder inside the funnel trunk that exited on Deck 7. Not all made it, but members of the black gang were the majority of crewmen who survived. Sorry for the sad reminder - but when we ride our BCF boats, we should look around. How do I get off this ship? How quickly - and which way? BC Ferries' safety standards are very high, always exceeding the Coast Guard requirements. Chilliwack is a notable, deadly exception. Read, if you have time, the Estonia story. It is heart-wrenching; for ferry enthusiasts, it's our worst nightmare. Start here: www.onnettomuustutkinta.fi/estonia/index.html |
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Jan 17, 2006 18:27:01 GMT -8
I do not understand why WSF has all evacuations done at the car deck? If you are sinking, you would be doomed like Estonia. It is a no wonder why I do not like to go on WSF.
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And they don't sell burgers on it. That drives me up the wall. However, she has a lounge with reclining seats. You can't say no to a ferry with reclining seats.