I have just had an Idea!

[Quinsam]

Hey, I just had an Idea, keep all the vessels in the fleet until the olympics are over, then replace the V's and B's.
so that there are more sailings on the routes until the olympic games are over.
Also we get to see the V's, B's and the newer vessels operating together for a longer time.

Good Idea?

[Ferryman]

Well the B's are staying for another 10 years, and the V's will most likely be gone by the end of 2009 or so, unless it takes a while to sell them like when the Fastcats were for sale.

[Balfour]

I think keeping the V's around until the Olympics are done would be a good idea, because BCF will need as much space and salings as possible on all the major routes.

[Ferryman]

Yeah, and to see if the New Super C's are sucessful or not, which I'm sure they will be successful.

[Dane]

ferryman said:

Yeah, and to see if the New Super C's are sucessful or not, which I'm sure they will be successful.

There is no option for failure, anyways (not that I think they will). Deffered maintenance and general age will kill the V class.

BCFS at this time has no intentions of keeping the ships in the fleet for 2010. That may change, however. The cost of having th ships sit there and then have to be reactivated would be too great. Kind of like what did the Victoria in.

[QTeen]

I mean Keep them in service until 2011, So that the Cowichan does not have to move off of route 2 until the last 2 Super C's arrive.
The Super C's( 1 on Route 1, the other 2 on route 2, then the Saanich and Vancouver are sold, after the olympic games.

[Koastal Karl]

Does anyone remember when the SOBC was first put into service??? Did they have public viewing of the ship before it entered service??? I think this might of been my first time on the SOBC back in 93 all I remember is sitting in the upper lounge on deck 6. I think it must of been the 3pm from Tsawwassen. I remember we docked at SB in berth 2 I think. I thought wow, this is a big ship of course I was really younger back then.

[QSaanich]

I Wonder when thay rebuilt berth 1 at SWB?

[Political Incorrectness]

1990 something because I know they did that @ Tsawwassen when the Spirits were being built.

[Scott]

Why will they need more ships during the Olympics? They will be during an off-season time, they won't be on the Island(s)... so maybe it'll be as busy as summer time? Just a question to throw out there... we use "the Olympics" to explain a lot of things without thinking too much about it. Do you guys think BC Ferries will be a lot busier because of them?

[Political Incorrectness]

it is a possibility but there may need to be a focus on mass transit to langdale and then have langdale connect to highway 1 so that you have two ways to get to whistler

[Ferryman]

Well the only thing I can think of for reasons why there would be more capacity needed would be, that the skiers would want to go up to Mt. Washington to practice, or people wanting to stay in places on the island during the games.

[Doug]

I think Harry's "idea" is only an excuse to keep the Mill Bay in the fleet...but to be honest Harry, forget it. It's not going to happen.

[QTeen]

Shut up Doug, I think that the Mill bay will be sold soon anyway, at least she will live longer.

Back to Topic: The V's should help the new vessels until the Olympic games are over, people on Vancouver Island will want to get to Whistler for the olympic games, so keep all of the ships with the new ones untill the olympic games are done.

[Political Incorrectness]

sometimes the truth does hurt harry

[hergfest]

Olympics = Tourism. That is why they will need capacity during the Olympics. People from around the world will come to Vancouver, and they will want to see the rest of BC and Vancouver Island. I was too young to remember, but I know they had capacity problems during Expo 86. I do know my family went over to Vancouver Island during the Expo, even though it was only in Vancouver.

[Scott]

Well, Expo wasn't in February. Expo, if I remember correctly was from Spring to Fall... a much nicer time to travel. Don't get me wrong, I think tourists will come, but I don't know if it will necessitate having surplus vessels around. Probably a summer schedule would do, maybe an extra boat on the Nanaimo run because Mt. Washington would probably be a destination before the games anyways. I guess atheletes would train in Victoria and Nanaimo as well... Parksville too, they have a new arena. I don't think we'd need all the V-class vessels, maybe one or two. How far ahead will they need the "olympics" schedule? A month before until a week or two after?

[Dane]

With all major ships that the fleet will have then, plus the potential auxiliary capcity they can generate b/c it's the off season their should be no problems faciliating extra demand. I bet it will be chjeaper to stay in Naaimo, and take the ferry ove every day rather than stay in Van.

[hergfest]

Plus the Surrey and Alberni will be done with their 20 year refits, that will open up another ship that hasn't been available in February for a while.

[Ferryman]

Yeah, that's true. That's really the only reason why there has been overloads in the off season during some weekends.

[Quinsam]

I think it would be a good Idea to keep the V's with the C's, S's and Super C's for a little while, then sell them in 2011, then there is a good income time, especially visitors all over Vancouver Island that want to get to Whistler, Routes 1, 2, 30, 12 and 17 would be in income stages during the olympic season.

[Dane]

Keeping ships tied up for three years for a two week heavy income period, plus havving enough crews for them is grossly uneconomical.

[Quinsam]

NO! I meant keep them running until 2011

[Doug]

They won't need them Harry so they will be tied up. They have potential for income still you know....

[Dane]

welwyn said:

NO! I meant keep them running until 2011

Then you'd be running too much excess capacity in the system...