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Post by Dane on Mar 21, 2005 22:08:04 GMT -8
and it's just small, like a BMW Mini Ferry
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 22, 2005 11:01:33 GMT -8
she can be redeployed, and there was even talk of redeploying her temp to Thetis. because of her perfect size.
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Post by cascade on Mar 22, 2005 12:17:30 GMT -8
Route 12 is on the block - auction. If no one bid's for her - the route - then BCF can go to the Ferry Comm and ask for the route to be stoped. (They can do this in 2006 - April)
So most likely it will be dropped - as no one is interested in taking it on - in it's current state.
Mill Bay still comes off line for 6 weeks each year for general service - not sure when her next SS is due - but I think it is around 2006. In the "Bond" loan - Bank doc's she is talked about been replaced in 2009.
As for the two vessels - I would think they should be given to a local Maritine Museum.
Something to show and teach our children about the local coastal history of BC
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Post by Dane on Mar 22, 2005 18:23:51 GMT -8
she can be redeployed, and there was even talk of redeploying her temp to Thetis. because of her perfect size. A temp. vessel to Thetis. The Mill Bay is useless. |
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Post by Curtis on Mar 22, 2005 20:45:12 GMT -8
How bout this. Keep her where she is till she sinks
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 23, 2005 1:15:58 GMT -8
nah, no ship is useless. right now thier are times when the klitsa's busiest night is 14 cars. and well. i thought hte mill bay is 16 cars, which would make her perfect for the route in the off season. i do agree that maybe a 450hp truck engine might be more to her style. but for some reason the mill bay doesn;t need that extra HP
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Post by cascade on Mar 23, 2005 8:37:25 GMT -8
There is a problem in moving vessels around to the smaller terminals - like the Mill Bay - Brentwood run and that is the actually Dock - the dolphins needed to be moved to accept the new vessel.
Do you remember back a few years when the Malahat was blocked / closed and the quesation was asked - why not put a bigger / faster vessel on this run - the reason was the dolphins. This terminal is only really for the MV Mill Bay.
When she goes off line for 6 weeks each year they don't put any other vessel on this route - and that is the main reason. The dock will not acept any other vessel.
I therefore wonder - is it cost effective in moving them - for another vessel - if they are thinking of closing it down anyway - plus they have this route on the auction block. I think they will just run it until something happens to the vessel or docks - then call it a day.
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 23, 2005 10:34:59 GMT -8
i dont think it would cost much to make another ship fit, when the Mv Vesuvius Queen would come up to Albion to stand in for one of the boats. the ship would have to have a 50,000$ refit to accept the berths @ Albion. there were special ramps etc to make it work, and well. i dont see why you cant do that with one of the k class boats to fit the run.
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Post by cascade on Mar 23, 2005 12:14:43 GMT -8
My understanding is that the ramp - is a standard width - so no trouble with that part.
But moving the chains on the dolphins - I think would be the cost element - re-setting them to the new width of the vessel.
Someone who works for BCF - would be better placed to confirm - but I think now - all vessels that come online - need to meet certain terminal requirements - so are interchangeable between terminals.
The real cost - problem is with these older vessels and there special size / shape. Some are inter-changeable - some are not. I think the MV Mill Bay is one of these - odd shape / size vessels.
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 23, 2005 13:57:45 GMT -8
i think if you were to reset the docks at mill bay and brentwood bay, then increase her side bumpers to the standard size of the ships, then she could also be interchangable.
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Post by Harry on Mar 26, 2005 12:03:58 GMT -8
As I said in my page(new ferry service suggestion) that Mill bay should keep going untill 2010/11 and M.V Elizabeth do Mill bay to Brentwood Bay, Mill bay is a part of BCF's History, put her in a museum or keep her in service, I am near the Brentwood terminal now, I have never seen nimpkish, but I have seen her in a picture on this site, she looks ok and...
Yes, keep the nimpkish, make sure that when mill bay retires, Elizabeth, (possible sister of Quinsam) is running when Malahat is closed, (make B.B and M.B a winter run.
That's what I suggest.
Bye for now,
Harry.
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Post by Dane on Mar 26, 2005 17:56:44 GMT -8
All these nice ideas.... but still, the route is useless and doesn't make money. I don't care what some chap sitting in Europe thinks about making a ferry run feasable, would you rather see money contin ue to be sunk into an old ship on a route that creates huge losses, or have improved service on routes that are actually essential elements of our transportation?
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Post by Harry on Mar 27, 2005 10:12:41 GMT -8
I vote to keep them both, the mill bay run is the only one that run's paralell to a highway, maybe move mill bay to a different route or have the mill bay run when the malahat is closed.
I've never seen Nimpkish, except in a photo.
Nimpkish should be kept too.
That's what I suggest for them,
Harry
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Post by Curtis on Mar 27, 2005 15:23:22 GMT -8
You know what I don't get it why the Ministry of Highways didn't run the Mill Bay-Brentwood Bay route insted of Coast Ferries and BCF it makes sense that they could of did that at the time
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 27, 2005 17:39:55 GMT -8
pull a crofton, run a cable, then insted of being classified as a ship, you could classify her as a gondola (because of the cable)
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Post by Dane on Mar 27, 2005 23:25:22 GMT -8
pull a crofton, run a cable, then insted of being classified as a ship, you could classify her as a gondola (because of the cable) I bet that's cheaper. |
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 28, 2005 0:16:57 GMT -8
WAY cheaper, and you dont have to go through Transport Canada.
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Post by Curtis on Mar 28, 2005 9:44:22 GMT -8
Agreed
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Post by cascade on Mar 29, 2005 7:54:15 GMT -8
Well Dane,
With regards to this "chap" sitting in Europe making comments about a Ferry Service - I have just had a look at my movements for 2004 - and was out in BC 9 times I had 23 Ferry Trips in that time - so how many trips have you had in the same time?
Secondly I do a fair amount of travel in Europe and also to the Baltic region - which we get to by Ferry - so in total - it appears for 2004 I have had 53 trips on a ferry - so I would think that I have "just" a little bit of a voice with regards to looking at a route and seeing if it's worth keeping or not. I have paid a lot of taxes over the years in BC and would have though that they were put to good use - within BCFS - but it appears not.
Route 12 is one of the oldest routes still operating in North America - and therefore should be kept open - even if it is a "Loss Leader" if it is marketed correctly - it would make money or break even. So how do I know this - well I'm a boring accountant who works for - with an Investment Bank and we invest in Shipping / Ferry companies - therefore I see a lot of buiness in Europe and am able to judge what is good and what is bad.
Where is your knowledge - experience in making this type of judgement - with regards to my comments? Don't you want to keep some sort of history of the Ferry system?
Also I was born in Sidney and used the Mill Bay to go to school for a number of years.
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 29, 2005 20:07:18 GMT -8
i beat you out with just over 70 trips. i still have all the stubs if you wanna see.
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Post by Quinsam on Mar 29, 2005 20:44:33 GMT -8
The nimpkish and mill bay user was me, I was on guest and thought the name was the subject.
Sorry
Harry
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Post by cascade on Mar 30, 2005 4:55:57 GMT -8
I like the idea of a "cable ferry". This would be totaly unique - for the area. But the Saanich Inlet is one of the few very deep inlets - 252M - plus they have granted Float Planes landing rights for the "B Gardens" so over head cable system is out.
A sub-surface cable system - would also be a problem with the sailors. There is really no fish in the inlet - due to the "low" O2 count, plus there is very little in the way of surface - sub surface water movement.
There are a couple of cable ferries in the UK - working down on the South coast and do they bring in the £ - mega amounts. People just want to ride them for the sake of riding them.
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Post by NMcKay on Mar 30, 2005 7:17:23 GMT -8
yeah. the cable in crofton stay @ about 25M deep until the ferry gets near.
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Post by cascade on Mar 30, 2005 8:47:07 GMT -8
Well that is interesting in that the cable stays very deep. The two down on the South Coast here - hug the surface and only drop around 2 to 3 meters.
Lot's of signs about the sub-cable for sail boats ect....
It runs across a place called Sandspit. About the same distance as the Mill Bay-Brentwood Ferry - 3.5KM. It has an arm that drop's down and pulls the vessel across. I though the ship / vessel was old - but it appears that she was made/built in 1987 - and then "aged". She doesn't have any main engines - as the cable on each shore - pulls her along. She also drifts a fair bit - if really windy - or lot's of high waves - white cap's. A nice smooth ride.
There are two operators - running two different services - had a look at there accounts and yes they are making some very serious money - general op cost are low - only crews wages seem high. Make addational funds on extras - I guess postcards - food retailing. The trip is only 20 mintues.
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Post by kylefossett on Mar 30, 2005 15:45:27 GMT -8
yeah. the cable in crofton stay @ about 25M deep until the ferry gets near. cable ferry at crofton? where abouts. the power lines are at samsum narrows but they are hydro lines and a fair distance up |
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