MV Columbia - Bellingham to Alaska

[Low Light Mike]

I was on a mission to do some ferry-spotting last night, in north Nanaimo. I wanted to see the Alaska-State-Ferry "MV Columbia", as she sailed north thru Georgia St.

The Alaska Ferry website schedule said that she departs Bellingham at 6:00 pm on Friday night (May 27), and that her service speed is 17Knots.

So I did some reasoning, and figured that if the Q-Alberni takes 2 hours to go from Tsawwassen to Duke Point, and she has a speed of 19knots......then it would take the Malaspina approx 3 hours to get from Bellingham to Nanaimo.

So a few minutes before 9:00 pm I drove to a good viewpoint (thanks to a new subdivision clearcut), and sat in the car with binoculars in hand.

and I waited, and waited, and waited.

At 9:30 I spotted a cruise ship sailing north, but I really wanted to see the Columbia.

wait some more....finally at 10:15 pm I gave up. I was treated to the sights of a beautiful sunset, and to some chicklets walking home from the mall, but alas, know Columbia.

So, how long do you think it would take the Columbia, travelling at 17Knots to go from Bellingham to north-Nanaimo?

[NMcKay]

i would estimated more like probably 3 1/2 to 4. they probably dont run her @ full speed, and they may have been late departing. are you sure she departed? and are you sure that she goes up the inside? and not over the west coast of Van Isle?

[Koastal Karl]

Well I dont think she goes the West Coast or I would of seen her last night as I was down at the cruise ships at Ogden Point. The West Coast can get quite rough to so I think they would always be better to go the inside rather than the West Coast!

[YZFNick]

They go the Inside Passage. I've seen them in Discovery Passage before

[jcachristian]

The Mv Columbia is normally at Ballenas ISland Just north of Nanaimo between 11pm and midnite on Friday nites. If you catch the 8:15pm sailing from Duke Point to Tsawwassen you should pass the Columbia not long after passing the Queen of New West. I estimate that at about 9:30-9:45pm.

Also of note Untill the end of September on Tuesday nites the mv Malaspina can be spotted at the same times.

[jcachristian]

I forgot to mention that I was camped down at Rathrevor that nite and was sitting on the beach between 11 and 12 midnite with my uncle and did not see her which peeved me off.

JCa

[Ian]

The alaskan state ferries are not very nice, they all look like either lengthened or shotened versions of the Coho, I saw one in drydock in Ketchican on my cruise, it must have been the smallest one because it was a dinky version of the coho.

[NMcKay]

yeah. but in the US, they dont have to deal with customer loyalty. cause as we as BCF, they are (were) the only players in town. so they usually have minimal life saving, minimal accomidations, and minimal food services.

[Scott]

I don't know what the Alaska ferries look like on the inside, but in my opinion, they're really nice looking ships... nice lines, nice colors. I think I've seen one coming down Georgia Strait one night.. but coming back, I don't know what time of the day they come through heading south.