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Post by SS Shasta on Dec 18, 2006 13:08:00 GMT -8
Some of you old ferry hands might be able to help me with this one. For years I have wondered what type of quarters on WSF's are available for the crews. As I have never worked on a ferry, I have no idea as to what facilities are available. Are the ferries equiped for overnight stays or are they more like "dayrooms?" Years ago as a young lad I was able to tour the crews quarters on both MV Vashon and SS San Mateo. I remember them as being located below the car deck with the officer's cabins located on the bridge deck. Do crews overnight on the ferries or do they work regular 8 hr. shifts? When my father worked for Blackball, he worked a week on and a week off most of the time as he was assigned to the Seattle-Port Townsend-Victoria (sometimes) freight runs usually with SS and later MV Iroquois, MV Chippewa, and SS Indianapolis. Thanks for info!!!!
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Post by Barnacle on Dec 18, 2006 17:44:38 GMT -8
Old? Harrumph. The vessels are equipped with sleeping quarters for the crew, although the shifts aren't always aligned to where they are needed. This is good, as there are seldom enough bunks aboard for the crew. Some crews overnight (but as the shift usually starts and ends in the same port, the option to go home is usually available), others work regular 8-hour shifts. It all depends on what run you are on. Only one boat still has crew's quarters below the main deck; even the Hiyu's quarters are above deck (but the shower is in the engine room). All the others are above decks and generally located on a non-passenger-accessible deck (the Jumbos and the Klickitat are the exceptions).
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Post by SS San Mateo on Dec 18, 2006 17:55:32 GMT -8
All the others are above decks and generally located on a non-passenger-accessible deck (the Jumbos and the Klickitat are the exceptions). As well as the Rhododendron.
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Post by Barnacle on Dec 18, 2006 18:04:30 GMT -8
Oh, right... the officer's quarters on the Rhody are on the passenger level. I've used them before... you'd think I would have remembered that. Nicest staterooms in the fleet as far as I'm concerned.
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Post by SS Shasta on Dec 18, 2006 19:33:33 GMT -8
Thanks Barnacle for the very interesting info. Most folks on the AMHS vessels work "a week on and a week off" shifts. In other words, the ships become their home away from home.
When a WSF vessel ties up for the night in a "semi-isolated" location such as MV Illahee at Friday Harbor, do some of the crew overnight on board? Certainly not all of them would reside in Friday Harbor? Other examples could be MV Klickitat at Port Townsend, or the Rhody at Tahlequah?
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Post by Barnacle on Dec 19, 2006 8:47:53 GMT -8
Um. Well, don't take this the wrong way... but now you're asking about personnel status of a vessel while it's "out of service" and, for 'reasons of security,' I can't answer that.
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Post by SS Shasta on Dec 20, 2006 16:15:59 GMT -8
Oh, I wasn't thinking about security. Up here AMHS has been facing some safety issues. In northern SE, some routes have too many port calls that have required crews to have too short rest times when they are not on duty. The Coast Guard has required AMHS to discontinue this practice with the result that at least one port can no longer be served under the current schedule. Private freight boats have been charted to deliver vehicles and freight, but they are not licensed to carry passengers. People have to charter planes for transport which is more expensive than ferry service. Apparently this is a temporary fix and folks are not happy about it.
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Post by Barnacle on Dec 20, 2006 17:21:50 GMT -8
Oh, that I can answer. We have facilities for our crews on board, and there are contractually mandated minimum-times-off between shifts. The USCG has gone along with our schedules as long as it isn't a problem.
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