MV Coho

[Koastal Karl]

I have thought before, that the Coho is getting pretty old, she was built in 1959 so she would be over 40 years old. In the next ten years I am just wondering what is going to happen to the Victoria to Port Angeles run? Will she still be running? Or will they have another ship? I thought why dosen't WSF operate that run, and run a WSF on it. But that route can get pretty rough though, so I dont know if they could use a WSF on it cause, all WSF have open car decks. Unless the built a specially designed one, a new version of the Coho or something. And also there is the thing of going into the inner harbour, and docking they way the Coho does unless they relocated the terminal to Ogden Point or something, where the Maggie used to go from, which probably would a cut a bit off the crossing time too.

[Marsbar1973]

The mv Coho is a pretty hard ship to get much info on as the website for The Black Ball Line has only one page

I too would like to Know more about the Coho, such as what does her interior look like. But Plain and simple there is no info on this ship, Just a little paragraph about the ship on the company's phamphlet.

Personally, I know that the vessle won't last for ever and somewhere down the road something will change, either a new vessle will take over the route, or perhaps the route could be abandoned. WHo Knows?

Your guess is as good as mine in regards to this service.

[Koastal Karl]

Your right, there really isent a whole lot of information on the Coho. But I have been on her a few times and it is basically like the Sidney and Tsawwassen except it is not as nice as our ferries, about the same as WSF. There is a little coffee shop at the rear of the passenger deck where the Cafeteria is on the Tsawwassen, but it's much smaller. Vending machines, more seats with tables, that regular rows of seats in midship, and personally I really dont like the interior colours that much as some the areas have a greenish colour and hard floors, no carpeting, like the WSF. There is like a salarium uptop, where you can sit. The car deck is kind of different as she loads and unloads from her side in Victoria, but the car deck is more cramped. Towards the bow of the ship, you can see the cars which are parked all different ways. They actually park some cars up past the side loading doors so that some cars have to back up after the rest of the cars are off. But the thing I find with the WSF and the Coho is there is the passenger decks there is more room, they seem to be roomier, but I guess that is because they have less amenities on board. Also the area up front at the bow there is lots more room, you can bacially get pretty close to the bow and they have bike racks up front also. And the forward lounge is basically the same as on the Sidney and Tsawwassen. So that's a bit about the Coho. But yeah as far as what's going to happen to her, I have no idea.

[marsbar1973]

That is why our ships are sometimes refered to "No Nonsense Roll on and roll off" ships.

Our ships never have to contend with wierd loading pratices that are common throughout the world.

Although BC Ferries find strange ways to cram cars into a fulley loaded cardeck. I seen cars in the back of the ferry parked sideways and basicially anyway to make them fitt. I even seen once a trailer unhitched from a car in order to close the stern cardeck doors.

You would think newer ferries around the world would follow BC Ferries example.

One day if I ever get enough money for a hotel room in Victoria, I would like to take a day trip to Port Angelas.

[Someone]

I think BC Ferries should replace the Coho. And yes, ferries all over the world are using BC Ferries *TRADEMARK* Roll-On Roll-Off system. It has become famous worldwide. You have to look at more ferry sites of more operators over the world. Just like BC Ferries created Streching, and Lifting ships, it has become famous. BC Ferries also has an enviable saftey record.

[thunderbird]

The M/V Coho is getting new engines, so she'll probably last another 20 years.

[Jeff Roe]

I think Black Ball should buy one of BC Ferries ships when they retire them, like the Burnaby and put her on the Victoria-Port Angeles run and re-locate the Victoria terminal to Ogden Point where the Burnaby used on her former life as a Seattle-Victoria ferry! I think it would be much more economical for them and much quicker turnaround too!

[Koastal Karl]

I think that would be a good idea for Black Ball to buy one of the BC Ferries for the Victoria to Port Angeles run. My only concern about that is if they put a ship like the Burnaby on the run. Could she handle the rough seas the Juan De Fuca strait??, It can get pretty rough in the winter months. Although I have seen the Burnaby out in Juan De Fuca strait once after she came out of refit, must of been doing sea trials and it was pretty rough out. My other concern is Ogden Point during the summer months as now we are getting more increased cruise ship traffic, which could get pretty conjested if the Port Angeles ferry was going out of there too. Cause I have seen three cruise ships at once down at Ogden Point. It's a neat sight. The cruise ships usually use the pier closest to the break water, the one on other side of the building and peir B closest to the Helijet landing.

[DougNotLoggedOn]

Well you have to remember that the Burnaby is only 5 or 6 years newer than Coho, so they'd be better off buying one from somewhere else...unless they want an old ship and have Burnaby running for an extra 20 or so years.

[ugottafightforyourighttoparty]

I caught a Coho today, I big 12 pounder !!!!

[HarbourLynx Kid]

The only problem with a ship like the burnaby, is it has the same problem as a ship like The Klatawa, they are steryotypically a boat, that has a Barge-like appearance, containing things like Flat Bows ans sterns, which typically dont perform well in rough seas. they tend to shudder, thats why ships like The MV coho and the MV Harbourlynx are able to operate in Heavy seas where even the huge BC Ferries ships dare not go, Because they have Hulls that can take the typically pounding weather

[Doug]

The Harbourlynx is a catamaran, so I doubt it could take heavy seas. I found this in the newspaper a while ago, just after the Harbourlynx started service here.

"With two-metre swells hammering the side of the aluminum-hauled, fast cat ferry, sending pasengers flying if they tried to move about, it wasn't the ideal day for Nanaimo Harbour Links Corp. to launch a new foot-passenger service from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver.

But as the company general manager Joe Jansen said of the choppy maiden voyage, this is the Strait of Georgia in fall.

"If it were a little calmer is would be fine," Jansen said Thursday on board the company's 40-metre, aluminum-hauled catamaran Harbourlynx as it prepared to dock at Vancouver's SeaBus terminal beside Canada Place. "If you want to go slow on a big heavy vessel you'll have a more comfortable ride.""

Note: the Harbourlynx only saves an extra 15 minutes and costs a great deal more.

[Harbourlynx Kid]

the MV Harbourlynx is a catamaran, and although the passengers may not be able to take it (hence the air sickness bags in each seat) it can take seas more than double that. and still maintain a speed of 28 - 30 knots. the GM is no longer Joe Jansen, its Bill McKay

[Harbourlynx Kid]

You may think you'll spend mor emoney, but think how much you''ll save by taking a bus or the skytrain to the station, saves you lots of stress and you end up saving money cause you dont have to park your car

[Stena Danica 1969]

Here is the link to the Coho ferry website

www.cohoferry.com

[Fenklebaum]

It should be noted that while the Sidney class ferries have a different bow *superstructure* than the MV Coho, the shape, size and depth of the hull *below the cardeck* is exactly the same for all three. The only major difference between the two designs is that the Sidney class ships have a wider car deck at the bow, facilitating ro-ro loading.

[NMcKay]

yeah. it just wasn't possible to do that with the coho, the seas where she sails are a little bit rougher, and a bow door just wouldn;t be able to handle that kind of stress...

[Doug]

Does the Coho have stabilisers? If not, she is probably just as vulnerable to seas as the BC Ferries....

[NMcKay]

shes not vulnerable, because she doesn;t have a weak spot (aka the bow door) shes got one door thats on the side. away from high pounding seas

[Koastal Karl]

Actually the Coho has two bow doors on each side of the bow. They just use the one on the starboard side though. I am not sure why she has two bow doors. The way she docks in the inner harbour she comes straight in along side the pier and docks like a cruise ship. So I have no idea why she has a door on the port side too. It's kind of neat to see all the the cars loaded on the car deck, one time when I was on her I went down for a peek and the last time I was on her I had a car so I seen all the cars at the bow of ship, and this was coming from Port Angeles the cars were every which way. They have to off load the cars right by the door first, then the cars right up front past the door, cause there is more space past the bow doors right in the very front, those cars have to back up and trun around to drive off. I noticed the car deck is very cramped.

Just a note from February 28th to March 13th the Coho will be out of service for her annual refit. During this time the only car service to the island will be the BC Ferries!

[Curtis]

Don't forget the WSF terminal at Sidney

[NMcKay]

but after the grounding of the Sealth, the Other ship (walla walla i think) that goes to the island is taken out of service from there to replace the sealth while she gets an underwater inspecion and possible drydock. so BC ferries (And Harbourlynx) will be the only ways to get to the island (Unless you want to fly)

[kylefossett]

thesidney route was being cancelled anyway whether the ship ran aground or not. this is an annual thing. i guess it is a slow time for them and not worth it.

[NMcKay]

yeah, and the ships get used elsewhere

[Dane]

This cancellation of service has been announced for like 2 years, it's part of their ongoing rebuilding of vessels. The vessel being used fell behind the Int'l safety standards, and was required to be rebuilt to be able to resume service on the route. Although I'm sure they could have maintained the status quo if they wanted to, nothing has stopped them for the last few years.