JCA Christian - tell us your story.....

[Low Light Mike]

We've got a regular-guest on this forum that posts under the name "JCA Christian". What makes this poster pretty special on our forum, is that he/she often listens to ferry's radio communication (on short wave radio?), and has given us some pretty valuable info in the past re ship movements etc.

From other posts, including one today, it's obvious that this regular-guest knows his/her stuff, and reads mariner magazines and shares our interests.

So, for the benefit of all, I was wondering if our friend JCA-Christian would like to give us some friendly introductions and background info on his/her interest in ferries & marine traffic, for the benefit of us all getting to know each other better and appreciating each others' giftings.

JCA usually posts as a guest, and often comments on posting from the Nanaimo Library's computer, so I'm guessing that he makes good use of public resources for reading etc.

Please fill in some more of your story.......thanks.

[Balfour]

I know JCA has an account as "Queen of the North" He just hasn't logged in for a long time.

[queenofalberni1976]

Hi, This is my official sign in name for this forum. Ever since I was a little kid I have always been into the ferries, Cruise ships, trains, planes etc.

My interest started in 1981 when My dad took me over to Victoria in the "Big Truck" as he worked for a Garden supply plant located near the Deas Dock Complex in Richmond.

I used to skip school alot (elementary) so I could go with my dad over to Vancouver Island. We would catch the first ferry out of Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay on a Friday which alot of times was the Queen of Alberni before she was lifted. We made deliveries from Victoria up to Campbell River and Port Alberni before getting the ferry back to Vancouver via Horseshoe Bay.

In 1982 we moved to the Parksville area and have been here since then exept for a brief 1 year return to Vancouver.

The passion was in my blood ever since. And when I got my first job I purchased a scanner to monitor the Marine traffic including the Cruise ships in the summer.

From 1986 untill 1990 I was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps, Rcscc Esquimalt in Parksville and Rcscc Bicknell in Richmond. Among differnt activities in cadets one of my favorite was our weekend YAG Cruises out of CFB Esquimalt up to usually Bedwell Harbour or Port Browning on the Pender ISlands and Back.

Today I have a strong passion for almost anything that moves, ships, Planes(Especially fond of the Huge Martin Mars out of Sproat Lake), Trains, Trucks, etc.

I like Camping, Swiming, Fishing, Canoeing, Hiking and boating. In the summer time in the evenings you can often see me down at one of the local beaches with my handy scanner and binoculars watching the Cruise Ships pass.

My yahoo e-mail adress's are:
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail] (there may be a hyphen between the Albern and 1976).

[Low Light Mike]

Thanks for sharing.

I like that fact that you've got memories of the original-style Q-Alberni from her Route-1 days. Were you disappointed that you weren't a foot-passenger on the Alberni on the trip when she went aground in 1979? (that would have been an interesting trip, as long as you didn't have a vehicle on-board that day).

I was in RCSCC-Amphion in 1981-82. I didn't sail on the YAG's, but I did get a day-trip on HMCS Kootenay.

Did you ever do any summer courses at HMCS-Quadra?

[queenofalberni1976]

It sure would be a interesting experiance to be on the Alberni when she ran aground on Collingson reef in Active Pass. It happend on August 9, 1979. But This happend before I had my first ride on a BC ferry. Prior to 1980 the only ferry I have been on was the Albion ferry way back when before I had taken a interest in ships.

I went up to HMCS Quadra twice for Summer camp, Once was for the basic 2 week course and in 1990 I spent 3 weeks taking Basic Sail. (My division spent a overniter in a whaler anchored off of Tree Island. (North end of Denman Island.) We were towed back to camp the next morning.

I have been to Quadra several times with my local corps on weekend gatherings with other Vancouver Island corps.

The yags were fun. I remember one cruise it was so rough out as we were sailing northbound off of Oak Bay that everone was sick, except for me. I love rough seas.

One weekend cruise was cancelled completely and we remaind in Esquimalt due to weather. We had leave on the Saturday night and a few of us walked from CFB Esquimalt into Downtown Victoria. (I took Transit bus back to the base.