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Post by Ferryman on Aug 19, 2009 18:35:50 GMT -8
You should rent a boat at Horseshoe Bay and ride down for a closeup view. Just check the tide for getting back. Lots and lots of little spots along the shoreline there in the cove to tuck in. That'd be a good idea, but.... I remember talking to a friend of mine who used to work at Sewells Marina a few years ago. She was telling me that the rental boats actually have little transponders on them, which would be monitered back at the Marina. They're restricted for use in Howe Sound only, and the boundary is from Point Atkinson, to Porteau Cove. They also have secret spotters out on the water, making sure nobody goes out of bounds. Apparently alot of people think they can rent those boats to get a close up view of the Symphony of Fire fireworks in English Bay. But those plans are usually dashed when they get to Point Atkinson.. Times like these, I wish I had my own boat close at hand... Ohhh, Coastal Skier? I think a certain family member of yours convieniently moors their boat at its own private dock in Deep Cove.....Thanks for the offer bud! I'll be on the 6:20am ferry out of Departure Bay on Saturday morning, and will arrive just in time to watch all the action. Might be easier to pick me up at Horseshoe Bay in the boat too! ;D
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Aug 19, 2009 18:48:03 GMT -8
Well, after a consultation with Scott on whether this would be appropriate to use, I have a new nickname for these cats. Since these won't be on the Pacific Coast anymore, and that these will be plying Arabian waters, and because of the large size of these vessels, I'm now calling these the Arabian SuperCats. Scott likes this new name. So do I. So, there we go! My new nickname for the departing Pacificats.
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Post by hergfest on Aug 19, 2009 19:08:35 GMT -8
So was $50 million the price paid for them?
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Post by fairwinds on Aug 19, 2009 19:09:22 GMT -8
Nikonian, thanks for the information, I had no idea about the boats from Sewell's. I guess that's smart on their part, some of the little ones would get up the inlet and not get back out against tide. You can always group-charter a water taxi for a couple of hours, those dudes are experts in that water and they can go where they want. They can also spin the best stories in the port.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 19, 2009 21:18:03 GMT -8
Now, we will finally be able to ignore the bluster and political nonsense and see just what these boats could have been, given a proper trial and time frame. . 2 big differences that will help the fast-cats to succeed in their new home, as opposed to their hopes of success in their original routes: 1) Route length: 4 and 6 hours routes are better to utilize the efficiency of the ships. ie. longer length of time between ports. 2) Lack of expectations of what these ships are supposed to do. ie. no people expecting all types of heavy trucks and buses to be carried on the ship, no people insisting that the ships are an extension of a national highway system, no people expecting deep fryers and heavy brochure racks. The ships will be allowed to be the ships that they are (not trying to be the ships that they aren't, such as a C-Class). Because of these 2 factors, I don't think we'd ever have seen the ships success here in BC on Route-2 for the Government entity called BC Ferries.
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Aug 19, 2009 21:56:34 GMT -8
Hmm any other time of the year and my dad would have his boat in Port Moody, but unfortunately its in the interior. If anyone wants we could finish restoring our 30' bayliner and we could have a big group trip to go watch the fastcats off.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 20, 2009 6:13:04 GMT -8
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Post by plansea on Aug 20, 2009 7:29:41 GMT -8
Take a ride on the Seabus if you want to see the Swift in Vancouver Harbour now
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Post by Variable Pitch on Aug 20, 2009 11:15:13 GMT -8
This story in this morning's TC...
Heavy-lift vessel to haul Fast Cats to Persian Gulf By Frank Luba, Canwest News ServiceAugust 20, 2009
Anyone who wants to say farewell to one of B.C.'s infamous fast ferries should head for Deep Cove in North Vancouver Saturday morning.
The first of the three PacifiCats bought by Abu Dhabi Mar, a United Arab Emirates company that builds yachts and remodels vessels, will be brought to Deep Cove for loading onto a heavy-lift vessel for transport across the Pacific and Indian oceans to Abu Dhabi.
John Mears's Pacific Northwest Ship and Cargo Services is acting as agent for Dockwise Yacht Transport, which arranged to transport the Fast Cat on the cargo ship Swift for Abu Dhabi Mar.
The Swift will first take on water and sink deep enough for the 1,500-tonne catamaran to float aboard. The water will then be pumped out and the PacifiCat secured, much as it would be in a drydock.
The fast ferries were built by B.C.'s then-NDP government at a budgeted cost of $210 million and an eventual cost of $450 million.
They contributed to the collapse of then-premier Glen Clark's political career and helped sink the provincial hopes of his successor, Ujjal Dosanjh. © Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 20, 2009 11:38:16 GMT -8
This story in this morning's TC... That's the same story, as was posted last night in reply #93.
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Post by plansea on Aug 20, 2009 14:57:50 GMT -8
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Post by plansea on Aug 20, 2009 15:42:38 GMT -8
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Post by plansea on Aug 20, 2009 18:12:53 GMT -8
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Post by plansea on Aug 20, 2009 18:13:28 GMT -8
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Post by plansea on Aug 20, 2009 18:35:24 GMT -8
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grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
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Post by grk on Aug 20, 2009 20:18:59 GMT -8
I think this is the same vessel, same Company and design for sure, as the one that brought out Canada's damage submarine this spring. That voyage terminated in Esquimalt harbour, where the sub was rolled out onto the dock, rather than being dropped back into the sea.
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Post by Scott on Aug 20, 2009 21:32:59 GMT -8
I wonder what the timeline would be for the PacifiCat being towed to Deep Cove? Does anyone know? And what would be a good estimate of a timeline for the Swift sailing under either of the North Shore bridges? Probably about the same time as the RCMP Musical Ride at the PNE that I've promised to take my girls to;) Oh well, there are two more.
I'm not exactly sure where they will do this proceedure, but might there also be a view from Burnaby Mountain? It would be fairly distant, but there is a good view up Indian Arm from the park near Horizons Restaurant.
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Post by plansea on Aug 21, 2009 18:00:09 GMT -8
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Post by plansea on Aug 21, 2009 18:00:53 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 21, 2009 18:16:48 GMT -8
Hi Mr. Plansea:
You do know that you can post more than 1 photo in a reply, right?
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Post by plansea on Aug 21, 2009 18:25:20 GMT -8
No, I didn't, thanks for the tip, but with all these extra posts I won't be an oiler for long
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 21, 2009 18:58:46 GMT -8
No, I didn't, thanks for the tip, but with all these extra posts I won't be an oiler for long Where are you taking these Swift photos from? ie on the water from your own boat? Are you planning to to take photos of the actual sink, roll-on, lift procedure on Saturday? If so, I look forward to seeing those. Thanks for providing us with these photos.
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Post by plansea on Aug 22, 2009 6:23:13 GMT -8
Estimating 7:55 for the Second Narrows bridge, the tow is underway to Deep Cove
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Post by Ferryman on Aug 22, 2009 7:14:06 GMT -8
Just to confirm, it's definitely the Pacificat Voyager that is departing today. She was the one tied up at Vancouver shipyards (smaller shipyard). Last I heard, the Voyager was destroyed inside, because someone left a door open, and all of the birds said, "O0OO0Oh a new nest!!". Needless to say, the new owners might find a big nasty surprise, if they didn't already know.
Pacificats Discovery and Explorer still remain at Vancouver Drydock of course.
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Post by hullnumbers on Aug 22, 2009 9:45:20 GMT -8
Are the Pacificats marked on the ship tracker because i do not know if its on there or not. Are the cates the Pacificats or tugs.
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