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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2016 21:03:38 GMT -8
Worley Parsons, BCF's first consultant was adamant that BCF install dolphins to secure the ferry over night and during storms. They were not part of the final design team, because BCF thought the risk without dolphins was acceptable. Will look for that document tomorrow.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Jan 27, 2016 23:42:17 GMT -8
January 26, 2016The following images posted by this account are copyright © S.A. ~ Unauthorized use is prohibited. BC Ferries - Pets Area, BSC. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - Bulwark (No. 1 End), BSC. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - Car Deck, BSC. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - BSC approaching Denman West. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - Passenger Lounge, BSC. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - Exterior Seating, BSC. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - BSC unloading at Denman West. by Scott, on Flickr BC Ferries - BSC at Denman West. by Scott, on Flickr
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 9:24:46 GMT -8
I can't help but think there will eventually be some sort of marine structures at the berths (especially after watching that video). This would also tie in to the noise issue, as the vessel could shut down at night and during layovers. The BSC is just a big skimboard on cables... Attached is a snipe showing a part of a minutes of a meeting on Dec.4, 2009. The whole report can be found at foi.bcferries.com/2013-011-responsiverecords2.pdf, the snipe is from page 71, please also read on pages 8/9, "Mooring and Securing the Vessel during Storms"
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 13:21:07 GMT -8
An interesting observation was made by Captain Pete while watching the video mentioned above of the 11:20am docking of the Thingy at Denman West. During early discussions there was concern about the ferry coming in at an angle to the dock during strong winds and the strain that would cause on the cables. The length of the apron was calculated, so a considerable gap between ferry deck and pontoon could be bridged to load and off-load, see attachments. Yesterday the operator, being used to the Quinitsa being straightened out and pulled against the dolphins, tried to straighten the Thingy as well by keeping the bull wheels engaged pulling on the drive cable. If you watch the video closely, you can see the ferry rotating her stern southwards against the wind. Doing so with a lever of only about 5m ( distance of contact point on fender to drive cable ), puts an enormous load on the drive cable. Now, will this be called an operator's mistake or a design fluke??? Consultants and BCF had been talking about a "slip clutch" in the hydraulic drive to buffer load spikes.
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Post by allograph on Jan 29, 2016 10:15:30 GMT -8
I just got solid info from a crew member that the cable change was planned a while ago. BSC is parked today 29 Jan because a few systems are being fine-tuned.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 14:12:44 GMT -8
I just got solid info from a crew member that the cable change was planned a while ago. BSC is parked today 29 Jan because a few systems are being fine-tuned. We don't know whether the cable was stretched over the elastic limit when the operator straightened out the Thingy. It was not blowing that hard. Just keep in mind that the force of the wind on the profile of the ferry has a 39m lever ( 1/2 ferry length ) while the force on the cable trying to counter and straighten the thing only has a 5m lever ( distance of contact point on pontoon fender to drive cable). The Denman dock will never be a comfortable or safe place for the Thingy, no matter what BCF is saying. Just look at the track today, when it came out of the protection of Base Flat. Nice defection to north and coming in at an angle to the dock at Denman again. Blowing 26 at Chrome early at 6:40 am and most likely less at 9:40, when the Thingy crossed to Denman.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 16:52:51 GMT -8
Just heard a section was cut of the end of the drive cable at Denman, the shackle reattached and the cable reconnected to the eye with the load cell pin. Wonder why that was necessary? Maybe the cable was really damaged??
Now when calculating the force of the wind on the profile of the ferry, a large truck on the stern would increase the area exposed to the wind a bit, but important in this case is the wind speed, because it enters the formula by the square. So the force pushing the ferry at 45kts ( as BCF claims they have sailed in ) is 2.25 times the force of the wind as 30kts, as we believe happened on the peak days, or 5 times for 20kts, as it was on Wednesday.
And then of course there is the lever, 39m to 5m??
Whatever, the Thingy just went back to BB, let us see were it stays overnight.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2016 0:24:07 GMT -8
BSC was back at it today (as planned) and is soft sailing until Wednesday. Quinitsa was tied up all day (so not really soft sailings on the part of the BSC right now). I guess it's not really cost-friendly to have two separate crew rosters on hand, now that they have a few days of carrying passengers under their belt.
Quinitsa's days at Denman are obviously numbered, but I'm curious to see if she'll come to Allied or not for refit.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 10:28:08 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 11:47:34 GMT -8
BSC tied up at BB after one day of "hard" service and Quinitsa back doing what she does well.
Anybody know what's up?
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Post by Dane on Feb 5, 2016 16:36:37 GMT -8
They were replacing ramp fingers.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 17:29:55 GMT -8
It is not running. It relocated to Denman, maybe to work on the ramp there, but Quinitsa still is doing the ferrying.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 17:57:25 GMT -8
It is now over 160 days since the Thingy arrived at Route 21 and was "put under the cables" ( a quote by TC ). Wouldn't that be, by all standards, enough time to figure out these annoying little things that need to be fixed?
Nobody ever questioned the Thingy could work fine in good weather.
The problems popping up are rather "severe" however to say the least.
This morning a female friend complained, that man, not trained to sit down on the toilet and having a bad aim foul up the unisex toilets. There is also the problem that at the school bus run, the toilets are plugged by school girls applying make-up and not accessible for the public.
This afternoon, a friend, not trained to sit down on a toilet said that the ferry was rocking and jerking ( mind you, the toilets are at the center line of the width ) so much, his aim was horrible.
This is not a joke, the fact that the cable ferry will have rapid and jerky accelerations was brought up, any barge moves that way, but dismissed by BCF. Now let us see how Deborah Marshall will handle the pissed on toilet seat issue. She will probably say: PISS AT HOME!!
Flugel Horn I hope this kind of rude language is acceptable when discussing the state of BCF's sanitary installations?!?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 5, 2016 18:22:56 GMT -8
This vessel has only unisex washrooms?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 18:33:13 GMT -8
There is a toilet in the lounge and one near the outdoor sitting area, both unisex, no urinals.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 20:00:31 GMT -8
It is not running. It relocated to Denman, maybe to work on the ramp there, but Quinitsa still is doing the ferrying. The Thingy returned to BB shortly after 6pm and is obviously tied up there for the night.
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mrdot
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Post by mrdot on Feb 5, 2016 20:16:03 GMT -8
well it looks like Mrs. Doubtfire could use either one, and remain politically correct! mr.dot.
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Post by timmyc on Feb 5, 2016 23:14:18 GMT -8
Do the terminals have washrooms? I mean, the SeaBus is 10-15 min and has no washroom - can't these people hold it in?
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Feb 5, 2016 23:41:21 GMT -8
Do the terminals have washrooms? I mean, the SeaBus is 10-15 min and has no washroom - can't these people hold it in? Valid point, given the ten minute crossing... sometimes I think we're really really looking for things to criticize. Still, I think unisex washrooms must be rather distasteful for most women, given the bathroom habits of a lot of men.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2016 0:13:30 GMT -8
That seems like a pretty simple fix... turn it into one WC per gender.
Can't believe we're talking toilets on here now... we've really run out of things to criticize, indeed.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 6, 2016 9:02:48 GMT -8
That seems like a pretty simple fix... turn it into one WC per gender. Can't believe we're talking toilets on here now... we've really run out of things to criticize, indeed. I don't like the spiritual energies from the minerals in the steel used for the deck.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2016 18:40:44 GMT -8
Agreed, toilets are pretty trivial. What is not trivial is the fact that well below gale warning level it is nearly impossible for males to use the toilet due to the snap rolling motions of the barge. It has yet to see a Gale or a Storm. I got the Chrome lighthouse bulletins for Nov, Dec and Jan from Environment Canada yesterday and cross checked BCF's claims that the Thingy sailed in 45+kts and is "storm proven". Well, BCF's consultants said the wind at the ferry crossing is only 47% of the wind Chrome records. We never believed that, but even at 70% ( which can very often be verified by Quinitsa log book entries, depending on wind direction for sure ), the Thingy has sailed in 24 kts and chickened out at 33kts on the 10th of December, so it has not even faced or completed a run in a moderate gale let alone a storm. Storm proven at 45+kts? The following was send by BCF to the FAC on Dec.10th and the attached is a AIS record of the days activities: ".......Just to let you know we have run the BSC in the recent rough weather and things are good. Today we operated in 46 knots of wind sustained with gusts to 54 knots. All systems normal and the ship ride is fine....."
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Post by Dane on Feb 9, 2016 11:50:47 GMT -8
I'm trying to read back but am a bit unclear... What crew size did the BS con end up running with? Obviously it is fully certified and licensed now that it has entered service as the full time regular barge as of today.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2016 13:43:43 GMT -8
I'm trying to read back but am a bit unclear... What crew size did the BS con end up running with? Obviously it is fully certified and licensed now that it has entered service as the full time regular barge as of today.
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Post by Dane on Feb 9, 2016 13:52:59 GMT -8
146 passengers? That seems really low. Admit radek I haven't fact-checked this (not at home where I can verify info) but that's got to be the lowest license in the fleet by quite a bit??
Edit: I take that back in part. I think the Klitsa is just over 150.
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