Neil
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Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Feb 1, 2021 21:35:53 GMT -8
January was a busy ferry month for me, with 2 different sets of trips. Earlier in the month, I had cruised on the newfangled Island Aurora to Sointula and back. Now, it was time to revisit an old classic with a ride on the Baynes Sound Connector. (yes, both trips were for work purposes) As I boarded the 4-lane freeway-on-a-string, it occurred to me that it was a nice afternoon for recording the trip's departure. So I masked-up and sprung into action at the #1 end of the floating palace, as we began our journey (don't stop believing) from the western region of Denman Island. Near the half-way point of the expedition, I decided to turn the camera to face the rapidly approaching Vancouver Island. As we neared Buckley Bay, we also neared the Quadra Queen II, parked at her rest-home berth. Here is the video, with plenty of sped-up action, so please consider fastening your seatbelt. Here is a still of the ending scene: As we neared the beach, this boy did not hear any pet sounds, because there were no dogs using the animal area shown in the photo foreground. But wouldn't it be nice to have seen more passengers on that trip. Also, I get around, as evidenced by my walkabout during the video. I was not picking up much bad or good vibrations from the ferry, as it was a fairly smooth trip. God only knows when I will get another ferry trip. I had fun (probably 3 times that amount). BSC QQ2 - 8 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr Glad you had a chance to sail on, sailor. Apparently this wasn't the worst trip you've ever been on. Meet any islanders named Rhonda or Barbara Ann? And did you do the editing in your room? Bet you're just waiting for the chance to do it again...
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Jun 2, 2021 21:21:33 GMT -8
Forgot to post about it, but three days ago, the BSC missed several sailings due to a hydraulics issue... again. Most of the downtime since its inception has been due to hydraulic problems, and it's pretty clear this is an inherent flaw in its makeup which isn't going to be solved. 'The world's longest cable ferry route' is perhaps displaying, at least once or twice a year, the outer limits of the idea.
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Post by Ollie on May 5, 2022 15:03:30 GMT -8
Baynes Sound Connector at Buckley Bay, May 5 2022
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 9, 2022 9:53:07 GMT -8
Baynes Sound Connector with a full car deck 'pulls' into Denman West, with Vancouver Island mountains for a backdrop.
I noticed that all three cables are no longer sheathed in plastic. Does that mean rapid corrosion? I also noticed that the car deck was full both coming and going on a mid-week trip in so-so weather in early June. I am thinking the vessel's capacity is inadequate and is it possible to do some sort of stretch operation on this thing? A crew member told me that BC Ferries has been doing some evaluation of expansion possibilities. 8 June 2022
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Post by WettCoast on Jul 29, 2022 10:12:15 GMT -8
The BSC had another serious breakdown on Wednesday according to this report from CHEK TV:
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Neil
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Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Jul 29, 2022 17:30:55 GMT -8
The BSC had another serious breakdown on Wednesday according to this report from CHEK TV:
My understanding of the breakdown- another bullwheel/hydraulics issue- is further evidence that retired master and Hornby resident Pete Kimmerly was right when he critiqued the basic engineering capabilities of the project. It also indicates- if Ferries engineering honchos are listening- that any attempt to lengthen the vessel to keep up with traffic pressures might exacerbate the basic problems. This is the longest cable ferry route in the world. It might demonstrate to other operators that there is a limit to the distance this system is suitable for.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 29, 2022 17:43:18 GMT -8
The BSC had another serious breakdown on Wednesday according to this report from CHEK TV:
My understanding of the breakdown- another bullwheel/hydraulics issue- is further evidence that retired master and Hornby resident Pete Kimmerly was right when he critiqued the basic engineering capabilities of the project. It also indicates- if Ferries engineering honchos are listening- that any attempt to lengthen the vessel to keep up with traffic pressures might exacerbate the basic problems. This is the longest cable ferry route in the world. It might demonstrate to other operators that there is a limit to the distance this system is suitable for. If they do length it would be a good time to upgrade everything to make it more reliable and efficient. I do think BC Ferries should do upgrade to her for more efficient and reliable anyways to help keep the vessel moving.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Jul 29, 2022 19:29:25 GMT -8
My understanding of the breakdown- another bullwheel/hydraulics issue- is further evidence that retired master and Hornby resident Pete Kimmerly was right when he critiqued the basic engineering capabilities of the project. It also indicates- if Ferries engineering honchos are listening- that any attempt to lengthen the vessel to keep up with traffic pressures might exacerbate the basic problems. This is the longest cable ferry route in the world. It might demonstrate to other operators that there is a limit to the distance this system is suitable for. If they do length it would be a good time to upgrade everything to make it more reliable and efficient. I do think BC Ferries should do upgrade to her for more efficient and reliable anyways to help keep the vessel moving. I think you missed the point of my post. It may well be the the route is simply beyond the capabilities of a cable ferry operation.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 29, 2022 22:52:44 GMT -8
If they do length it would be a good time to upgrade everything to make it more reliable and efficient. I do think BC Ferries should do upgrade to her for more efficient and reliable anyways to help keep the vessel moving. I think you missed the point of my post. It may well be the the route is simply beyond the capabilities of a cable ferry operation. Not really maybe they need more horsepower and better system in place to prevent breakdown look SkyTrain it’s so out place in terms of transit with no driver or cab on trains and most systems are going in to automated they rapid transit rail system. BC Ferries just needs more time to bring in better systems and get better set for Baynes Sound Connector to get it to be reliable; I have no doubt that Baynes Sound Connector could be become the most reliable vessel in fleet once BC Ferries finds the right set up for it.
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Neil
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Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Jul 30, 2022 21:31:29 GMT -8
I think you missed the point of my post. It may well be the the route is simply beyond the capabilities of a cable ferry operation. Not really maybe they need more horsepower and better system in place to prevent breakdown look SkyTrain it’s so out place in terms of transit with no driver or cab on trains and most systems are going in to automated they rapid transit rail system. BC Ferries just needs more time to bring in better systems and get better set for Baynes Sound Connector to get it to be reliable; I have no doubt that Baynes Sound Connector could be become the most reliable vessel in fleet once BC Ferries finds the right set up for it. There's no parallel with Skytrain. Driverless trains are common and proven for transit. The Denman route is the longest cable route in the world, and the BSC is one of the biggest cable ferries. There is a reason no one has attempted an operation like this before; it simply is testing, and perhaps going beyond, the capabilities of such a system. BC Ferries has already tweaked it, but you're dealing with basic realities like ocean depth, the laying down and picking up of cable, the properties of the cable itself, the right propulsion to make the system economically superior to a traditional ferry, and the fact that there is no engineer, also a factor economically. BC Ferries was forced into the experiment under a different governance model. I doubt that they would do it again. There hasn't been the saving in crewing or fuel that was originally touted, there have been far more breakdowns than expected, and cables have had to be changed far more often. They're not going to find "the right set up for it", because there isn't one, and it will never become "the most reliable vessel in the fleet" because it's simply not the best service model for a mile long route across Baynes Sound. They'll stick with it because junking it and building anew would be even costlier than dealing with its limitations.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 30, 2022 21:47:57 GMT -8
Not really maybe they need more horsepower and better system in place to prevent breakdown look SkyTrain it’s so out place in terms of transit with no driver or cab on trains and most systems are going in to automated they rapid transit rail system. BC Ferries just needs more time to bring in better systems and get better set for Baynes Sound Connector to get it to be reliable; I have no doubt that Baynes Sound Connector could be become the most reliable vessel in fleet once BC Ferries finds the right set up for it. There's no parallel with Skytrain. Driverless trains are common and proven for transit. The Denman route is the longest cable route in the world, and the BSC is one of the biggest cable ferries. There is a reason no one has attempted an operation like this before; it simply is testing, and perhaps going beyond, the capabilities of such a system. BC Ferries has already tweaked it, but you're dealing with basic realities like ocean depth, the laying down and picking up of cable, the properties of the cable itself, the right propulsion to make the system economically superior to a traditional ferry, and the fact that there is no engineer, also a factor economically. BC Ferries was forced into the experiment under a different governance model. I doubt that they would do it again. There hasn't been the saving in crewing or fuel that was originally touted, there have been far more breakdowns than expected, and cables have had to be changed far more often. They're not going to find "the right set up for it", because there isn't one, and it will never become "the most reliable vessel in the fleet" because it's simply not the best service model for a mile long route across Baynes Sound. They'll stick with it because junking it and building anew would be even costlier than dealing with its limitations. In 1986 SkyTrain was not proven and it took a long time to get driverless trains to become common, and BC is has done some crazy experiments with transportation which has been proven very successful and help change transportation industry in massive ways. It takes time to iron systems out and get things to be more smooth. It’s only been six years since Baynes Sound Connector enter service which doesn’t mean in complete fail because maybe in couple BC Ferries will do upgrade to her which could make reliable.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Jul 31, 2022 19:13:47 GMT -8
There's no parallel with Skytrain. Driverless trains are common and proven for transit. The Denman route is the longest cable route in the world, and the BSC is one of the biggest cable ferries. There is a reason no one has attempted an operation like this before; it simply is testing, and perhaps going beyond, the capabilities of such a system. BC Ferries has already tweaked it, but you're dealing with basic realities like ocean depth, the laying down and picking up of cable, the properties of the cable itself, the right propulsion to make the system economically superior to a traditional ferry, and the fact that there is no engineer, also a factor economically. BC Ferries was forced into the experiment under a different governance model. I doubt that they would do it again. There hasn't been the saving in crewing or fuel that was originally touted, there have been far more breakdowns than expected, and cables have had to be changed far more often. They're not going to find "the right set up for it", because there isn't one, and it will never become "the most reliable vessel in the fleet" because it's simply not the best service model for a mile long route across Baynes Sound. They'll stick with it because junking it and building anew would be even costlier than dealing with its limitations. In 1986 SkyTrain was not proven and it took a long time to get driverless trains to become common, and BC is has done some crazy experiments with transportation which has been proven very successful and help change transportation industry in massive ways. It takes time to iron systems out and get things to be more smooth. It’s only been six years since Baynes Sound Connector enter service which doesn’t mean in complete fail because maybe in couple BC Ferries will do upgrade to her which could make reliable. This has nothing to do with new technology and ironing out kinks to make it work. It has to do with the knowledge of propulsion systems for marine transport, and which systems are applicable in specific situations. Why do you think no one has tried a cable ferry over this length of route, with this size of vessel? Was everyone missing a great idea that BC Ferries blazed trails to pick up on? It's irrelevant to bring up Skytrain as you try to answer that. No. The former ferries commissioner, Martin Crilly, ordered BC Ferries to investigate any and all options to cut costs, and one of them was a cable ferry. No route other than the Denman route was feasible. A retired master mariner with BC Ferries whose credentials include piloting Canada's biggest icebreaker, the Terry Fox, and who had considerable knowledge of the capabilities of cable propulsion, advised against this. I suspect that because the Denman route is not high profile, the government of the day felt residents there were suitable guinea pigs for the experiment in money saving. It sounded great at the start; half the fuel, half the crew... didn't work out that way. Yes, it works most of the time, but not enough to justify the overall expense, and the increasing likelihood that as the need to expand the vessel becomes more apparent, the dependability of the basic system decreases. Kind of like... you don't bring a knife to a gun fight. Hard to tweak the odds there.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 19, 2022 21:41:33 GMT -8
BC Ferries is hoping to lengthen Baynes Sound Connector in Fiscal Year 2026. Found here.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 4, 2022 12:23:04 GMT -8
Baynes Sound Connector will be lengthened to 65 vehicles: Found here.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Oct 4, 2022 21:55:43 GMT -8
Baynes Sound Connector will be lengthened to 65 vehicles: Found here. Thanks for posting this link, 'Blue Bus Fan'. There's so much in this document that it might deserve a thread of its own... or maybe the individual changes and projects can just be discussed in the appropriate threads that already exist. A feast for ferry nerds. On one hand, it's really encouraging- and exciting to ferry fans- that the government has a vision for really renewing and improving our marine transportation infrastructure. Improved terminals, increased capacity, new vessels for improved dependability, and a commitment to replace vessels when they reach 45 years of service, which is a bit closer to norms in the rest of the industrialized world (though still way behind). It's bittersweet though, because it means a very standardized fleet and terminal facilities. No reason for a daytrip to Cortes to ride the cute little Tachek, and certainly, never again something as oddly unique as the North Island Princess. It will still be great to get out on the water, and we'll still have beautiful coastal scenery, but for ferry fans, there won't be any attraction in riding yet another Island class vessel- one of thirteen. At least the Kwuna is supposed to be relaced by a 'unique' vessel, but maybe that will just be another Island class, with ramps. At least we'll still have three distinct major vessel classes; the Spirits, the Coastals, and seven new 360 AEQs. This all assumes that there isn't a change in government. If there is, this document and its vision might be out the window, and we'll be back to the grim focus on spending as little on ferries as possible, and treating coastal communities like some diseased third arm on the provincial body. And maybe there will just be more paint slapped on the Kahloke and her elderly sisters to keep them floating.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 30, 2023 12:53:30 GMT -8
Seven years ago, this type of video might need a warning to "Consider the Children" before viewing this video, because of the multiple triggers of seeing a cable ferry in action.
But now, although not yet fully loved by the locals, the mention of the BSC doesn't seem so trauma-inducing. This is likely because the islanders' attention is currently captivated by twin terrors of a 5G cable project (not a 5G cable-ferry) and a proposed height-increase to a Rogers cell tower.
Here is an on-board video of the Baynes Sound Connector, showing her (its?) departure from Denmanye West.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 31, 2023 21:49:11 GMT -8
When I recently visited Hornby Island (from Nanaimo), I recorded video of my journey. I enjoy making travel videos, in a nerdy documentary style. 🙂
Here is Episode 1 of my "T2HDI" Series, which means "Trip to Hornby & Denman Islands." I decided to use a series acronym, just for fun. This first episode goes from Highway 19 near Tsable River to the solid ground at Denman West. The cable-barge features prominently in this episode, so this is the thread to post into.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Apr 6, 2023 13:39:46 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 9, 2023 10:51:47 GMT -8
BC Ferries - Baynes Sound Connector Departure:
This video of mine shows the loading and departure of the BC Ferries cable ferry "Baynes Sound Connector" at Buckley Bay, on Vancouver Island.
The cable ferry's destination is Denman Island.
Seen by me on March 26, 2023, from the E&N Railway bridge.
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Post by WettCoast on Mar 25, 2024 19:25:13 GMT -8
Dangerous cargo ...
Baynes Sound Connector (cable ferry) arriving @ Buckley Bay (Vancouver Island) - 14 March 2024
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