Swartz Bay ferry terminal - photos & discussion

[pscurr]

a New Years Eve Quiz "Name that Terminal"

[Low Light Mike]

re Name that terminal:

Swartz Bay: looking into the drop-trailer lot used by CPR / Seaspan.

[pscurr]

You are too quick. I need to find another puzzle photo.

[Retrovision]

From the same publication (1967)...

(Page 12)

Amor de Cosmos was a colourful figure of early British Columbia -- as colourful as the name he adopted, "Love of the Word." Newspapers of the time suggest that as late as 1887, in an address to the electors of Victoria, de Cosmos maintained his faith in the Seymour Narrows crossing. However in 1889 he wrote at length in the Victoria Colonist. He was now the supporter of a proposed railway, the V.S. and N.W. (Victoria Saanich and New Westminster), which would reach the main lines of the continent by a ferry crossing the Gulf of Georgia. The ferry would depart from Swartz Bay at 20 knots to reach the mainland in one hour and ten minutes.

The proposal was belittled by correspondents of the day. One "J.A.T." writing to the editor of the Colonist, considered the 20 knot speed to be absolutely uneconomic. "If he could be content with 11 or 12 knots then we might talk business. But 20 knots , or anything like it, will never be a commercial success, and without that it is a white elephant."

Seventy years later the vsion of Amor de Cosmos, with fast rolling rubber on black top rather than the proposed steel on steel, became the vision of British Columbia's Bennett. He too would select Swartz Bay as a terminal and his ferries, too, would be capable of 20 knots.

[ProudCanuck]

Does anyone have any pics of the upgraded berth 2 at Swartz Bay?

I am curious, does the foot passenger walkway serve both berths 2 & 3 like the ones at Horseshoe Bay?

[johnnytindale]

Aug 7, 2008 10:00:44 GMT -8 ProudCanuck said:

I am curious, does the foot passenger walkway serve both berths 2 & 3 like the ones at Horseshoe Bay?

Yes.

[Alex]

Here's a pic that I took:

[ProudCanuck]

Excellent photos guys, thanks that helps a lot.

[westcoaster]

Actually I challenge anyone to find a ship in the fleet that can use the walk way in berth 3. Notice how the dock is actually closer to the shore than on dock 2. When the Saanich docks in berth 3, the walk way actually lines up with the rescue boat, making it unusable. Same problem with the spirit, when it uses berth 3 the walk way lines up with the cafeteria. Since the Coastals are designed to use the current set up like on dock 1 and 2, i doubt they would fit in. Even the Cumberland can not use the walk way as it doesn't line up right. This has baffled me from when they were building the thing. It's never been used and probably never will.

[ProudCanuck]

Perhaps the rebuilt New West?

[Political Incorrectness]

That is sad since they paid to have that uprgaded, one problem I saw was a height constraint, secondly, length. Why not have done an HSB design where it can adjust to various lengths and heights?

[Ferryman]

Aug 11, 2008 9:21:50 GMT -8 @westcoaster said:

Actually I challenge anyone to find a ship in the fleet that can use the walk way in berth 3. Notice how the dock is actually closer to the shore than on dock 2. When the Saanich docks in berth 3, the walk way actually lines up with the rescue boat, making it unusable. Same problem with the spirit, when it uses berth 3 the walk way lines up with the cafeteria. Since the Coastals are designed to use the current set up like on dock 1 and 2, i doubt they would fit in. Even the Cumberland can not use the walk way as it doesn't line up right. This has baffled me from when they were building the thing. It's never been used and probably never will.

Well, I'll at least give this challenge a shot. I have a bit of a theory, althought I don't know if it will make any sense.

I took a Good look at the V-Class, and couldn't find any way of being able to use that skywalk on them. That would make sense, with them not lasting too much longer.

The next runner up for ships using Swartz Bay, would be the Coastal Celebration. The Coastals are cookie-cutter ships, so they will have all of the same characteristics, disregarding the Olympic logos, and interior. The Coastals are the most flexible ships for use of the skywalk. This is because there is 5 ramp access points on both sides of the vessel on Deck 5 (promenade deck). 3 access points on the #1 end (Mainland end), and 2 access points on the #2 end (Island end). At Tsawwassen in berth 3, the Coastal Inspiration uses the picklefork deck as the ramp access, allowing you to peek through the windows of the bridge as you walk by. But there is two more ramp points besides the pickle fork deck access points, on the otherside of the security baracade. Now if she was to use the Mainland end on the Island end, she would have to use the ramp access points on the public side of the security baracade. This leaves one last access point, which is furthest in towards the center of the ship. So this leaves me to believe, that for whatever a reason that a Coastal must use Berth 3 at Swartz Bay, it would have to turn around and use the #1 end (mainland end) as the end to put in towards the dock, in order for the gates to lineup with the ramp. Here's a photo of the Coastal Celebration herself. She is pointed right way around, having the #2 end into the dock. So take a good look at all of the 5 ramp access slots.



The third runner up, would be a C-Class. I think it would be possible to line the ramp up with the ramp access on the sundeck (deck 6), which is right beside the solarium. This access point is used sometimes at Horseshoe Bay. This is when she is docked in Berth 1 (closest to the Marina), or when in Berth 2, and uses the Langdale skywalk. You can just barely see this access point in this photo of the Queen of Oak Bay, which can be seen up above the left side of the #3 MEC station.



Fourthly, I've decided that the Spirits do not have any potential for other ramp access points.

[Low Light Mike]

From the collection of forum member "7 Sisters", from his photobucket account:
s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/
- click on the photo to get to the full-size option.
===================================

Swartz Bay:

[lmtengs]

Nov 14, 2009 23:26:28 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

From the collection of forum member "7 Sisters", from his photobucket account:
s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/
- click on the photo to get to the full-size option.
===================================

Swartz Bay:

How come the ferry on the right has a yellow front? Was that just a colour error when the picture was developed?

[WettCoast]

I agree, it does look 'yellow', but it isn't. This picture is from a post card. It is likely the post card colours were 'off' to begin with. Colour restoration might help with making everything look more natural.

In the photo you can see a 'V' in original configuration at berth 1. The Sidney (or perhaps the Tsawwassen) is at berth 3. Just off shore is the Salty aka Salt Spring Queen.

[lmtengs]

Nov 14, 2009 23:26:28 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

From the collection of forum member "7 Sisters", from his photobucket account:
s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/
- click on the photo to get to the full-size option.
===================================

Swartz Bay:

Another Question, what is that bluish coloured Wall full of windows that goes along the edge of the terminal? I seee some little holes in it with berth numbers above them. Is the wall a wind block?

[Retrovision]

That was the foot passenger walkway, the holes are the little slats of windows. this structure is of the same design as the one that was at Tsawwassen. I'm sure someone will jump in with an image of either. I have several memories of the similar walkway at Tsawwassen from the old foot passenger terminal building that exists today as the maintenance facility; it was always struck me about how few windows there were and how small they were. I can remember looking out practically each window as we walked past. The only reminder left of this walkway's design is at Tsawwassen: The building between Berths 1 and 2 still bears the angled "mansard" type roof - wall actually - on its second story and was where the old walkway reached the two original main berths, 1 and 2, in a line from that old terminal building.

[Low Light Mike]

Dec 18, 2007 21:23:34 GMT -8 pscurr said:

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[FerryDude2012]

Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal:


Empty Berth 5 waiting room:


Berth 3 Swartz Bay:


Swartz Bay Terminal vehicles:


Empty Berth 1 waiting room (Swartz Bay)


Entrance to the Foot Passenger Building(Swartz Bay)

[Ferryman]

Swartz Bay this morning, just as the SOVI and Celebration were waking up for the day.

[Low Light Mike]

Photos from August 26, 2010, during a route-1 cruise.

Swartz Bay:

- does anyone know what is being built, between berths #1 & #2?



Livery stable for the horses of Dave's Stagecoach Service.

[Nick]

Aug 29, 2010 16:43:51 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Swartz Bay:

- does anyone know what is being built, between berths #1 & #2?

It's a new sanitation facility. Rather than treat sewage and discharge into Swartz Bay, as has been done since the terminal was built, they are going to pump up to the municipal sewage system that has recently reached the Lands End area. Also, some of the vessels such as the Skeena Queen are going to pump ashore (and may already be doing so... I'm not sure) rather than treating and discharging on board.

[Ferryman]

The sewage system on the Skeena chews everything up to a pulp. Then once a day, the Deckhands get to hook the sewage hose up to the hookup on the ramp to discharge the sewage. The process takes about 15-20 minutes to do, which also includes a flushing the system out with fresh water for 2 minutes before and after the sewage is discharged for sanitation purposes.

[Low Light Mike]

Here is a new thread for photos of Swartz Bay terminal, and discussion related to those photos.

[Low Light Mike]

Jul 29, 2009 7:34:07 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

...And some pictures from Swartz Bay:

The Seaspan dock, loading Doris Yorke. From what I can tell, there are no dolphins for this dock.


Arriving at Berth-2 on the Skeena Queen:


View of berths 4 & 5: