Swartz Bay ferry terminal - photos & discussion

[Ferryman]

An update of the New Berth 5, as of Sept 24th, 2011.

Here's a look at the new ramp, which is temporarily being held by pilings as it awaits for the floating concrete pontoon to be installed. The ramp looks considerably wider than what was originally there, but likely not wide enough for two lanes of traffic. This in my mind is a bit of a disappointment. This berth is supposed to be completed in November I believe. Most of the fixed position leads are in place, and the new floating leads should appear soon as well.

[WettCoast]

Swartz Bay Terminal, 9 April 1971, with the Queen of Sidney at Berth 3.



From the JST Flickr photo site ©

[mrdot]

:)alas, this is the Swartz Bay I last worked, about this date and I still have my memories in pastel blue! mrdot.

[Ferryman]

Another Swartz Bay update from today:

The apron has been installed on the new ramp already. Still no sign of the float though



The replacement leads for the turning dolphin at the end of Berth 4/5 is now complete. Demolition begins of the old turning dolphin. Easy does it now!!

[Ferryman]

Swartz Bay winter jam ups:

SOBC aiming for Berth 1, Queen of Cumberland in Berth 2, SOVI tied up in Berth 3, Mayne Queen tucked in behind at Berth 4, Berth 5 out of service, as seen from the Skeena Queen who has been stopped for 5 minutes to wait for the Queen of Cumberland to depart which is waiting for the SOBC to arrive.



Berth 5 update. Ramp shack, and hydraulic pump shack added to the ramp. Pilings are being driven in which will hold the float in place.

[Low Light Mike]

Can you see Swartz Bay terminal from the Mt. Maxwell viewpoint on Salt Spring Island?
- yes you can, but just the ferry sticking out of berth-2 and the Seaspan area.

Here are my views on October 19, 2011:

The early morning view (7:00am) with Coastal Celebration in berth-2



Carrier Princess in the Seaspan berth



Close up

[WettCoast]

Swartz Bay Terminal - 8 November 2005 - with the Esquimalt & Saanich together again...

From the JST Flickr photo site ©

For most of the years between 1963 and 1993 these two vessels were both 'home-ported' at Swartz Bay Terminal. They, along with the Tsawwassen based Queens of Vancouver & Victoria, provided the lions share of service on Route 1, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.

That changed when the Spirit class twins came into service in 1993/4. The Queen of Saanich then became the secondary route 1 vessel based out of Swartz Bay, and the Queen of Esquimalt became a spare, floating from terminal to terminal to cover for other vessels during their refits. Indeed that is likely what was the case in this photo, with the Saanich out of service and berthed bow-in at berth 3, while the Esquimalt is berthed stern-in (the normal practice) in berth 2 and will do the extra even hour sailings that were normally handled by the Saanich.

[WettCoast]

Regarding the photo I posted above...

Chris (Ferryman) has asked if the Saanich was just possibly in berth 4? It may have been but it is hard to say for sure from this photo.

I do know that these are 'for sure' the Esquimalt & Saanich because we know by this time the Victoria was gone, and these are not ‘B’s. That leaves the possibility of one of these being the Vancouver. However, I have a photo of the Van taken 90 minutes later at Tsawwassen. She was subbing for the New West on Route 30 at that time.

Historically Swartz Bay had 4 berths (not including the CP/Seaspan berth adjacent to the BCF facilities). The current berth 2 was added (late 70’s or early 80’s ?) between berth 1 and what is now called berth 3. Of course berth 3 was once berth 2, and berths 4 and 5 were once berth 3 & 4. I have seen many photos of the Queen of Sidney berthed at what is now berth 4. So, if the Sidney could
fit in there than so should the V class and the Spirit of Fulford Harbour.

It would be interesting to determine the actual year when the current berth 2 came into existence. I wonder if anyone here on the forum has information on this? I suspect that it was added in the early 1980's as the second double decked berth at Swartz Bay to accommodate the four lifted V class vessels.

[Ferryman]

Nov 9, 2011 18:21:48 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

Regarding the photo I posted above...

Chris (Ferryman) has asked if the Saanich was just possibly in berth 4? It may have been but it is hard to say for sure from this photo.

I do know that these are 'for sure' the Esquimalt & Saanich because we know by this time the Victoria was gone, and these are not ‘B’s. That leaves the possibility of one of these being the Vancouver. However, I have a photo of the Van taken 90 minutes later at Tsawwassen. She was subbing for the New West on Route 30 at that time.

Historically Swartz Bay had 4 berths (not including the CP/Seaspan berth adjacent to the BCF facilities). The current berth 2 was added (late 70’s or early 80’s ?) between berth 1 and what is now called berth 3. Of course berth 3 was once berth 2, and berths 4 and 5 were once berth 3 & 4. I have seen many photos of the Queen of Sidney berthed at what is now berth 4. So, if the Sidney could
fit in there than so should the V class and the Spirit of Fulford Harbour.

It would be interesting to determine the actual year when the current berth 2 came into existence. I wonder if anyone here on the forum has information on this? I suspect that it was added in the early 1980's as the second double decked berth at Swartz Bay to accommodate the four lifted V class vessels.

Wett Coast sent me the high resolution image of the one above. (Thanks by the way!)

I've examined it, and I'm 99.9% certain it's indeed the Saanich that is sitting in Berth 4. The Skeena fits in Berth 4 without much hassle (she has the same beam of a V-Class), although it is pretty tight. At least she has the benefit of 4 RAD's though. Just for proof that a V-Class could fit in Berth 4, here's a different angle from 1999. This looks like the Queen of Esquimalt is sitting there.

www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/North_Saanich/All/1999/001/2

Just for fun, here's probably one of my favourite photos of Swartz Bay of the good old days (for me at least)...actually there's a much better image of this one that is closer, but they don't seem to have it on here anymore.

www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/Sidney/All/1997/001/2

[chinook2]

Nov 11, 2011 9:11:42 GMT -8 Ferryman said:

Nov 9, 2011 18:21:48 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

Regarding the photo I posted above...

Chris (Ferryman) has asked if the Saanich was just possibly in berth 4? It may have been but it is hard to say for sure from this photo.

I do know that these are 'for sure' the Esquimalt & Saanich because we know by this time the Victoria was gone, and these are not ‘B’s. That leaves the possibility of one of these being the Vancouver. However, I have a photo of the Van taken 90 minutes later at Tsawwassen. She was subbing for the New West on Route 30 at that time.

Historically Swartz Bay had 4 berths (not including the CP/Seaspan berth adjacent to the BCF facilities). The current berth 2 was added (late 70’s or early 80’s ?) between berth 1 and what is now called berth 3. Of course berth 3 was once berth 2, and berths 4 and 5 were once berth 3 & 4. I have seen many photos of the Queen of Sidney berthed at what is now berth 4. So, if the Sidney could
fit in there than so should the V class and the Spirit of Fulford Harbour.

It would be interesting to determine the actual year when the current berth 2 came into existence. I wonder if anyone here on the forum has information on this? I suspect that it was added in the early 1980's as the second double decked berth at Swartz Bay to accommodate the four lifted V class vessels.

Wett Coast sent me the high resolution image of the one above. (Thanks by the way!)

I've examined it, and I'm 99.9% certain it's indeed the Saanich that is sitting in Berth 4. The Skeena fits in Berth 4 without much hassle (she has the same beam of a V-Class), although it is pretty tight. At least she has the benefit of 4 RAD's though. Just for proof that a V-Class could fit in Berth 4, here's a different angle from 1999. This looks like the Queen of Esquimalt is sitting there.

www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/North_Saanich/All/1999/001/2

Just for fun, here's probably one of my favourite photos of Swartz Bay of the good old days (for me at least)...actually there's a much better image of this one that is closer, but they don't seem to have it on here anymore.

www.globalairphotos.com/large/BC/Sidney/All/1997/001/2

Berth 2 was built in 1976 specifically for the Queen of Alberni. Berth 3 (the old berth 2) was the primary berth for rte.1 from 1960 to the early 1980s. Berth 4 (formerly 3) was used for Queen of Sidney in summer from 1965-75 and when needed as a layup slip--Queen of Surrey/the North was stored there for a time in the late 1970s.





Do not recall if 1 2 and 3 were all double decked in the early 1980s, but berth 3 was used by the Vs till about 1985, when a fire destroyed a portion of its overhead tunnel. Berth 2 became the primary berth until the terminal rebuild in the early 90s, when berth 1 became primary dock for route 1. Berth 3 was used for supplementary summer ships- the New West and Burnaby in the late 80s and early 90s, C Class in 1992.

[lmtengs]

Swartz Bay last thursday night:


I like how the lights reflect across the surface of the water.

[Low Light Mike]

Post card view of Swartz Bay, sometime in 1976 or soon after.




Majestic Postcards. Photo by B.C.Jennings

[lmtengs]

As of the Voyager trip day, berth 4 was still in service.

[Scott]

Dec 18, 2011 19:20:42 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Post card view of Swartz Bay, sometime in 1976 or soon after.




Majestic Postcards. Photo by B.C.Jennings

Does anyone know if this is a shot from an airplane or from an actual viewpoint on land that is still accessable today?

[WettCoast]

Dec 25, 2011 17:09:28 GMT -8 Scott said:

Does anyone know if this is a shot from an airplane or from an actual viewpoint on land that is still accessable today?

This would be from a plane/helicopter. There is no high vantage point just in behind the terminal.

[lmtengs]

Dec 25, 2011 17:09:28 GMT -8 Scott said:

Dec 18, 2011 19:20:42 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Post card view of Swartz Bay, sometime in 1976 or soon after.




Majestic Postcards. Photo by B.C.Jennings

Does anyone know if this is a shot from an airplane or from an actual viewpoint on land that is still accessable today?

This would be taken from an airplane or other flying thing. There are no tall landmasses that you could get that angle of the terminal from.

[Ferryman]

An update on Berth 5 at Swartz Bay:

The float has arrived just in the last couple of days. The ramp is still being held up by temporary pilings. The ramp is also outfitted with lighting, barriers, ramp shack. Almost literally, this is the final piece to add. However, the new floating leads have still yet to show up.

[Mike C]

Jan 16, 2012 0:15:19 GMT -8 Ferryman said:

An update on Berth 5 at Swartz Bay:

The float has arrived just in the last couple of days. The ramp is still being held up by temporary pilings. The ramp is also outfitted with lighting, barriers, ramp shack. Almost literally, this is the final piece to add. However, the new floating leads have still yet to show up.

I saw this piece of equipment getting constructed adjacent to the Queensborough Bridge in New Westminster. It looked like something for BCFS, but I couldn't put my finger on it...

I assume Berth 4 will be constructed here as well. I will make an effort to get some half-decent photos from the bus I take every day.

[Ferryman]

Here's a look at the new Berth 5 on January 22nd. I meant to post this a while ago obviously. For the record, the Skeena Queen was able to try the new berth out a couple of weeks ago, and the words the Captain used who docked it were, "It was TIGHT but it was a perfect fit".

There were alot of cars parked in the lot that day, because Route 1 had already been tied up for a sailing due to high winds.

[DENelson83]

That berth's startin' to look really good!

Sort of reminds me of the Mill Bay berth.

[Ferryman]

A week or so ago, the new Berth 5 was officially comissioned. Demolition of Berth 4 started about a day or so ago.

Here's a poor photo of the scene at Swartz Bay yesterday afternoon. The Mayne Queen is of course in Berth 5 and had just finished discharging her load of cars. The new berth has room to discharge two lanes of cars at a time, but not two lanes of commercial vehicles at a time. Berth 4 will be the same.

[Ferryman]

Here's yet another update of Swartz Bay from tonight:

Berth 4: Wingwalls have been removed already, and the ramp is being readied for demolition.

Berth 5: The Skeena Queen used it tonight, although not for the first time. I took a few photos of it with my cell phone, so I apologize for the quality. Hopefully you get the idea though. Driving down this new berth was pretty nice I must say. The ramp is nice and wide, and the night time lighting above the ramp is fantastic. Four powerful flood lights light up the ramp nicely.

Here's the Skeena Queen sitting in the berth (Coastal Celebration tied up in Berth 3, and Coastal Renaissance is in behind at Berth 2..)

[WettCoast]

Swartz Bay Terminal c2001 with queens of Saanich, Cumberland & Mayne (mostly hidden)

photo © Mr. DOT by Wett Coast, on Flickr[/size]

[mrdot]

:)even in the old expo livery the fleet looked better than the backward sluggs! these were my delta planning years, which included numerous trips back to swartz bay! and then the pvte. clenzing of the fleet! ::)mrdot.

[Ferryman]

An update of Berth 4 at Swartz Bay on May 2nd, 2012

The old Berth 4 is long gone. The footings for the new ramp are being built, as well as the pilings which will hold the float in place are already being drilled in.