MV Coho

[Low Light Mike]

Some stills that I shot of Coho this morning, from the Songhees walkway viewpoint in Esquimalt.

She was 15 minutes late in arriving; she arrived into the harbour at 9:45am, and docked at 10:00am. She departed almost on-time, at 10:35am.

Standing at this location in the Victoria harbour, I wondered what it must have been like to watch Captain Troup's various steamships coming and going from the harbour, and docking at the lovely Rattenbury designed terminal building...


First glimpse, as she arrives. She's between the red & green markers.
- the angle of the sun is in my favour here.




Coming and going views, as she passes the narrows at Laurel Point.







Approaching her berth, with splendid historical architecture in the background.
- I like how the dome of the Legislative Assembly building lines up with the ship.




3 Ferries:
- Coho, Victoria Clipper IV, and one of the many harbour ferries




Backing up to leave.
- not quite as far back as she went one time, last month...

[Koastal Karl]

She always arrives at 9:45am as she leaves Port Angeles at 8:15am. lol! So she would actually of been on time.

[Low Light Mike]

Aug 5, 2013 22:11:01 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

She always arrives at 9:45am as she leaves Port Angeles at 8:15am. lol! So she would actually of been on time.

What I meant was that she came into view at 9:45am at the harbour entrance. She was docked by 10:00am; 15 minutes late.

[Low Light Mike]

Here is my video of Coho at Victoria.
- August 5, 2013.

[Low Light Mike]

A few more stills of the Coho's arrival at Victoria harbour, on August 5, 2013.
- I'm at the Songhees walkway in Esquimalt.





It's always a great feeling to know that the approaching ship will be passing right in front of you...
(she reminds me of AMHS' LeConte in this photo)




This is the view and location that have me imagining Captain Troup's coast-service steamships arriving at the CPR dock in Victoria.

[Low Light Mike]

Coho's departure from the Belleville St. berth in Victoria.
- seen by me from the Songhees walkway in Esquimalt on August 5, 2013.

I was shooting into the direction of the sun, hence the lighting and colouring problems....

Coho backs into a busy harbour, where not all the small boats are paying attention






Engaging engines to ahead-forward



...this is as far back as she went (this time)



Moving forward

[Low Light Mike]

...and here's my final instalment in my Coho-in-Victoria set of photos, from August 5, 2013.

Her departure:

3 slightly different angles of her, after she has passed Laurel Point.
- plenty of people on the outside aft deck on a sunny summer morning.










------------

Turning to leave the harbour, heading for the strait of Juan de Fuca

[princessofvanfan]

Wow, some beautiful pictures of the old girl. She's always been one of my all time faves, and I'm really looking forward to our trip aboard her next Saturday, my first since I was 18 back in 1987.

[Low Light Mike]

Here is a sped-up video of my August 5, 2013 morning at Victoria Harbour.
- sped-up 10x

It is all of my footage, which includes the Coho, the 'Clipper and a few seaplanes.

[Mike]

I went over to the Island today, and made sure to be in the Victoria harbour area when the Coho arrived in the afternoon.


M/V Coho arriving in Victoria BC by West Coast Photography, on Flickr

[SolDuc]

It's been over three months since the last post in this thread, and today I have some very interesting content to share. We spend the weekend up in the Skagit Valley for the Eagle festival and I made sure to stop in Anacortes on the way back to see the Coho, fresh from the Strait of Juan de Fuca on her second day of annual drydocking. A mix of the setting sun and clear weather gave me that stunning shot with baker in the background:

MV Coho in Drydock at Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes - Black Ball Ferry Line by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

A pano shot, showing the bow and a bit of the Island scenery in the background.

MV Coho in Drydock at Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes - Black Ball Ferry Line by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

The bow. The same drydock extension that is used to work on the supers is also present here:

MV Coho in Drydock at Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes - Black Ball Ferry Line by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

Finally a complete shot from the front of the "Pier 1" building:

MV Coho in Drydock at Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes - Black Ball Ferry Line by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

Moderators: Can the "MV" prefix be added to the name of the thread? It looks weird without it.

[Low Light Mike]

Jan 20, 2014 22:24:33 GMT -8 SolDuc said:

Moderators: Can the "MV" prefix be added to the name of the thread? It looks weird without it.

Good idea.

done.

[Koastal Karl]

how did you get that close???

[SolDuc]

Jan 20, 2014 22:39:07 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

how did you get that close???

Well, if I recall well I used my feet to get around. Not sure, I might've used a segway a little but I'm almost certain I sticked to my feet.

Talking seriously, we just drove down Commercial Avenue all the way down to the water, right in front of the DCI's office. We parked there then I walked the length of the pier, until I wasn't allowed to go farther, which would be right when they have the gangway to access the pier just west of the shipyard.
If this makes no sense then just look it up on Google Maps.

[Low Light Mike]

Jan 20, 2014 22:52:34 GMT -8 SolDuc said:

Talking seriously, we just drove down Commercial Avenue all the way down to the water, right in front of the DCI's office. We parked there then I walked the length of the pier, until I wasn't allowed to go farther, which would be right when they have the gangway to access the pier just west of the shipyard.
If this makes no sense then just look it up on Google Maps.

So this would be one of the closest-access shipyards in our region, regarding the ability for the public to get up-close without needing permission.

I can't think of any other places that give you such an open-access, up-close, unobstructed and relevant view of a working drydock.

[SolDuc]

Jan 21, 2014 14:45:00 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

So this would be one of the closest-access shipyards in our region, regarding the ability for the public to get up-close without needing permission.

I can't think of any other places that give you such an open-access, up-close, unobstructed and relevant view of a working drydock.

It's for sure the one where they let the public the closest. If I really wanted to, I could've reached out and touched the drydock, that's how close you can get.

Of course you can get very close to any floating drydock in the region from the water, but you have to keep out of a 100ft (30m) radius around the drydock (US I'm sure - Canada maybe?).

[princessofvanfan]

Very interesting pix.

[Low Light Mike]

A Clyde Herrington photo from a mid 1960's Province of BC publication entitled "Industrial British Columbia."
- from some of the text in the book, I can determine that this book was done no later than early-1967. But that doesn't mean that the photo isn't a few years older.

Sure you can look at the 2 BC Ferries hulls at VMD shipyard and wonder which two they are.

...but you could move your gaze upwards and see the young ferry working it's way into Victoria's inner harbour.

[Low Light Mike]

Coho's Victoria terminal:

Here is a Province of BC news release, regarding the next 3 years of management of the Belleville St. terminal

VICTORIA - The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has signed a three-year lease extension with Black Ball Ferry Line (MV Coho) to ensure this valuable ferry service between Victoria and Port Angeles continues.

Extending the lease to 2016 will allow the ministry and Black Ball time to develop a long-term plan for the wharves. The ministry is also working with the Clipper Ferry to extend its lease.

The ministry will carry out an engineering assessment of the wharves used by these ferries to determine their condition, remaining lifespan and what repairs are needed. This information will be used to develop a plan for these assets, based on the scope and cost of repairs.

Effective today, the ministry will take responsibility of the Belleville Ferry Terminal properties, as part of the dissolution of the Provincial Capital Commission. This will ensure the Government of B.C. can continue to provide the best possible use of these resources while respecting the interests of taxpayers.

The Belleville Ferry Terminal properties will be considered in the Vancouver Island Transportation Strategy, which will work to improve the safe and reliable movement of goods and people by land, rail, air and sea on the Island. The properties will also be part of the provincewide 10-year transportation plan, which will outline the government’s vision and priorities for the next decade.

Full item HERE

[princessofvanfan]

As much as I love the Coho still docking in the Inner Harbour after all these years, I do think moving her terminal to Ogden Point would make sense from a safety and scheduling point of view (remember her mishap a few months back? And how much time and fuel would be saved operating from there?). However, I do love the sight of her transiting the narrows by Laurel Point as she enters the Inner Harbour, as well as the familiar and uniquely comforting tone of her whistle. And the view from onboard, standing on her vast forward promenade deck, as she arrives is breathtaking ; by far the best way to arrive in Victoria. We'll be taking her again this summer on our annual Island trip for a day of exploring Port Angeles. Can't wait. It's truly wonderful we still have a Spaulding original, in such fine, original condition, to sail on. Long live M.V. Coho. By the way, does anyone know the story behind the "Barbara Streisand Room" onboard this fine vessel?

[Starsteward]

May 6, 2014 21:49:57 GMT -8 princessofvanfan said:

As much as I love the Coho still docking in the Inner Harbour after all these years, I do think moving her terminal to Ogden Point would make sense from a safety and scheduling point of view (remember her mishap a few months back? And how much time and fuel would be saved operating from there?). However, I do love the sight of her transiting the narrows by Laurel Point as she enters the Inner Harbour, as well as the familiar and uniquely comforting tone of her whistle. And the view from onboard, standing on her vast forward promenade deck, as she arrives is breathtaking ; by far the best way to arrive in Victoria. We'll be taking her again this summer on our annual Island trip for a day of exploring Port Angeles. Can't wait. It's truly wonderful we still have a Spaulding original, in such fine, original condition, to sail on. Long live M.V. Coho. By the way, does anyone know the story behind the "Barbara Streisand Room" onboard this fine vessel?

In terms of traffic movement, possible mishaps etc. I agree moving to Ogden Point might make sense, but you made a 'psychological' comment that bears comment.
The constant hustle and bustle (white noise) of everday urban life is the norm which we city dwellers tacitly accept as part of the 'urban contract'. 
Knifing through the blizzard of white noise, city dwellers are offered crumbs of solace and constancy with the sounding of ship's whistles, heard on a regular basis throughout the day, that there really are 'anchors' in our daily lives.
I fondly remember the 'all's well' feeling that serenaded my senses whenever I heard the throaty whislte of the dear old 'Princess Marguerite' entering or leaving Victoria's Inner Harbour. It was, as if the world around me was on still on time, dependable and constant. We often take the small pleasures in life for granted, whereas we are offered small solaces if we allow them to work their magic.
     

[princessofvanfan]

:'(Oh, man. Don't get me going on the Maggie!

[Starsteward]

In my humble opinion,the 'destruction' of the 'Maggie' was akin to the loss of a family member, and as such I will say no more.
Note to the next replier: Don't get me going on the 'Maggie'

[Low Light Mike]

Coho, seen from Port Angeles terminal, as she makes her way near to the point of the spit.
- noonish on July 17, 2014

As she approached, a fellow tourist remarked at how large the ferry is. I told her that Coho is a "small ferry." She was amazed...

[Low Light Mike]

Here I am on Queen of Tsawwassen. Or maybe it's Taku. Or maybe it's Coho.

July 17, 2014 in Juan de Fuca strait:















Phil's bridge-wing, and his door to the raised forward-lounge. Classic signature items...