MV Coho

[princessofvanfan]

Missing the summer tourist season will hit Black Ball hard. Fingers crossed they survive. I can't imagine the Inner Harbour without the old girl, and the unmistakable sound of her horn.

[Starsteward]

May 23, 2020 12:29:31 GMT -8 princessofvanfan said:

Missing the summer tourist season will hit Black Ball hard. Fingers crossed they survive. I can't imagine the Inner Harbour without the old girl, and the unmistakable sound of her horn.

     Amen, to that sentiment!
     It's bad enough we no longer have the magnificent steam whistles of the dear old 'Maggie', but to loose the 'COHO' as well, would be heartbreaking!

[Neil]

May 23, 2020 12:33:37 GMT -8 Starsteward said:

May 23, 2020 12:29:31 GMT -8 princessofvanfan said:

Missing the summer tourist season will hit Black Ball hard. Fingers crossed they survive. I can't imagine the Inner Harbour without the old girl, and the unmistakable sound of her horn.

     Amen, to that sentiment!
     It's bad enough we no longer have the magnificent steam whistles of the dear old 'Maggie', but to loose the 'COHO' as well, would be heartbreaking!

It would indeed be a shame to lose one of the last non-government run ferry services on our coast. I'm pretty certain that when this bizarre time is finished, we'll have lost so many private businesses that weren't monolithic enough to soldier on through. The Black Ball name has such a long history here, but it's hard to see how they could survive a shutdown lasting through this year.
Worthwhile noting that the Coho carries as many passengers as the entire AMHS system does in a year. There's clearly a value there.

[Blue Bus Fan]

Only time will tell if Black Ball Ferry Line will survive, hopefully they do because for economic benefits to Victoria and Port Angeles. Maybe if Black Ball Ferry Line goes out business maybe Province of British Columbia and State of Washington will have joint transportation deal signed for Victoria to Port Angeles and Anacortes to Sidney routes to keep them in service.  

[princessofvanfan]

May 23, 2020 20:45:25 GMT -8 Blue Bus Fan said:

Only time will tell if Black Ball Ferry Line will survive, hopefully they do because for economic benefits to Victoria and Port Angeles. Maybe if Black Ball Ferry Line goes out business maybe Province of British Columbia and State of Washington will have joint transportation deal signed for Victoria to Port Angeles and Anacortes to Sidney routes to keep them in service.  

An interesting idea. I wonder if this new entity would continue using the Coho, and if they did, what her new livery would look like.

[Blue Bus Fan]

May 24, 2020 1:31:32 GMT -8 princessofvanfan said:

May 23, 2020 20:45:25 GMT -8 Blue Bus Fan said:

Only time will tell if Black Ball Ferry Line will survive, hopefully they do because for economic benefits to Victoria and Port Angeles. Maybe if Black Ball Ferry Line goes out business maybe Province of British Columbia and State of Washington will have joint transportation deal signed for Victoria to Port Angeles and Anacortes to Sidney routes to keep them in service.  

An interesting idea. I wonder if this new entity would continue using the Coho, and if they did, what her new livery would look like.

I would say the MV Coho would be retired and replacement by four sisters, two vessels for Sidney route and two vessels for Port Angeles.

[princessofvanfan]

May 24, 2020 17:08:41 GMT -8 Blue Bus Fan said:

May 24, 2020 1:31:32 GMT -8 princessofvanfan said:

An interesting idea. I wonder if this new entity would continue using the Coho, and if they did, what her new livery would look like.

I would say the MV Coho would be retired and replacement by four sisters, two vessels for Sidney route and two vessels for Port Angeles.

Possibly, but I think any ship that operates across the Strait of Juan De Fuca needs to have a closed bow, to handle the big swells which occur often on that stretch of water, although Queen of Burnaby handled the Seattle run just fine. I could see WSF taking over the route and retaining the Coho. Hmmm...Coho in WSF colors...

[Kahloke]

Washington State Ferries, DOT, or whatever government entity, is in no position to take on any new services.  Possibly a private enterprise could come in and rescue Blackball at some point, but that usually doesn't go too well (ahem...V2V among other failed enterprises).  Clipper Vacations would be the obvious choice to take over Coho should Blackball fail, but even there, are they in a position to do that?

My hope is that the US/Canada border will re-open to general traffic this summer, and Coho can get back to sailing.  If it has to wait until sometime in 2021, and Blackball cannot survive that long, then we may very well end up seeing the service die, at least until another entity can fill the void, but that could take some time.  I, for one, would really miss the option of taking Coho into Victoria.  It's the quickest way for me to get to Vancouver Island from where I live, and it's a fun experience.  I sincerely hope Blackball survives this. 

[Starsteward]

I think I know the answer to the question I'll pose here but I'm interested in feedback from our learned members on both sides of the '49th as to the following:
1). Which of the 2 International routes between B.C. and Washington State provides more of an "essential" service to either country?
ie. The transport of essential goods and services and which route is more beneficial to each side in terms of the 'tourism' aspect?

2). Would there be any benefit to creating or re-working any of the two existing models into one entity that could provide an International service?
3). I am aware that there would probably be very little support from governments on either side to create a 'subsidized' entity as governments have already
gone deep into the red providing 'human benefit' dollar programs.
Historically, there has a transportation connection between B.C. and Washington State provided by two private companies and one State-run enterprise.
B.C. Ferries has never ventured into this area of enterprise. Is the time right to look at providing such a service to Washington State and perhaps the
State of Alaska?
...Just wonderin'

[paulvanb]

Just out of curiosity, how much commercial traffic is carried by the Coho?

[Kahloke]

May 25, 2020 12:45:10 GMT -8 Starsteward said:

I think I know the answer to the question I'll pose here but I'm interested in feedback from our learned members on both sides of the '49th as to the following:
1). Which of the 2 International routes between B.C. and Washington State provides more of an "essential" service to either country?
ie. The transport of essential goods and services and which route is more beneficial to each side in terms of the 'tourism' aspect?

2). Would there be any benefit to creating or re-working any of the two existing models into one entity that could provide an International service?
3). I am aware that there would probably be very little support from governments on either side to create a 'subsidized' entity as governments have already
gone deep into the red providing 'human benefit' dollar programs.
Historically, there has a transportation connection between B.C. and Washington State provided by two private companies and one State-run enterprise.
B.C. Ferries has never ventured into this area of enterprise. Is the time right to look at providing such a service to Washington State and perhaps the
State of Alaska?
...Just wonderin'

I can't say I'm a "learned" member, but it seems like Port Angeles-Victoria is more "essential" than Anacortes-Sidney.  Both rely heavily on tourism, but that article posted earlier in this thread states 28% of Coho's traffic is non-leisure.  It doesn't say how much of the 28% is commercial, but of the times I have been on Coho, I've seen box trucks and even logging trucks on the vessel.  I doubt Anacortes-Sidney gets much, if any, of that type of traffic.  Coho also links Vancouver Island to a different part of Washington than the WSF route, and offers an experience you cannot get elsewhere - that is the approach and departure from Victoria's Inner Harbour.

[Starsteward]

Is there any further press releases from the good folks at Black Ball regarding their current financial predicament?
I would agree that re-opening of the Canada/US border is the elephant in the room right now but I'm afraid there is NOT going to be a relaxation of Canada's
position any time soon.
In a much as Canada's Federal government may see the tantalizing prospect of re-opening the borders, the British Columbia position, led by Dr. Bonnie Henry
has been extremely conservative, and to date, her management of the crisis has been remarkably successful, a true example of 'tough love' if I've ever seen
it.

[Deleted]

News report of the Coho and WSF. Coho says it could be spring before return to service.

www.cheknews.ca/border-closure-stops-us-based-ferries-from-south-vancouver-island-676119/

[Kahloke]

Jun 18, 2020 14:01:53 GMT -8 @aurorasdiscovery said:

News report of the Coho and WSF. Coho says it could be spring before return to service.

www.cheknews.ca/border-closure-stops-us-based-ferries-from-south-vancouver-island-676119/

Not good news for Coho or Clipper.  If service is suspended until 2021, that could very easily put Blackball Ferry Line out of business.  I hope they can survive this.

[Deleted]

I hope so too.

ps; I liked to show agreement.

[princessofvanfan]

New Black Ball online store!

shop.blackball.com/

[paulvanb]

The sign on the door at Black Ball yesterday.

[princessofvanfan]

Hang in there, guys!

[Deleted]

Black Ball has a new on-line shop check it out.
shop.blackball.com/

[Deleted]

I could never live without the coho i have grown up spotting her with past g\f family and even veterans and the unmatched quality of service and the unmatched care they take upon themselves has and always will amaze mem and i was even fortunate enough to work as a terminal attendent with her for one summer, she is a lovely streamlined and yes i will even say as stunning to look at as the concorde, I will say without a doubt that if she goes down then i am goin down with her, i will move to vancouver if she goes so i can see and spot the tsawassen and horseshoe bay vessels. Cheers Jimmy.C

[princessofvanfan]

We stayed at Spinnaker's Brewpub Guesthouse in Victoria for two nights a couple of weeks ago, and it was sure strange not seeing Coho transiting through the inner and outer harbours every few hours and hearing that iconic horn of hers.

[avgeekjoe]

I don't see the border reopening until Late Spring of '21 at the earliest.

Neither Washington State nor British Columbia is in a position to add new ferry routes, nor the mood.

[Blue Bus Fan]

Hopefully Black Ball Ferry Line will survive this pandemic:

www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-pandemic-jeopardizes-future-of-historic-ferry-black-ball-ferry-line/281-4eb22247-7ef2-44a3-8c36-f7e8a81f30ec

[trainguru]

Any word on how Coho's coping- aside from the Online Shop?

What could they do within U.S. Waters, to Improve their Situation?

[WettCoast]

Oct 27, 2020 0:25:45 GMT -8 trainguru said:

Any word on how Coho's coping- aside from the Online Shop?

What could they do within U.S. Waters, to Improve their Situation?

Other than doing a Washington to Alaska service I can’t think of anything that could be done with the Coho at this time. Without staterooms she is not really suitable for long runs either.