MV Chelan

[crashlament]

I did'nt get a tour but rather a slideshow of the Chelan with a few photos of her new car deck paint. Enjoy!

[Low Light Mike]

Chelan making her way towards Sidney Spit, on her trip to Friday Harbor and Anacortes.
- evening of July 10, 2015

DSC09826 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

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And here's what that looks like, from high above and away on Mt. Maxwell:
- evening of July 14, 2015

DSCF1067 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

[Low Light Mike]

Last set of Chelan pics from me, for a while.

These are from my trip to Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island. These also show the difference between "good lighting" and "bad lighting" in terms of sun placement.

Good lighting, because the evening sun is behind me, for Chelan's July 14, 2015 evening sailing from Sidney:


With Queen of New Westminster
- a novelty shot
DSCF1059 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr


Entering Haro Strait
DSCF1096-2015 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr


=================
Poorer lighting, because the morning sun is in front of me, working against me on Chelan's July 15, 2015 morning sailing to Sidney:
- but I wanted to show the view of the Haro Strait route, as seen from my viewpoint.
DSCF1566 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr


At Sidney Spit
- with Swartz Bay just to the right of the photograph, unseen.
DSCF1576 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

[northwesterner]

Jul 16, 2015 19:39:39 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Last set of Chelan pics from me, for a while.

These are from my trip to Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island. These also show the difference between "good lighting" and "bad lighting" in terms of sun placement.

Good lighting, because the evening sun is behind me, for Chelan's July 14, 2015 evening sailing from Sidney:


With Queen of New Westminster
- a novelty shot
DSCF1059 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

This is so awesome!

[crashlament]

Jul 16, 2015 20:00:52 GMT -8 northwesterner said:

Jul 16, 2015 19:39:39 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Last set of Chelan pics from me, for a while.

These are from my trip to Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island. These also show the difference between "good lighting" and "bad lighting" in terms of sun placement.

Good lighting, because the evening sun is behind me, for Chelan's July 14, 2015 evening sailing from Sidney:


With Queen of New Westminster
- a novelty shot
DSCF1059 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

This is so awesome!

Just about one of the coolest pics i have ever seen!

[Low Light Mike]

Paul Zankich's Chelan and Phil Spaulding's Queen of New Westminster.

- separated by Coal Island, but still running together for a short time.

DSCF1079 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr



And a closer look
DSCF1081 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr



- seen from Mt. Maxwell on Salt Spring Island, on evening of July 14, 2015.

[Low Light Mike]

Here's a Chelan video that I shot at Sidney.
- The sepia tone indicates that it was shot in early July, during our south-coast smoke week.

This is her evening arrival, stay, departure on July 6, 2015

[Low Light Mike]

Chelan gets lots of exposure from my camera, because I love to vacation in Sidney BC, and Chelan likes to visit twice daily.

Here's a video of her leaving the slip on her July 10, 2015 noon sailing to Anacortes.




One of the interesting things about a stay-in-one-place vacation is that you get accustomed to the comings and goings of the locals. Chelan is one of those locals.

[Scott (Former Account)]

August 17, 2015

The following images posted by this account are copyright © S.A. ~ Unauthorized use is prohibited.

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WSF Chelan approaching Sidney. by Scott, on Flickr

WSF Chelan at Sidney. by Scott, on Flickr

WSF Chelan departing Sidney. by Scott, on Flickr

[chokai]

Here are several pictures of Chelan from a recent sailing trip in the San Juans.

Arrival in Friday Harbor on the evening of 9/11, shot from the C float on the Marina.




Chelan passing Lopez with Samish peeking out from behind as she prepares to leave the dock.


Chelan passing Kitsap in Rosario Strait.

[EGfleet]

A sparkly new Chelan at Edmonds, September 1982.

[R30A]

When I was surfing Archive.org, I found a nifty little article of sorts on the future of the Chelan, from the point of view of 1997!

Need extra space?

Just raise the deck!

Chelan to receive innovative retractable deck

Sometimes while working on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands run, the terminal agents wish that they had two different boats: One that could handle all the tall trucks trying to leave Anacortes in the early morning for their island stops, and another that could fit the hundreds of cars that queue up in the islands during the day.

As it is now, the ferry will leave the Anacortes dock half empty. Trucks are packed into the tall spaces in the middle of the vessel, while the side areas with lower clearances sit unused. Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled truckers who couldn't fit their rigs on the boat are left on the dock.

...an even better solution is on the way.

The terminal crews facing this dilemma won't get new boats, but an even better solution is on the way. The ferry system is planning on installing a unique retractable deck on the Chelan next fall. Several ferries in British Columbia have such retractable decks, and operators there have been extremely pleased with their performance.

Here's how it works. Upper decks along the sides of the boats can be raised and lowered through a hydraulic system. When there's a load of tall vehicles, the decks go up to convert the side areas of the ferry to tall space. When there's a heavy flux of cars, the decks go down. It all takes about 60 seconds.

...new upper decks, enabling them to carry 30 extra cars for a total load of 130 vehicles

The idea is to give the Chelan both added capacity for vehicles and flexibility, explains Stan Stumbo, the ferry system's chief naval architect. Four of the six ferries in the Issaquah class have already been given new upper decks, enabling them to carry 30 extra cars for a total load of 130 vehicles.

But those additions haven't increased the capacity for tall vehicles, such as trucks, cars with bikes and motor homes. This flexibility helps out in several ways. One is that the Chelan will be able to fill in as a replacement ferry on several runs, serving a truck-heavy route at one time, a car-heavy route at another, says Stumbo. Also, the retractable decks give the Chelan a total capacity of 142 vehicles, 12 more than the other renovated Issaquah Class ferries.

"We're ahead by 12 cars in the first place," comments Stumbo. "Plus you get the added flexibility."

This type of flexibility will come in handy in several other routes...

This type of flexibility will come in handy in several other routes beyond the San Juan Islands. On the Mukilteo/Clinton and Edmonds/Kingston routes, which serve as the main links to the Olympic Peninsula, commuter cars fill up the ferries during the week. But beginning Friday morning at Mukilteo and Edmonds, campers, cars hauling canoes and other tall vehicles increase in numbers. And on Sunday afternoon, Clinton and Kingston are hit by the returning vacationers.

The operators of BC Ferries experienced the same problems and turned to retractable decks as a solution. The hydraulic decks have drawn "thumbs-up" reviews in British Columbia. Stumbo's department tapped the expertise of the operators and designers of the Canadian system in designing the plans for the Chelan.

"We took advantage of somebody who had done this before," he says. "We quizzed the people at BC Ferries to see how well it works, how easy it is to maintain, and ultimately whether it's worth it."

...the retractable deck is more expensive than a new fixed deck.
As to the last question, Stumbo says the retractable deck is more expensive than a new fixed deck. "But in the overall scheme of things, this type of deck offers the cheapest added car capacity you can imagine."

The Chelan will go into the shipyard after the busy summer season to have the new deck installed. It will join the Issaquah, Kitsap, Kittitas and Cathlamet as Issaquah Class ferries with new decks and propulsion systems.

And Stumbo says if the ferry system is happy with the results on the Chelan, the same type of retractable deck will be considered for the last ferry in the Issaquah Class - the Sealth.

Here it is on the old WSF website:

[Kahloke]

Sept 30, 2015 21:38:34 GMT -8 R30A said:

When I was surfing Archive.org, I found a nifty little article of sorts on the future of the Chelan, from the point of view of 1997!

That's a blast from the past. Thanks for posting. I remember when WSF was seriously considering platform decks for Chelan. Thankfully, they chose not to go that route. It's interesting to read the article eluding to BC Ferries giving a "big thumbs up" to hoistable platforms. It seems to me it wasn't that many years later when BC Ferries changed their tune about the maintenance and operation of platform decks, and on the Spirits at least, they have pretty much stowed them, even adjusting the capacity from 470 vehicles (w/ the platforms) down to the current 410 (sans platform) number. And the Coastals were built without platform decks, so it seems the tide has turned against the use of platform decks.

Chelan, with it's fixed gallery decks, is much simpler in terms of maintenance, and is pretty much in-line with the rest of the Issaquahs, except for Sealth of course, which still retains its single car deck.

[Barnacle]

Sept 30, 2015 22:11:16 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Sept 30, 2015 21:38:34 GMT -8 R30A said:

When I was surfing Archive.org, I found a nifty little article of sorts on the future of the Chelan, from the point of view of 1997!

That's a blast from the past. Thanks for posting. I remember when WSF was seriously considering platform decks for Chelan. Thankfully, they chose not to go that route. It's interesting to read the article eluding to BC Ferries giving a "big thumbs up" to hoistable platforms. It seems to me it wasn't that many years later when BC Ferries changed their tune about the maintenance and operation of platform decks, and on the Spirits at least, they have pretty much stowed them, even adjusting the capacity from 470 vehicles (w/ the platforms) down to the current 410 (sans platform) number. And the Coastals were built without platform decks, so it seems the tide has turned against the use of platform decks.

Chelan, with it's fixed gallery decks, is much simpler in terms of maintenance, and is pretty much in-line with the rest of the Issaquahs, except for Sealth of course, which still retains its single car deck.

Agreed.  One of the best things WSF never did.

[Mike]

Sept 30, 2015 22:11:16 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Sept 30, 2015 21:38:34 GMT -8 R30A said:

When I was surfing Archive.org, I found a nifty little article of sorts on the future of the Chelan, from the point of view of 1997!

That's a blast from the past. Thanks for posting. I remember when WSF was seriously considering platform decks for Chelan. Thankfully, they chose not to go that route. It's interesting to read the article eluding to BC Ferries giving a "big thumbs up" to hoistable platforms. It seems to me it wasn't that many years later when BC Ferries changed their tune about the maintenance and operation of platform decks, and on the Spirits at least, they have pretty much stowed them, even adjusting the capacity from 470 vehicles (w/ the platforms) down to the current 410 (sans platform) number. And the Coastals were built without platform decks, so it seems the tide has turned against the use of platform decks.

Chelan, with it's fixed gallery decks, is much simpler in terms of maintenance, and is pretty much in-line with the rest of the Issaquahs, except for Sealth of course, which still retains its single car deck.

It's worth noting that, while the Coastals (and Northern Expedition) weren't built with platforms out of the shipyard, they were designed so that they can be installed at a later date if it proves necessary. 

[Mike C]

Oct 1, 2015 16:59:09 GMT -8 Mike said:

Sept 30, 2015 22:11:16 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

That's a blast from the past. Thanks for posting. I remember when WSF was seriously considering platform decks for Chelan. Thankfully, they chose not to go that route. It's interesting to read the article eluding to BC Ferries giving a "big thumbs up" to hoistable platforms. It seems to me it wasn't that many years later when BC Ferries changed their tune about the maintenance and operation of platform decks, and on the Spirits at least, they have pretty much stowed them, even adjusting the capacity from 470 vehicles (w/ the platforms) down to the current 410 (sans platform) number. And the Coastals were built without platform decks, so it seems the tide has turned against the use of platform decks.

Chelan, with it's fixed gallery decks, is much simpler in terms of maintenance, and is pretty much in-line with the rest of the Issaquahs, except for Sealth of course, which still retains its single car deck.

It's worth noting that, while the Coastals (and Northern Expedition) weren't built with platforms out of the shipyard, they were designed so that they can be installed at a later date if it proves necessary. 

Just to add to this, depends on the context: BCF has communicated the effectiveness of moveable platform decks in the Gulf Islands (re. the Cumberland) - smaller ship with greater flexibility. They have also expressed frustration with them on Spirits, mostly due to the time added during the loading process.

[Barnacle]

Oct 1, 2015 18:01:41 GMT -8 Mike C said:

Just to add to this, depends on the context: BCF has communicated the effectiveness of moveable platform decks in the Gulf Islands (re. the Cumberland) - smaller ship with greater flexibility. They have also expressed frustration with them on Spirits, mostly due to the time added during the loading process.

And after 40+ years of floating gallery decks on the Sisters, they've no right to be surprised, either.

[Olympic Ferries]

I went to Friday Harbor on Friday October 9 and took the 6:00pm from Ana to FH. Here are some pictures of the arriving Chelan as we departed Anacortes for Lopez (and FH)


Chelan arriving at Slip 1 in Anacortes from the Sun Deck of the Samish


Back of the Chelan, she has a lot of cars from Orcas


Chelan at Slip 1 and Anacortes ferry terminal as the Samish departs for FH and Lopez.

[Olympic Ferries]

Taken July 16, 2015

Approaching the Sidney, B.C terminal from Friday Harbor


Chelan at the Berth from the beach next to the terminal


Chelan - Nameplate


PassingSpidenIsland returning to Friday Harbor


Chelan - No. 2 End Picklefork


Sunset over the San Juans (Vancouver Island in the distance)


Sunset again - Vancouver Island in the distance

[Low Light Mike]

Chelan has been neglected on our forum for almost eleven months. Here are a couple of photographs to make her feel better:

- from Sidney on September 20, 2016
. by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr



Making the "Friday Harbor turn" after departing Sidney. This is to position the ship for taking on traffic at it's FH stop.
DSC06217 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

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During our days in Sidney, we noticed a definite "ferry traffic" impact when walking around the downtown area between 11:00am and noon each day. Lots of motorhomes parking near downtown to do some shopping, etc.

[Low Light Mike]

Chelan seen leaving Sidney BC, in late September 2016

DSC06202 by Mike Bonkowski, on Flickr

[Luke]

A few photos of the Chelan pulling duty on the Triangle last weekend, as seen from aboard the Kitsap.



Passing us by while en route to Vashon from Fauntleroy.



Approaching Slip 2, Vashon Island



Docking


Two Izzys at Vashon



Departing Vashon for another trip to Fauntleroy

[Olympic Ferries]

Nov 24, 2016 14:31:25 GMT -8 Luke said:

A few photos of the Chelan pulling duty on the Triangle last weekend, as seen from aboard the Kitsap.



Passing us by while en route to Vashon from Fauntleroy.



Approaching Slip 2, Vashon Island



Docking


Two Izzys at Vashon



Departing Vashon for another trip to Fauntleroy

It's nice to see the Chelan among her sisters at Vashon since she is usually operating alongside the Supers and the Samish. Great photos BTW.

[Olympic Ferries]

Does anyone have information about the status of the Chelan? She has been sitting in Anacortes at Slip 1 (moved to 4 this AM) since last night. I'd assume she'll remain standby until she starts the Sidney route on June 25.

[Kahloke]

May 14, 2017 10:38:16 GMT -8 Olympic Ferries said:

Does anyone have information about the status of the Chelan? She has been sitting in Anacortes at Slip 1 (moved to 4 this AM) since last night. I'd assume she'll remain standby until she starts the Sidney route on June 25.

She's been running the inter-island circuit as of late.  Looks like Tillikum's replaced her now.  I, of course, have no idea what's next for Chelan, but I'd be willing to bet it's one of these three scenarios:

1.  Chelan will replace Elwha if Elwha is due for some maintenance.  I kind of hope it's not this one, because we are getting into the busy time of the year, especially with Memorial Day weekend coming up, and Elwha's capacity is desperately needed on the domestic evening sailings.

2.  Chelan will be heading to Eagle Harbor until the summer schedule starts, either for maintenance, or as a standby vessel, or both.

3.  Chelan will be relieving another Issaquah class vessel, either at Mukilteo or Vashon (or maybe even Kitsap at Bremerton), until the summer schedule starts.