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Post by EGfleet on Mar 31, 2009 13:37:41 GMT -8
1) A more true picture of the situation will be just how many people are riding Monday. Or next Sunday. Or was I not supposed to ask that question?  1a) To be fair, I do know that I really shouldn't ask that question until about May..... 2) So........ Along with the dignitaries aboard and a Mountie to greet one and all, were there any semi-famous ferry historians aboard this year?? Er...if this is a reference to me, I'd argue that on famous radar scope, I wouldn't ever rate a semi blip.  I'll accept ferry historian though.  No, I wasn't on board. Had I been, I would have given Mary Margaret Haugen a piece my mind on the four Island Homes she's intent on cramming down our throats. Point of fact, I'm likely not to be on the Anacortes-Sidney run any longer...certainly not for the spring schedule. |
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Post by whidbeyislandguy on Mar 31, 2009 14:26:00 GMT -8
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Post by Kahloke on Mar 31, 2009 14:54:37 GMT -8
For my money, 3 at the very most is what they need:
2 at PT-KEY
1 at PD-TAHL to replace Rhody
Any more than that is a waste of money, and it takes funds away from building the 144-car vessels.
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Post by SS Shasta on Mar 31, 2009 16:06:26 GMT -8
No, I wasn't on board. Had I been, I would have given Mary Margaret Haugen a piece my mind on the four Island Homes she's intent on cramming down our throats.  Lol I can only imagine, Although they are nice boats I still question why four when they aren't that needed. Bigger is needed, though I guess four small is better then none. Something tells me this is so they have a boat to be able to retire the Rhoddy. I question whether the Island Homes design is large enough to replace the Rhody and make good sense. WSF lists a 60 vehicle capacity for the Rhody and only 67 for the IH. A net gain of 7 vehicle spaces is not enough for a new vessel. When MV Hiyu was built for the run in 1967, she lasted about 20 years and then was considered too small. Certainly an Evergreen sized vessel is about the right size. These same dumb mistakes. Why do they go on and on? |
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 1, 2009 8:30:36 GMT -8
Back to the topic at hand: it appears the Sidney run gets a reprieve, at least for now. FROM ISLANDS SOUNDER: BC Ferries reduces landing fees by $100,000; Sidney ferry run saved in transportation budgetsMar 31 2009, 4:56 PM · UPDATED BC Ferries has agreed to reduce landing fees for the Anacortes-San Juan Islands-Sidney ferry by $100,000 a year for the next three years, a savings of around 25 percent, state lawmakers announced today. Washington State Ferries currently pays roughly $520,000 a year in fees, or a $1.4 million in the state’s biennial budget, for use of the Sidney ferry landing, according to WSF spokeswoman Marta Coursey. The reduction, the result of discussions by state Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Anacortes, Anacortes Mayor Dean Maxwell of Anacortes and Sidney Mayor Larry Cross, helped keep the ferry run in the House and Senate transportation budgets. Morris met with Sidney officials earlier in March to negotiate a compromise in current lease rates. The lease rate was a factor in WSF’s decision to propose the elimination of the Sidney run. “Sidney’s move to reduce our landing cost by $100,000 clearly sends the message this is a partnership and not a one-way relationship,” Morris said in an announcement today. Gov. Christine Gregoire's budget initially planned for the ferry run's elimination as an expense reduction measure, but the House and Senate both agreed to keep funding for the route in their budgets. Morris, who is also House speaker pro tem, was among the members representing lawmakers from Olympia who have constructed this year’s Transportation budget. He participated in a rally at the Sidney, B.C., terminal on Sunday, joining about 250 islanders and mainlanders who sailed aboard the MV Chelan from Anacortes and the San Juans. www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/news/42233217.html |
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Post by EGfleet on Apr 1, 2009 11:14:54 GMT -8
I question whether the Island Homes design is large enough to replace the Rhody and make good sense. WSF lists a 60 vehicle capacity for the Rhody and only 67 for the IH. A net gain of 7 vehicle spaces is not enough for a new vessel. When MV Hiyu was built for the run in 1967, she lasted about 20 years and then was considered too small. Certainly an Evergreen sized vessel is about the right size. These same dumb mistakes. Why do they go on and on? This belongs in another thread, however... The state hasn't updated the capacity of the Rhody on the website in a long while...it is nowhere near 60 cars. These days it is right around 48. |
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Post by Barnacle on Apr 1, 2009 21:22:01 GMT -8
This belongs in another thread, however... The state hasn't updated the capacity of the Rhody on the website in a long while...it is nowhere near 60 cars. These days it is right around 48. I wondered why you were asking... ;D Yes, I'd say the Rhody's realistically good for about 48 cars. The Hiyu's only good for 34. Maybe. |
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Post by EGfleet on Apr 8, 2009 12:35:43 GMT -8
Foreign-hulled boat may replace
Chelan as Sidney run
Would reduce domestic service
posted 04/07/2009 San Juan Islander
San Juan County Councilmember Howie Rosenfeld informed the county Council Washington State Ferries is looking for a fast-speed foreign-hulled boat to serve the international ferry service to Sidney, B.C. Since such a boat can only land at one domestic port, a choice would have to be made between Orcas, Friday Harbor and Anacortes.
Washington State Ferries lacks back-up ferries for its entire system and would pull the Chelan from the San Juan route which would then lose some domestic service.
The council had heavily lobbied the state legislature to save service to Sidney saying it provided extra domestic service.
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Post by Barnacle on Apr 8, 2009 13:14:41 GMT -8
Fast-speed? Phenomenally bad idea. We've been down that road before. Foreign-hulled? Also a phenomenally bad idea, given that we've only one run we could use it on, and that run is biennially on the chopping block...  |
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 8, 2009 13:16:56 GMT -8
Is this a joke? I thought April Fools Day was 8 days ago Maybe they'd be interested in a "Fast Cat", like the one I have as my banner this month ;D |
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Post by Barnacle on Apr 8, 2009 13:18:05 GMT -8
Is this a joke? I thought April Fools Day was 8 days ago Apparently it is not a joke, but it is a farce... |
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Post by BreannaF on Apr 8, 2009 15:30:32 GMT -8
posted 04/07/2009 San Juan Islander San Juan County Councilmember Howie Rosenfeld informed the county Council Washington State Ferries is looking for a fast-speed foreign-hulled boat to serve the international ferry service to Sidney, B.C. Since such a boat can only land at one domestic port, a choice would have to be made between Orcas, Friday Harbor and Anacortes. Washington State Ferries lacks back-up ferries for its entire system and would pull the Chelan from the San Juan route which would then lose some domestic service. Clearly this is the hope of a local politician who is trying to help his local area, which in itself is not a bad thing. The problem is that he has not even bothered to look beyond his own local area -- even to the neighbouring areas that the proposed ferry would connect his area to. It it easy to join the mob and blindly chant "Save the ferries." It is quite another to actually think the issue through and come up with a solution that everyone could agree with. Does he really think that his constituents would stand for the wake of a fast ferry any more than the folks along Rich Passage? The same folks who have banned Jet Skis in the county would put up with the wake of a fast ferry? If someone at WSF really did suggest this, it must have been a week earlier on April first. Or they haven't looked at resent history. Whatever.... If I were thinking outside the box, like he is trying to do, I could dream of perhaps one daily trip from Anacortes to Sidney, with perhaps a couple of more from Sidney to Friday Harbor (one foreign stop per trip). An Anacortes to Sidney traveler could take the direct trip, or conceivably take a ferry from Anacortes to FH, then circle the block in FH and transfer to the FH to Sidney boat. All while getting an order of fish & chips and buying a book in FH while waiting for the transfer. The problem is, though, that this presumes that there are a lot of tourists looking for that six-hour ferry trip from the US mainland to Victoria. When we can't fill the current boat now, I just don't see a scenario that would really help in his area. As a San Juan County councilor, I presume he has actually rode on ferries and knows the situation as it is, no? From this bout of wishful thinking, you could understand if I might wonder whether he never leaves his home island. Or talks to anyone who rides a ferry. Besides, if the point of this exercise is to free up the Chelan and take her out of the SJI, doesn't that make the real picture for his constituents worse? He might want to watch out for what he wishes for....
Maintenant, voici un éléphant rose volant . |
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Post by SS Shasta on Apr 8, 2009 18:24:44 GMT -8
The idea of the State of Washington operating a foreign flagged vessel is just sick, sick, sick! If the responsible person for this idea is a State or WSF employee, they should be fired immediately  . We can certainly think of schemes to undermine American working folks. If such schemes come from bureaucrats in the public sector, I find them even more disgusting. Would they try to hire foreign crews to operate such a vessel? |
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 8, 2009 18:50:44 GMT -8
I got the impression that the idea is to purchase an existing foreign hulled fast vessel (I hear there are some "Fast Cats" for sale ), but even that doesn't seem to be a very realistic scenario. |
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Post by whidbeyislandguy on Apr 9, 2009 2:08:19 GMT -8
Wait, you mean to tell us that we can't get them built out of state, because they want the money to go here, but they are willing to look at getting one from another country that can only be used on one run  That is Nuts. for once I agree with Shasta, this person should be fired... |
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FNS
Voyager 
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
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Post by FNS on Apr 9, 2009 7:57:50 GMT -8
I got the impression that the idea is to purchase an existing foreign hulled fast vessel (I hear there are some "Fast Cats" for sale ), but even that doesn't seem to be a very realistic scenario. The use of big fast cats would be highly discouraged in the San Juans, anyway, due to so much pleasure vessels cruising there, and having to slow down in many spots. Yes, this can go around the islands. But such feat is unattractive to those who want to enjoy the beauty of the islands. One idea is to get the GARIBALDI II, install a small snack bar on the Sun Deck aft, install an elevator, and run this between Friday Harbor and Sidney at least two or three round trips a day during Summer. Another option is to get another IH-Class ferry built. Install passenger day rooms on the port Mezzanine Deck and add a duty free shop over the rescue boat station at End 2 on that side and a US Customs office at End 1. Run that between Anacortes and Sidney during the Summer and between the islands in the Winter. |
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 9, 2009 8:23:42 GMT -8
Another option is to get another IH-Class ferry built. Install passenger day rooms on the port Mezzanine Deck and add a duty free shop over the rescue boat station at End 2 on that side and a US Customs office at End 1. Run that between Anacortes and Sidney during the Summer and between the islands in the Winter. Well, that would account for the 4th IH vessel Senator Mary Margaret Haugen wants the state to build IMO, Chelan should work fine on the international route for at least the next several years, unless they start ratcheting up the SOLAS requirements to the point where it would be prohibitive and/or not worth modifying Chelan to meet the new requirements. |
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
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Post by Mill Bay on Apr 9, 2009 8:42:54 GMT -8
Another option is to get another IH-Class ferry built. Install passenger day rooms on the port Mezzanine Deck and add a duty free shop over the rescue boat station at End 2 on that side and a US Customs office at End 1. Run that between Anacortes and Sidney during the Summer and between the islands in the Winter. Well, that would account for the 4th IH vessel Senator Mary Margaret Haugen wants the state to build IMO, Chelan should work fine on the international route for at least the next several years, unless they start ratcheting up the SOLAS requirements to the point where it would be prohibitive and/or not worth modifying Chelan to meet the new requirements. The Solas requirements do change again next year... maybe they are trying to act defensively for one moment. |
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Post by Barnacle on Apr 9, 2009 8:53:47 GMT -8
Okay, gang, I did a little pursuit of information on this.
It turns out that this brilliant idea is coming from the Legislature, not WSF. David Moseley is well aware of the limitations of such a vessel.
But I do have to say that while the idea of WSF running a foreign-hulled vessel is "sick," it's no sicker than the idea of the AMHS running the beloved Wickersham... ;D
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Post by DENelson83 on Apr 29, 2009 16:46:18 GMT -8
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Post by EGfleet on Apr 30, 2009 7:56:30 GMT -8
They all seem to be ignoring the fact that the state really only agreed to run the route through the end of the lease with B.C. Ferries, which is 2011, when presumably it'll be up for negotiation again. On a side note, I just found out that the old floating sections of the Hood Canal Bridge, which will be removed tomorrow, are heading for the Sidney Marina. Be on the lookout for floating bridge pieces heading through Haro Strait! |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 27, 2010 7:01:51 GMT -8
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Post by Kahloke on Mar 27, 2010 7:49:50 GMT -8
It's time to start another season on the international route: I'd sure like to know how Skagit County came up with that number. That kind of revenue seems a bit optimistic coming solely from travellers that arrived or departed via the Sidney ferry, especially since we have all been hearing how the run has been declining in ridership in recent years. Here's another article this week in The Islands Sounder about the inaugural run on Sunday: |
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Post by EGfleet on Mar 27, 2010 9:45:52 GMT -8
I'd like to know where they are getting that figure too. The run was down another 12% last year. And where are they getting that it is the 50th Anniversary? The Anacortes-Sidney run started in 1922! The new dock at Anacortes opened in 1960, but that's hardly the same thing. |
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Post by Barnacle on Mar 27, 2010 15:12:13 GMT -8
Fiftieth Anniversary? What about 1922-1959?
(I missed EGF's post somehow. Oops.)
As for the 'new' Anacortes dock... didn't the new Sidney dock open the same year? I know the brand-new Sidney visited the facility, so it was in place by then...
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I'll accept ferry historian though. 
. We can certainly think of schemes to undermine American working folks. If such schemes come from bureaucrats in the public sector, I find them even more disgusting. Would they try to hire foreign crews to operate such a vessel?
That is Nuts. for once I agree with Shasta, this person should be fired...
