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Post by SeahawkNERD8275 on Dec 18, 2022 13:30:12 GMT -8
I meant to say samish
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Post by Kahloke on Dec 18, 2022 13:35:25 GMT -8
You meant to say Samish where exactly? Need some context for this statement. |
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Dec 18, 2022 15:23:47 GMT -8
You meant to say Samish where exactly? Need some context for this statement. I thought one of hybrid Olympic was suppose to built to SOLAS standards for Sidney route. |
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Post by Kahloke on Dec 18, 2022 15:41:19 GMT -8
You meant to say Samish where exactly? Need some context for this statement. I thought one of hybrid Olympic was suppose to built to SOLAS standards for Sidney route. Eventually, one of the hybrid Olympics was slated to be built to SOLAS. The 2018 long range plan didn't show either of the first two hybrid Olympics to be SOLAS equipped, but that plan is several years old now and a lot has changed since then, not the least of which is the timetable for the newbuilds. In 2018, they thought the first new boat would be in service by 2023, followed quickly by newbuild #2. Last I heard, 2026-2027 is the earliest we'll see any new ferry. It's too early to tell whether Wishkah, or hybrid Olympic #2, will be SOLAS equipped. I think we need to wait and see when, or maybe even if, the Sidney route resumes. It's reasonable to assume the route will start up again once they have enough staff to crew a boat, but part of the problem is a lack of vessels in addition to the lack of crew. |
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Post by northwesterner on Dec 19, 2022 18:39:50 GMT -8
They could upgrade the chelan Chelan was upgraded back in 2001. That's when they put in her upper car deck ramp, and I think when the modifications to make her SOLAS-compliant occurred; not exactly sure on that one. At this point, the vessel is now over 40 years old. any further "upgrades" would only be done to satisfy new SOLAS requirements. As for the next newbuilds, it's hard to say at this point if Wishkah or the one after Wishkah will be built to SOLAS standards or not. The 2018 long range plan showed the next two newbuilds as NOT being equipped to run the international route, but a lot has changed since that plan was drafted. has the history noted well on his website. Chelan's SOLAS upgrades began with the 2001 addition of the upper car deck. She went back for the additional safety upgrades in 2003, which was followed by the mothballing of Evergreen State. With the international route on a 9-month schedule, Elwha covered all trips until 2006 when she suffered a drive motor failure and Chelan finally was assigned to the route. |
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Post by WettCoast on Dec 19, 2022 21:55:11 GMT -8
SOLAS = Safety of Life at Sea, I believe, and are international standards applying to passenger vessel design & construction. I understand that the actual standard changes over time & older vessels will not meet the current standards but are nevertheless 'grandfathered' in as being SOLAS compliant as they were at one time. Please correct me if I am way off on this. Now, WSF's has only one boat compliant with SOLAS. Why are newly constructed vessels not all meeting SOLAS requirements? Are passengers & crew put at risk because of this? Not to pick on WSF's, so are BC's ferries SOLAS compliant, especially the newer ones?
Last, but not least, is the 60+ year old Blackball ferry Coho SOLAS compliant? It is running an international route, and that route is probably the most challenging of any in the US & Canadian parts of the Salish Sea.
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Post by Barnacle on Dec 23, 2022 10:22:50 GMT -8
I thought one of hybrid Olympic was suppose to built to SOLAS standards for Sidney route. Eventually, one of the hybrid Olympics was slated to be built to SOLAS. The 2018 long range plan didn't show either of the first two hybrid Olympics to be SOLAS equipped, but that plan is several years old now and a lot has changed since then, not the least of which is the timetable for the newbuilds. In 2018, they thought the first new boat would be in service by 2023, followed quickly by newbuild #2. Last I heard, 2026-2027 is the earliest we'll see any new ferry. It's too early to tell whether Wishkah, or hybrid Olympic #2, will be SOLAS equipped. I think we need to wait and see when, or maybe even if, the Sidney route resumes. It's reasonable to assume the route will start up again once they have enough staff to crew a boat, but part of the problem is a lack of vessels in addition to the lack of crew. Strictly speculation... I would think with the terminal electrification challenges in the SJI's (the islands are basically powered by a whacking big underwater extension cord as it is and I suspect the charging stations would take a significant load increase), it's far more likely that the Suquamish with its high-end emission control systems will be retrofitted for international service. |
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Post by timmyc on Feb 28, 2023 17:26:40 GMT -8
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Post by Kahloke on Feb 28, 2023 19:53:04 GMT -8
I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by this. The next newbuild isn't expected until 2027, and it's anyone's guess as to whether Kaleetan and/or Yakima will last that long. It also wouldn't surprise me if this ultimately kills the route. Year-round 4-boat service between Anacortes and the San Juans seems to be working, more or less. |
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Feb 28, 2023 21:32:35 GMT -8
I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by this. The next newbuild isn't expected until 2027, and it's anyone's guess as to whether Kaleetan and/or Yakima will last that long. It also wouldn't surprise me if this ultimately kills the route. Year-round 4-boat service between Anacortes and the San Juans seems to be working, more or less. I would hope Washington State Ferries does not cut Anacortes to Sidney route due the importance of tourism industry. I wonder if another operator would take over route or could British Columbia Government step in and work with Washington State Government for BC Ferries take over of route if’s it’s fully cut. |
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Post by Kahloke on May 25, 2023 17:32:16 GMT -8
Something interesting in the news tonight. Kenmore Air is going to be providing two daily flights between Friday Harbor and Victoria Intl. in Sidney using their Cessna Caravans. It sounds like both flights will originate at Boeing Field in Seattle. Currently, they operate flights between Boeing Field and Friday Harbor, so Victoria will be an added leg to those flights. I put this post here because it relates to the international route in that other transportation companies are picking up the slack in the absence of ferry service. It's not exactly the same; I mean, you can't take your car, but it is providing passenger service between Sidney and Friday Harbor. Should be a pretty quick flight, too. I would think 15-20 minutes, tops.
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Post by 1foot2ships on Jul 4, 2023 22:59:14 GMT -8
i still have :10 so... happy ID4! (sorry, independence day was the best movie ever so i always make use of that anytime i get the chance).
i was just thinking of u guys and am glad nothing bad happened in the news td. i say that 1/2 jokingly, but also sadly 1/2 seriously. truth be told, theres a YT video saying canada isnt THAT much safer (comparatively); there was some kind of stat, but im too lazy to look it up.
anyways... can u guys educate me on the typical traffic this route would have carried in the summer? afaik, the rv traffic enjoys using the PCH to board the coho before using the island hwy to PR and then on to YK, ALSK... im assuming this is to avoid seattle and vancouver b/c they are not really that great to drive an rv through?
can anybody confirm/ refute those assumptions? im only asking b/c of the double holiday wknd and im curious.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 14, 2023 14:29:21 GMT -8
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Post by paulvanb on Oct 14, 2023 21:27:45 GMT -8
Just curious where they are going to find a vessel to do this, as well as crew it? |
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Post by Dane on Oct 15, 2023 10:12:51 GMT -8
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Post by SS San Mateo on Oct 15, 2023 12:13:00 GMT -8
This is new news. At one time (early-mid 2000s) WSF was proposing buying a foreign vessel but it never went anywhere. The issues I see with this new proposal is: - Crewing (there are still trip cancellations/service reductions due to crew shortages and service increases keep getting postponed)
- The vessel would have to be able to fit WSF slips (unless WSF is allowed to make modifications to make the vessel compatible with WSF slips)
- The vessel would have to be SOLAS compliant as is.
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Post by Kahloke on Oct 15, 2023 18:25:51 GMT -8
I seriously doubt Washington State Ferries will lease a vessel. I could be wrong on that, but as SS San Mateo noted, there's more than one issue here. Lack of vessels, sure, but also lack of crew. They're having a hard time manning vessels as it is. FYI, I moved all posts regarding this news article into this thread as it pertains directly to this route. |
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Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,307
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Post by Neil on Oct 15, 2023 19:17:06 GMT -8
I seriously doubt Washington State Ferries will lease a vessel. I could be wrong on that, but as SS San Mateo noted, there's more than one issue here. Lack of vessels, sure, but also lack of crew. They're having a hard time manning vessels as it is. FYI, I moved all posts regarding this news article into this thread as it pertains directly to this route. This CHEK News article is really dodgy. It refers to a statement from the mayor of Sidney about WSF's intentions, but it doesn't quote him directly when he supposedly talks about leasing a new vessel. So maybe they're misquoting him, or maybe he's mischaracterizing what he was told by WSF. I doubt that WSF makes money from the Anacortes- Sidney route, and it's difficult to believe that they would prioritize its reinstatement, given the challenges they face in maintaining ferry services for Washingtonians who have to get from point A to B for work or pleasure, within the state. |
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Post by SS San Mateo on Oct 16, 2023 17:31:44 GMT -8
Perhaps the mayor was referring to a service restoration plan from earlier this year which stated that WSF had looked at a couple of options to restore service earlier than 2030, with one of the options being the following:
Leasing a vessel from another company: This would be challenging for two reasons. First, vehicle traffic is a major driver of both ridership and revenue for this route – passengers need a car when they get to Sidney, as most are accessing other areas of Vancouver Island, not staying in Sidney. It would be challenging to find a vehicle ferry fitting the Anacortes, Friday Harbor, and Sidney terminals. Second, adding another vessel to the route would require the crewing to operate it and would take crewmembers out of the system to train on the leased vessel. This would threaten the reliability of domestic service. Additionally, any vessel operating between two U.S. ports, such as between Anacortes and Friday Harbor, is subject to the Jones Act and must be built in the U.S.
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Post by lavalamp on Oct 17, 2023 9:44:57 GMT -8
I seriously doubt Washington State Ferries will lease a vessel. I could be wrong on that, but as SS San Mateo noted, there's more than one issue here. Lack of vessels, sure, but also lack of crew. They're having a hard time manning vessels as it is. FYI, I moved all posts regarding this news article into this thread as it pertains directly to this route. This CHEK News article is really dodgy. It refers to a statement from the mayor of Sidney about WSF's intentions, but it doesn't quote him directly when he supposedly talks about leasing a new vessel. So maybe they're misquoting him, or maybe he's mischaracterizing what he was told by WSF. I doubt that WSF makes money from the Anacortes- Sidney route, and it's difficult to believe that they would prioritize its reinstatement, given the challenges they face in maintaining ferry services for Washingtonians who have to get from point A to B for work or pleasure, within the state. The legislature included a requirement in WSDOT's funding bill last year for WSF to look at options to restore Sidney service. The report is due by the end of this year, so we'll see what options exist. Presuming WSF could locate a vessel to buy or lease, it would be up to the legislature to appropriate the needed money, as well as make the call on the tradeoff of using limited crew for international service vs. maintaining domestic service. |
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 18, 2023 15:42:52 GMT -8
This CHEK News article is really dodgy. It refers to a statement from the mayor of Sidney about WSF's intentions, but it doesn't quote him directly when he supposedly talks about leasing a new vessel. So maybe they're misquoting him, or maybe he's mischaracterizing what he was told by WSF. I doubt that WSF makes money from the Anacortes- Sidney route, and it's difficult to believe that they would prioritize its reinstatement, given the challenges they face in maintaining ferry services for Washingtonians who have to get from point A to B for work or pleasure, within the state. The legislature included a requirement in WSDOT's funding bill last year for WSF to look at options to restore Sidney service. The report is due by the end of this year, so we'll see what options exist. Presuming WSF could locate a vessel to buy or lease, it would be up to the legislature to appropriate the needed money, as well as make the call on the tradeoff of using limited crew for international service vs. maintaining domestic service. Maybe a contractor could be put temporarily in charge of route while Washington State Ferries get back pre-COVID service. |
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 19, 2023 8:45:42 GMT -8
The legislature included a requirement in WSDOT's funding bill last year for WSF to look at options to restore Sidney service. The report is due by the end of this year, so we'll see what options exist. Presuming WSF could locate a vessel to buy or lease, it would be up to the legislature to appropriate the needed money, as well as make the call on the tradeoff of using limited crew for international service vs. maintaining domestic service. Maybe a contractor could be put temporarily in charge of route while Washington State Ferries get back pre-COVID service. Huh? What are you on about here? |
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 19, 2023 12:43:59 GMT -8
Maybe a contractor could be put temporarily in charge of route while Washington State Ferries get back pre-COVID service. Huh? What are you on about here? They could find private operator for couple years while they figure out to retrain stuff at Washington State Ferries. |
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Post by Kahloke on Oct 19, 2023 13:11:16 GMT -8
Huh? What are you on about here? They could find private operator for couple years while they figure out to retrain stuff at Washington State Ferries. They could, but the reasons listed by SS San Mateo and Neil in the posts above point to that solution being a long shot. WSF has bigger issues on its plate right now, and I have to think restoring service to Sidney is dead last on its priority list, even if they have stated they are committed to restoring the route. Hiring new people has to be the number one priority; these sailing cancellations are just killing any semblance of reliability. I would expect route restoration to be the next priority, starting with Seattle-Bremerton and then Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. After that, building new vessels is next on the list which we know keeps getting pushed out. They're supposed to choose a builder next year. |
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 19, 2023 13:28:36 GMT -8
They could find private operator for couple years while they figure out to retrain stuff at Washington State Ferries. They could, but the reasons listed by SS San Mateo and Neil in the posts above point to that solution being a long shot. WSF has bigger issues on its plate right now, and I have to think restoring service to Sidney is dead last on its priority list, even if they have stated they are committed to restoring the route. Hiring new people has to be the number one priority; these sailing cancellations are just killing any semblance of reliability. I would expect route restoration to be the next priority, starting with Seattle-Bremerton and then Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. After that, building new vessels is next on the list which we know keeps getting pushed out. They're supposed to choose a builder next year. Maybe the State of Washington is trying to get British Columbia Provincial Government to help fund the restoration of Anacortes to Sidney, BC. |
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