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Post by dunbar on Jan 3, 2007 16:59:23 GMT -8
i saw at vancouver dry dock today was the rail ferry PRINCESS SUPERIOR . it looks to me she having anual refit you can see from the lonsdale que vieu tower or the market there. did you know that when she came here she was the INCAN SUPERIOR and i saw her when she arrived jan 1 1993. she is still regesterd in thunder bay i know this becasue i have photograhed her serival times on the fraser river inculding her sister ferry the CARRIER PRINCESS wich happens to be my favorite cp ferry wich i realy like since i was very young . she ran during the 1970s to end of cp days in the coastal services in 1998 wich washington marine group bought them and now call it seaspan coastal intermodal. so if like to see these ferries you go to its web site at www.coastalintermodal.com. robert |
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Post by NMcKay on Jan 3, 2007 18:42:32 GMT -8
try the link without the period  |
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Post by Jcachristian on Jan 4, 2007 18:54:18 GMT -8
I noticed that Seaspan has modified thier sailings. The Ships are for the most part on a adjusted schedual.
Monitor Victoria Traffic at 156.550mhz
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Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,308
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Post by Neil on Jan 4, 2007 22:55:23 GMT -8
Speaking of Seaspan... I believe this is the barge 'Coastal Spirit', the largest vessel in the Seaspan ferry fleet....  I'm just wondering if anyone has ever watched it being loaded, since according to the schedule, they unload and load in only ninety minutes. Looking at how incredibly tightly the trailers are packed in, I wonder how they manage to thread the last one in each row (widthwise) of eight. They must have some pretty skillful drivers, as there doesn't look to even be enough room to walk between the units. |
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Post by NMcKay on Jan 5, 2007 8:09:48 GMT -8
it can unload up to 2 trailers at a time, and the railroad cars can be unloaded at one full line at a time (i dont think the coastal spirit does railroad cars)
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Kam
Voyager
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Post by Kam on Jan 5, 2007 9:26:39 GMT -8
I'm just wondering if anyone has ever watched it being loaded, since according to the schedule, they unload and load in only ninety minutes. Looking at how incredibly tightly the trailers are packed in, I wonder how they manage to thread the last one in each row (widthwise) of eight. They must have some pretty skillful drivers, as there doesn't look to even be enough room to walk between the units. I've watched the seaspan ships load and unload at the Nanaimo harbor many times and it amazes me ever time I see it. Those guys backing the trailers up the ramps and on the ships are just incredible. They back up that ramp at about 20K, and often I’ve seen them do it side by side, two trucks at a time. I timed one fellow who was able to hook up a trailer, back up the ramp, on the ship unhook and get back off in just over 2 minutes. |
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Post by BrianWilliams on Jan 11, 2007 0:54:01 GMT -8
Thanks, dunbar!
Carrier Princess is long time fave of mine. We passed her a few years ago, riding the SOVI into Swartz Bay. Big spring day with blustering wind, intermittent rain and towering clouds split by bright sun.
My only companion on the windswept sun deck was a weathered Australian photographer. Yeah! and yeah! "Yer northern light is bloody perfect .. wot is that fat boat with them railcars?"
"Carrier Princess" I told him, and he wanted to know more. I buried the man with long, long stories of BC coastal boats ... and surprisingly, the Australian was interested.
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Post by dunbar on Jan 11, 2007 19:40:13 GMT -8
thanks for that brian. that is good that australian found are maritime history interesting. there are others in this world that find are martime history interesting too. my real name is robert ,dunbar is my user name.
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Post by queenofcowichan on Jan 30, 2007 12:35:35 GMT -8
Coastal Intermodal is currently in its "Refitt" mode. I heard Last nite Seaspan Greg heading to Active Pass which is very rare for this particular vessle. Carrier Princess and Princess Superior had been out of service for about 1 week each, and the Seaspan Doris I belive is in refitt now.
The Seaspan Challenger has left Nanaimo Just before Noon today. Normally the Seaspan Monarch would be in Nanaimo at this time, not sure where she is.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 30, 2007 19:05:30 GMT -8
I never realised that Seaspan had that many intermodal ferries on the west-coast.
Are Challenger & Greg similar in style to Carrier-Princess & Mother-Superior ? Or are they more like Auntie Doris ?
just curious...............
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Post by queenofcowichan on Feb 1, 2007 14:31:52 GMT -8
The Seaspan Challenger is a tug which pushes the barge "Coastal Spirit" between The Mainland and Vancouver Island. The Coastal Spirit carries the trailer traffic. I have yet to see her carry rail traffic. See picture above in Hornbyguys post.
The Seaspan Monarch on the other hand pulls her barge, Link 100. I watch her depart Nanaimo whenever I get a chance to. I did hear the Seaspan Monarch just after midnite this morning coming out of the River for Nanaimo.
The Seaspan Greg ex Greg Yorke was the first self prepelled railship to be built in BC. She is a very unique looking vessle with a very small superstructure and can easily be Identified without any difficulty.
Each vessle is unique in thier own way.
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Post by NMcKay on Feb 15, 2007 9:24:25 GMT -8
The Carrier Princess was originally disigned as a ferry, with full pax capacity. the Princess Superior has a smaller superstructure Carrier Princess  Carrier Princess Bridge  Sorry for the bad quality, thye are from an old 35mm camera |
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Post by Retrovision on Feb 15, 2007 13:13:27 GMT -8
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Post by BreannaF on Sept 1, 2007 6:33:57 GMT -8
Just because I thought it was interesting: Name.................................................Hull..................Trailers..RailcarsPrincess Superior...........................386 x 66 x 24...............38 ........15 Carrier Princess.............................380 x 66 x 24................38.........22 Seaspan Challenger/ Coastal Spirit.................................456 x 82 x 18................54..........0 Seaspan Doris...............................325 x 55 x 18.75............42..........0 Seaspan Greg................................325 x 55 x 18.75............26.........0 Seaspan Monarch/ Barge #940..........383 X 76 X 20................46.......0 Source: |
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,308
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Post by Neil on Sept 1, 2007 13:44:32 GMT -8
Bryan: is there much commercial traffic on the Columbia? This photo is from the days when Seaspan operated from downtown Vancouver; the Doris sports the old logo, and still has rail capability.  |
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Post by Retrovision on Sept 1, 2007 15:29:10 GMT -8
Thanks for the great Seaspan photo, Neil. That sure is an uneven waterline.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 1, 2007 18:05:04 GMT -8
Seaspan Doris sure has that "Great Lakes laker-freighter" look to her. That's re the front bridge area, with not much superstructure behind it.
That's what occurred to me, as I looked at the Doris pic.
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Post by Retrovision on Sept 1, 2007 22:20:07 GMT -8
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Post by Retrovision on Sept 8, 2007 16:21:18 GMT -8
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,308
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Post by Neil on Nov 22, 2007 11:43:08 GMT -8
From the July '93 Harbour & Shipping, some facts and figures on the Princess Superior.  |
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Post by DENelson83 on Apr 13, 2008 20:39:29 GMT -8
I was just looking through my updated electronic nautical charts, and I noticed they now show a second berth at the Seaspan terminal at Swartz Bay.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,080 
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Post by Nick on Apr 13, 2008 21:12:12 GMT -8
Doesn't exist. I can vouch for that. I don't think it ever did either. I don't have a good pic now, but I'll get one next time I'm down there.
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Post by davesim on Apr 14, 2008 12:49:20 GMT -8
Hello All
I'm currently sailing as master on the Princess Superior, and have been with the company steadily since 1990, with prior stints on the Princess of Vancouver and Trailer Princess.
If I can answer any questions about SCIC or the vessels, fire away.
D
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Post by davesim on Apr 14, 2008 12:54:57 GMT -8
The chart shows the old berth (since removed) and new berth in Swartz Bay
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,308
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Post by Neil on Apr 14, 2008 15:48:57 GMT -8
Hello All I'm currently sailing as master on the Princess Superior, and have been with the company steadily since 1990, with prior stints on the Princess of Vancouver and Trailer Princess. If I can answer any questions about SCIC or the vessels, fire away. D When I contacted Seaspan last year about the possibility of getting on a sailing, they told me that now, the only passengers allowed on board were those accompanying dangerous cargoes. Did Seaspan used to have truck drivers aboard, at least on the Carrier Princess? And what is the passenger lounge on the Carrier Princess used for? What is the layout, above the vehicle decks, on the Seaspan boats? How does the crewing work on Seaspan's boats, with regard to numbers and shift scheduling? We get very little information on Seaspan on this forum, and I could probably come up with about a hundred questions. Any insights, anecdotes, rumors, plans for the future... whatever, I'm sure would be very welcome here. Good to have you with us. |
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