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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 2, 2011 18:21:54 GMT -8
Princess Superior, as seen from the ferry dock at Fulford Harbour, in October 2011:  |
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mrdot
Voyager 
Mr. DOT
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Post by mrdot on Nov 2, 2011 19:39:22 GMT -8
:)this pic. spread that mike aka horn has taken in the gulf islands looks great on this new display, as do all the other posts, and the headers really jump out! :)mrdot.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 11, 2011 12:48:57 GMT -8
Seaspan's Carrier Princess leaving Nanaimo harbour in October 2011  |
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Post by ferrytraveller on Dec 20, 2011 15:45:15 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 30, 2011 21:46:48 GMT -8
Seaspan's Coastal Spirit / Seaspan Challenger combo is carrying the Queen of Oak Bay. - shot from Orlebar Point on Gabriola Island. 12/30/2011   |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 2, 2012 9:21:15 GMT -8
More views of Seaspan's Coastal Spirit / Seaspan Challenger combo, seen from Gabriola's Orlebar Point on Dec.30, 2011. She's rounded Entrance Island, and is headed for Nanaimo Harbour:   I love this scene:  Close-ups of Seaspan Challenger:   |
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Post by paulvanb on Jan 3, 2012 22:42:50 GMT -8
 The Superior Princess and the Queen of Nanimo meeting near North Pender Island on Dec. 22, 2011. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 8, 2012 15:19:04 GMT -8
Seaspan Challenger / Coastal Spirit combo headed from Nanaimo to Tillbury Island terminal, on a windy afternoon of 12/30/2011. - I'm at Orlebar Point on Gabriola Island.    Earlier on her inbound trip, with Queen of Alberni, off the entrance to Departure Bay.  |
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Post by lmtengs on Apr 18, 2012 21:30:04 GMT -8
Today I was down at Seaspan's Tilbury Terminal with a tour group of mostly BCIT students, and I got a bunch of photos of their facility, as well as asking a few questions at the question period at the end of the visit.  Berth 4, aka ramp 2. The facility has five berths and two ramps, both of which are located in berths. Berth two is home to ramp one, and berth four is home to ramp two. All the other berths are solely for moorage of ships, and crew can disembark via gangways that are lowerable onto the ships.  Ramp two again.  Safety 1st propaganda.  Ramp one in berth two. Notice the railway tracks don't reach the end of the berth. The apron there was rebuilt in 2010 following a structural failure which resulted in the apron collapsing into the Fraser River. There was one fatality in the incident. The tracks weren't extended on the rebuild due to the fact that rail service has greatly diminished in the time since CP originally built the ramps, and in this time Seaspan has switched almost entirely to drop-services rather than rail. Rail cars must now use ramp two, which is shorter and has more limitations in extreme tides or freshets/droughts.  Seaspan Doris, formerly the Doris Yorke, resting in berth 3. More than 70% of Seaspan's ferry business occurs between the hours of 20:00 and 06:00. Most freight travels between terminals at night, mainly for the convenience of truckers; they can drop it off in the evening, then the next morning a fresh crew can pick it up on the other side and have all day to deliver the freight to it's destination. They transport, on average, 80 units of freight per day, and up to 600 units per night.  A zoom of ramp two.  The Doris' main freight deck needs repainting badly.  This gazebo was erected as a memorial to the Seaspan Employee who perished in the structural failure of ramp two in 2010.  A respectful plaque inside the gazebo serves as a memorial of Dominic Shorter.  The yard. Traffic bound for Victoria assembles at one side of the lot, while traffic bound for Nanaimo assembles at the other. Crews don't direct the trucks where to go, they're expected to be able to place themselves properly.  The Doris.  Ramp two.  Berth five, showing the gangway.  A model of the Coastal Spirit and Seaspan Challenger, built in 2002 in China to be the successor to it's predecessing tug/barge combo, which sunk not long earlier.  Seaspan Greg's pulled into berth 2 (ramp 1)   The ex-Doris Yorke. When I asked about vessel replacement plans, I was told that a committee has been set up, but quite recently, so they don't know yet what will come of it. The older ships could be replaced by more tug/barge combos, or by fewer but larger ships. Regular customers will be consulted in the process to determine what will be the best fit for the business in the long term. Many more questions were asked by me and others, so I can probably answer most questions that anybody might have. |
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Post by ferrytraveller on Apr 19, 2012 9:49:24 GMT -8
That's quite interesting. I wonder what sort of timeframe seaspan has to replace their vessels. Since Seaspan purchased Van Isle Barges, they now have 3 more barges to move freight, I wonder if we will see Seaspan consolidate the 2 routes and traffic to be more efficient and run less vessels.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 19, 2012 12:29:04 GMT -8
Today I was down at Seaspan's Tilbury Terminal with a tour group of mostly BCIT students, and I got a bunch of photos of their facility, as well as asking a few questions at the question period at the end of the visit. Thanks for doing that photo essay; much appreciated. Regarding the Van Isle Barge service, it is redundant as are its terminals. I couldn't find a website anymore for that company, and there's nothing on the Seaspan website about the Van Isle assets & routes, other than the late-2011 news-release on the company purchase. I think it's just a matter of time until we see the Van Isle tugs & barges painted in Seaspan livery. ps: Van Isle's old webpage address now just goes directly to the Seaspan Ferries webpage. |
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Post by ferrytraveller on Apr 19, 2012 14:33:57 GMT -8
Today I was down at Seaspan's Tilbury Terminal with a tour group of mostly BCIT students, and I got a bunch of photos of their facility, as well as asking a few questions at the question period at the end of the visit. Thanks for doing that photo essay; much appreciated. Regarding the Van Isle Barge service, it is redundant as are its terminals. I couldn't find a website anymore for that company, and there's nothing on the Seaspan website about the Van Isle assets & routes, other than the late-2011 news-release on the company purchase. I think it's just a matter of time until we see the Van Isle tugs & barges painted in Seaspan livery. ps: Van Isle's old webpage address now just goes directly to the Seaspan Ferries webpage. Currently Van Isle Tug and Barge continues as a separate entity. Seaspan only bought the 3 barges and the route and terminals, as Van Isle doesn't own any tugs, they have an agreement with Sealink Marine group to have their tugs move the barges. So Seaspan would need to either build or refit some of their current tugs to fit the other barges or purchase the vessels off sealink. |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Apr 19, 2012 16:19:13 GMT -8
Currently Van Isle Tug and Barge continues as a separate entity. Seaspan only bought the 3 barges and the route and terminals, as Van Isle doesn't own any tugs, they have an agreement with Sealink Marine group to have their tugs move the barges. So Seaspan would need to either build or refit some of their current tugs to fit the other barges or purchase the vessels off sealink. This story... www.chamber-of-shipping.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=850... points out that Seaspan did indeed purchase the entire business, and they assumed the tug contract. The former Van Isle schedule is now found on the Seaspan site. |
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Post by Scott on Apr 20, 2012 20:13:27 GMT -8
I've never actually been to Seaspan's Tilbury Terminal, so thanks for sharing the photos! How much public access is there around the terminal? Are there viewing areas nearby... for example, is that memorial gazebo publicly accessable or is it for workers within the terminal?
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Post by lmtengs on Apr 20, 2012 21:58:48 GMT -8
I've never actually been to Seaspan's Tilbury Terminal, so thanks for sharing the photos! How much public access is there around the terminal? Are there viewing areas nearby... for example, is that memorial gazebo publicly accessable or is it for workers within the terminal? Like PK said, run down to the end of Hopcott Road. At low tide once the freshet's died down, you can go low enough on the rocks on the edge of the river to get prime views of any ferries moored, arriving, or departing the terminal. The gazebo is in the secure area of the terminal, sadly for us. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 5, 2012 18:51:08 GMT -8
Carrier Princess at Nanaimo, in the early morning on May 5, 2012 - photos from across the harbour at Jack Point.  With Quinsam    |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on May 5, 2012 21:45:21 GMT -8
This afternoon, I saw the Carrier Princess in an unusual position: directly across the Fraser from the intersection of River Road and Nordel Way. She seemed to be moored there, but when I came back to get a picture some time later, she was gone. Google Earth shows a small pier in that spot, but I don't know what the property is.
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Post by lmtengs on May 5, 2012 22:14:10 GMT -8
This afternoon, I saw the Carrier Princess in an unusual position: directly across the Fraser from the intersection of River Road and Nordel Way. She seemed to be moored there, but when I came back to get a picture some time later, she was gone. Google Earth shows a small pier in that spot, but I don't know what the property is. That's the old Van Isle Barge lot, which has now been converted into Seaspan's 'secondary' terminal, from which run most of their rail traffic through. (Information gained from my tour of the lot a few weeks ago) |
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,308
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Post by Neil on May 5, 2012 23:08:08 GMT -8
This afternoon, I saw the Carrier Princess in an unusual position: directly across the Fraser from the intersection of River Road and Nordel Way. She seemed to be moored there, but when I came back to get a picture some time later, she was gone. Google Earth shows a small pier in that spot, but I don't know what the property is. That's the old Van Isle Barge lot, which has now been converted into Seaspan's 'secondary' terminal, from which run most of their rail traffic through. (Information gained from my tour of the lot a few weeks ago) That was never Van Isle- they're in Surrey, and don't do rail. But you're right, I think, about it being the new rail slip. What threw me was Google Earth's lack of a likely image... but I see that their view of that spot is from 2008, before the terminal was built. |
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Post by lmtengs on May 6, 2012 6:32:07 GMT -8
That's the old Van Isle Barge lot, which has now been converted into Seaspan's 'secondary' terminal, from which run most of their rail traffic through. (Information gained from my tour of the lot a few weeks ago) That was never Van Isle- they're in Surrey, and don't do rail. But you're right, I think, about it being the new rail slip. What threw me was Google Earth's lack of a likely image... but I see that their view of that spot is from 2008, before the terminal was built. The guy said it was Van Isle; maybe it wasn't then. Maybe Smit had services of some type running out of there? |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 22:19:26 GMT -8
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Post by lmtengs on May 6, 2012 22:55:42 GMT -8
That's interesting, they state it as being a 'new terminal', when it's been present for years. Maybe it's new to Seaspan.... but it's not in actuality a new facility. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 21, 2012 19:01:26 GMT -8
Seaspan Challenger tug and Coastal Spirit barge seen off Gabriola Island on May 18, 2012. - she visits Nanaimo 2 times a day.  =============== Princess Superior loading at Swartz Bay  - as far as photo interests go, I think the P.S. is the most boring of the Seaspan Ferries fleet. Each of the others (except maybe the Seaspan Challenger & Coastal Spirit) is more interesting for me to look at, for various reasons. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 21, 2012 19:07:35 GMT -8
The fleet-page of the Seaspan Ferries website now includes the 3 tug-barge units from Van Isle. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 25, 2012 20:02:37 GMT -8
The Nanaimo berth for Seaspan Ferries. - this was used by CPR as far back as I can remember (early 1970s)   |
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