Expo 86 Ferries

[lmtengs]

I was reading this thread about the expo 86 ferries in the archives, and they asked if anyone had any photos of the old ferries that were changed from vehicle ferries to passenger-only ferries for the event. I believe I have found them
The ship is the Expo Transporter
You can tell that they are made to fit a vehicle through the middle.
here it is:
www.olympicdrives.com/expo-transporter-lrg.gif
I even found a video of it operating:


and here's the wonderful site I got it all from:
www.olympicdrives.com/l

There you go John H, after almost 5 years, I've found your ship

[Neil]

Dec 1, 2009 18:28:11 GMT -8 @lmtengs said:

I was reading this thread about the expo 86 ferries in the archives, and they asked if anyone had any photos of the old ferries that were changed from vehicle ferries to passenger-only ferries for the event. I believe I have found them
The ship is the Expo Transporter
You can tell that they are made to fit a vehicle through the middle.
here it is:

There were no old car ferries converted for Expo, that I'm aware of. That little barge thingy in the picture is almost square, and was probably purpose built.

[WettCoast]

Perhaps when someone talks about "Expo 86 ferries" they are referring to the two former BC coast steamships that were used as floating hotel ships during Expo 86. These were the ex CP steamer Princess Patricia & the ex CN steamer Prince George. Both spent the summer of 86 moored on the New Westminster waterfront. Somewhere on this here forum (perhaps in the archives) there is more discussion on this.


Prince George - New Westminster, 1986 [DOT photo ©]. The P Patricia was berthed just ahead of her.

[Scott]

I was only 6-7 years old, but I remember there were a few "ferries" that moved people around from one place to another. Viking has found one... there was also a paddle wheeler.

[bcferryfan87]

From what I know about the Expo Ferries - I was in my teens at the time - there were several of the ships that used to be at the time run by a charter company by the bayshore. Trying to remember them all in no particular order (and some may not belong to the charter company).

Constitution (big paddle wheeler, even had a concession);
Expo Transporter (internally some called it the ET)
Yukon (belle? and ??) two small paddlewheelers;
a couple of well known older vancouver boats (names are escaping me).

That might have been it - 5 or 6, and they moved people from various docks around the false creek portion of Expo.

There was a dock beside Science world;
one down just east of Granville bridge, and then one at the Cambie Bridge area.

There was talk at the time (my Dad is a ferry buff!) I recall, wondering whether the E.T. was an old car ferry, and I remember we asked someone and they seemed to be unsure, but the thought was that it was NOT.

Also just found a neat page when I did a search for Expo 86. There might be more info on the ferries there (though I do see in this topic that there might be another post on WCF re the expo ferries).

Anywho, the link is:

bobbea.com/expo-86/index2.html

[Retrovision]

Dec 2, 2009 0:34:41 GMT -8 bcferryfan87 said:

From what I know about the Expo Ferries - I was in my teens at the time - there were several of the ships that used to be at the time run by a charter company by the bayshore.
...

It might have changed hands since or not, but I'm fairly certain you're thinking of the same company, Harbour Cruises & Events as it's known today ( www.boatcruises.com/ ), that operated the Britannia for the return option of the Royal Hudson excursion trip to and from Squamish and still operates the Constitution for tours of Burrard Inlet, among other tours and operations, these days.

[fargowolf]

Dec 2, 2009 0:02:15 GMT -8 Scott said:

I was only 6-7 years old, but I remember there were a few "ferries" that moved people around from one place to another. Viking has found one... there was also a paddle wheeler.

Same here, though I was only on one of them. It was similar in size and design, to the ferry used by Coastal Link, but had a barge like bow. I remember seeing the paddle wheeler, though never rode it.

[Deleted]

At the New Westminster Pier, where the Princess Pat and the Prince George was tied up. Was there a Russian submarine tied up there as well during and after Expo? It was a tourist attraction. The submarine eventually moved to Victoria, where it spent less than two years in the Inner Harbor just south of the Blue Bridge. On a really stormy evening, the submarine broke its moorings and landed on the other side of the harbor. After that, it left Victoria. Does anyone know where it is now?

[Kahloke]

That isn't the same Russian submarine that ended up moored at Pier 48 in Seattle, is it? It's not in Seattle anymore, either, but I am wondering if it's the same sub.

[Deleted]

I think it might have been the same sub, as I recall reading somewhere that it went to the States. The sub was not a Nuclear one, but a diesel-electric.

[PCL Driver]

There's a Russian Sub moored directly beside the Queen Mary in Long Beach...I wonder if its the same one?

www.russiansublongbeach.com/

EDIT: They're two different subs. Built 2 years apart, and 1 is longer then the other...

www.russiansublongbeach.com/Scorpionfacts.html

www.russiancobra.com/specs.htm

[Electric Thunderbird]

The submarine is now at Maritime Museum of San Diego, since April 2005. It was same sub from BC & Seattle.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_B-39

[jamieswhalingstn]

There were 3 purpose built large aluminum craft built in Richmond for Expo 86. I forget the name of the yard, but I did see them under construction, as we were also looking to build a new vessel at the same time.
They were powered by three Volvo I/O and only did about 6 knots. Basically a large greenhouse on a shallow almost bargelike hull. After the Expo, they each sold and I know one ended up in Victoria harbour. We looked at them, but they were so lightly built, they would never have served our purpose out here in Tofino. I haven't seen the one in Victoria for years. Wonder what happened to them?

[ferryfamily]

I'm supplying this as an anecdotal note for anyone's enjoyment.

During Expo 86, I was only 11 years old but my dad was close friends with one of the Captains working for Harbour Ferries, who supplied some of the Captains for the Expo 86 False Creek Ferries.

I had a season's pass and right from the get go, spent most of my summer days at the fair. In the first couple of weeks, we met one of the Captains who knew my dad. Captain Wayne, one of the full time Captains working the fair, used to let me into the wheelhouse whenever I travelled, and I always made sure I got one ferry ride in per visit.

After getting to know each other, Captain Wayne would let me take the helm of the Discovery 86, one of the large aluminum hulled passenger transport vessels. I was always under close sueprvision but he seldom corrected my course. Looking back, I found that it was kinda funny that hundreds of fair-goers were ferried back and forth with an 11 year old at the helm.

[roeco]

Dec 1, 2009 22:41:39 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

Perhaps when someone talks about "Expo 86 ferries" they are referring to the two former BC coast steamships that were used as floating hotel ships during Expo 86. These were the ex CP steamer Princess Patricia & the ex CN steamer Prince George. Both spent the summer of 86 moored on the New Westminster waterfront. Somewhere on this here forum (perhaps in the archives) there is more discussion on this.


Prince George - New Westminster, 1986 [DOT photo ©]. The P Patricia was berthed just ahead of her.

The Pegasus from Epirotiki  Cruise Lines was also moored on the New Westminster harbor front along with the Princess Pat and Prince George.I remember them all well and went onboard all 3..The Pegasus ironically was the former Sundancer of Sundance Cruises one of the first cruise ships capable of carrying cars to sail to Alaska.Many of u will remember in I believe 1985 The Sundancer ran aground near Campbell River BC and was salvaged and rebuilt as the Pegasus.