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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 9, 2011 20:25:47 GMT -8
The Ethel Hunter was never a part of the BC Ferries fleet, so any pastel blue was added after she was sold out of Dept. of Highways service. Are you sure? Many of us are more than sure. We know our BC Ferries history, and this Dept. of Highways vessel was never absorbed into the BC Ferries Fleet. - not in the 1985-86 absorbtion, and not earlier either. And she didn't serve on a route that was run by BC Ferries during her era. (ie not Fulford Harbour or Mill Bay). The current colour of the Ethel Hunter is just a coincidence to the BC Ferries fleet's pastel-blue livery. Really, it's that simple.  |
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D'Elete BC in NJ
Voyager 
Dispensing gallons of useless information daily...
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Sept 10, 2011 2:59:35 GMT -8
...The current colour of the Ethel Hunter is just a coincidence to the BC Ferries fleet's pastel-blue livery. Really, it's that simple. ...or, maybe the owner is just as much a fan of the pastel blue Dogwood scheme as many on this board are... |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Aug 21, 2012 20:58:14 GMT -8
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Post by lmtengs on Aug 22, 2012 20:18:05 GMT -8
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Mill Bay
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Long Suffering Bosun
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Post by Mill Bay on Aug 22, 2012 20:27:02 GMT -8
The second picture of the St George shows one of the CN Prince ships in the background, and there is open water behind and mountains in the distance. I would hazard a guess that in that picture she is might have been on Burrard Inlet and was working as a harbour ferry. Also, the Alberni still looked nice even after lifting, until they started customizing her for route 30. It would have been nice if BCFerries might have taken notes from WSF and used an 'already suggested' design for newbuilds. The Island Sky would have looked much better as an updated, scaled down Queen of Alberni. |
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Post by lmtengs on Aug 22, 2012 21:32:12 GMT -8
The second picture of the St George shows one of the CN Prince ships in the background, and there is open water behind and mountains in the distance. I would hazard a guess that in that picture she is might have been on Burrard Inlet and was working as a harbour ferry. Also, the Alberni still looked nice even after lifting, until they started customizing her for route 30. It would have been nice if BCFerries might have taken notes from WSF and used an 'already suggested' design for newbuilds. The Island Sky would have looked much better as an updated, scaled down Queen of Alberni. Ah, thanks for that, Ernie. I think the removal of the solariums really took a toll on her looks, as well as the covering up of windows haphazardly all over the place, also visible at a lesser extent on the other C's. And I don't necessarily agree about scaling down the Alberni's design and modernizing it for the Island Sky... just reuse and modify the Cumby and Cap's designs... they aren't exactly out of date. It would help to create a more standardized fleet, and spare parts would be easier to manufacture, as they'd be more similar to one another than they are now. Shifting crews between vessels wouldn't necessarily require as much ship-specific training, either, lessening hassle for the corporation. |
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Post by princessofvanfan on Aug 22, 2012 23:03:45 GMT -8
I agree - the Alberni, once sleek and graceful, has been transformed into an awkward looking, lumbering beast.
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Post by compdude787 on Mar 15, 2013 10:22:26 GMT -8
So, besides the Ethel Hunter, what were the other vessels that the MoT retired before the fleet was absorbed by BC Ferries? When were they built?
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Post by Curtis on Mar 15, 2013 11:28:05 GMT -8
So, besides the Ethel Hunter, what were the other vessels that the MoT retired before the fleet was absorbed by BC Ferries? When were they built? There was the Atrevida. She served Gabriola Island from 1931 to 1955. She then served Texada Island from 1955 to 1969 at which time she was retired and replaced with the Texada Queen. (later MV Tachek) She's still around today as a Floating Bakery in the Southern Gulf Islands. |
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Post by compdude787 on Mar 15, 2013 11:41:02 GMT -8
Ok, now I've found the thread specifically for the Atrevida. Since these former MoT ferries all seem to have their own threats, it'd make sense to call this the thread for the Ethel Hunter.
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Post by compdude787 on Jun 17, 2013 10:57:32 GMT -8
When was the Ethel Hunter built? I tried googling "Ethel Hunter" and I found virtually no info about her.
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 17, 2013 11:34:01 GMT -8
When was the Ethel Hunter built? I tried googling "Ethel Hunter" and I found virtually no info about her. According to Frank Clapp, author of the book Inland & Coastal Ferries - Ministry of Transportation & Highways 1981, The Ethel Hunter went into service on 18 March 1959. I believe that the vessel was new at that time so it must have been built during 1958. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jun 17, 2013 12:02:09 GMT -8
When was the Ethel Hunter built? I tried googling "Ethel Hunter" and I found virtually no info about her. According to Frank Clapp, author of the book Inland & Coastal Ferries - Ministry of Transportation & Highways 1981, The Ethel Hunter went into service on 18 March 1959. I believe that the vessel was new at that time so it must have been built during 1958. haha, I emailed myself a "note to self" at home, so that I could look-up that info in my copy of Frank Clapp's book, tonight. - thanks for getting there first. |
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 17, 2013 12:09:17 GMT -8
According to Frank Clapp, author of the book Inland & Coastal Ferries - Ministry of Transportation & Highways 1981, The Ethel Hunter went into service on 18 March 1959. I believe that the vessel was new at that time so it must have been built during 1958. haha, I emailed myself a "note to self" at home, so that I could look-up that info in my copy of Frank Clapp's book, tonight. - thanks for getting there first. The advantage is retirement & that I have not completely lost my mind, yet... |
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Post by compdude787 on Jun 17, 2013 15:36:59 GMT -8
Found this page when I Googled "denman island ferry history." It's brief, but informative. The following is from that webpage: |
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Post by paulvanb on Jun 17, 2013 19:36:36 GMT -8
WHile these links are dead, go to the site home page and search the word "ferry." Got to look at some great old photos of the former Delta Princess / Salt Spring Queen. |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on May 23, 2015 12:39:51 GMT -8
Regarding Thetis Island's Ethel Hunter... TC registry was closed as of June 2012. Just checked out of curiosity.
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jack
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Post by jack on Jan 9, 2016 16:01:42 GMT -8
I am reading my Grandmother's autobiography, and she mentions the Ethel Hunter ferry. Here is some history as recounted by my Grandmother... My Grandfather, Jack Butterworth accepted a government contract to build a 64 foot 'all steel' open end ferry boat for the run from Crofton to Thetis island. The Ethel Hunter was built at Jack's shop located near the Port Alberni boat ramp (across from the Beaver Creek rd and Hwy 4 intersect). The contract stated that the Ethel Hunter had to be delivered by a licensed Captain and escorted by a large tug. My Grandparents, Jack and Dorothy Butterworth were passengers with Wilf Southers for the delivery. The man in the engine room was Roger Ruel while Captain Elkhorn piloted the ferry around Cape Beale during a Big storm of 30 foot waves. The ship, powered by two 220 hp Cummins Diesel engines, weathered the storm and sailed through to Jaun de Fuca straight where they hit calmer waters. The rest of the voyage was uneventful. A couple weeks later my Grandparents, Jack and Dorothy Butterworth were invited by Minister of Highways Philip Gaglardi to witness the Ethel Hunter as she made her inaugural run. For more information go to the following link, Appendix B, page 2 (there is a picture) www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Public-Comments-PT4-March-to-June-2015.pdf |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 9, 2016 17:42:10 GMT -8
I am reading my Grandmother's autobiography, and she mentions the Ethel Hunter ferry. Here is some history as recounted by my Grandmother... Thanks very much for sharing that.  |
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,307
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Post by Neil on Jan 9, 2016 22:25:19 GMT -8
I am reading my Grandmother's autobiography, and she mentions the Ethel Hunter ferry. Here is some history as recounted by my Grandmother... My Grandfather, Jack Butterworth accepted a government contract to build a 64 foot 'all steel' open end ferry boat for the run from Crofton to Thetis island. The Ethel Hunter was built at Jack's shop located near the Port Alberni boat ramp (across from the Beaver Creek rd and Hwy 4 intersect). The contract stated that the Ethel Hunter had to be delivered by a licensed Captain and escorted by a large tug. My Grandparents, Jack and Dorothy Butterworth were passengers with Wilf Southers for the delivery. The man in the engine room was Roger Ruel while Captain Elkhorn piloted the ferry around Cape Beale during a Big storm of 30 foot waves. The ship, powered by two 220 hp Cummins Diesel engines, weathered the storm and sailed through to Jaun de Fuca straight where they hit calmer waters. The rest of the voyage was uneventful. A couple weeks later my Grandparents, Jack and Dorothy Butterworth were invited by Minister of Highways Philip Gaglardi to witness the Ethel Hunter as she made her inaugural run. For more information go to the following link, Appendix B, page 2 (there is a picture) www.bcferrycommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Public-Comments-PT4-March-to-June-2015.pdfAn intriguing tidbit from the BC ferry commission link 'jack' shared is the formula used to determine the Thetis run's fares back in the 1950s. It was based on recouping the gas tax that would have been collected from vehicles, if the distance to Thetis had been via a highway as opposed to a ferry. No concern, apparently, to covering the operating cost of the ferry itself.
I'd be interested to see what fares might be if we had a similar formula today. What a different world we live in.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jun 2, 2016 10:28:16 GMT -8
Perhaps the oldest Ministry of Highways ferry still operating is the Denman ferry Catherine Graham, featured in the June Western Mariner. Built in 1954, she's now called Sea Roamer, and is a landing craft supplying fish farms and other businesses, and is owned by Sea Roamer Marine. There is no resemblance to her ferry days; she has a very basic wheelhouse, a rebuilt bow with ramp, and is fourteen feet longer.
Now that I think about it, she might be the oldest operating car ferry on our coast, period. |
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Neil
Voyager
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Post by Neil on Nov 7, 2016 16:55:25 GMT -8
After the introductory shots of this 1965 CBC feature on Denman farming, there's a couple of minutes of the Catherine Graham.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 19, 2018 12:05:03 GMT -8
Bit of background on Thetis & Penelakut's first car ferry, the Ethel Hunter.www.chemainusvalleycourier.ca/community/thetis-island-ferry-named-in-honour-of-ethel-hunter/...and the text, just in case the link disappears... Thetis Island ferry named in honour of Ethel Hunter Many desendants still live on the Island DON BODGERDec. 6, 2017 4:30 p.m.COMMUNITY The Chemainus Valley is rich in history and significant tales from the past. Watch for other historical tidbits in future issues. Thetis Island was given ferry service in 1959. The new ferry was named after Ethel Hunter, a pioneer of Thetis Island. Ethel Fawcett arrived on Thetis Island in 1908 and married Peter Hunter. Peter and his brother had bought some land on Thetis in the late 1800s and proceeded to clear the land to build their home. Ethel and Peter had two children, Ena and son Adam. They were the pupils at the Island’s first school. Ethel took part in the ferry inauguration ceremonies with relish and aplomb. She was 80 years old then and lived to be 92. Many of her descendants still live on the Island. To check out more stories and photographs, stop in at the Chemainus Valley Museum, 9799 Waterwheel Crescent in downtown Chemainus. Be a tourist in your own hometown. |
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Post by Ferryman on Mar 29, 2020 21:52:56 GMT -8
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Post by Starsteward on Mar 30, 2020 9:44:36 GMT -8
There has been a great deal of loving attention paid to restoring this unique little ferry, it's not quite my 'cup of tea' but no doubt the sale will attract some of the more non-traditionalists in at least having a look-see. |
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