CP's Princess Marguerite II: photos & discussion

[bcferryfan87]

So I have had in storage some old "beta" (yes as in alternate to VHS, before DVD etc etc, chuckle) Tapes. These tapes - all recorded pre 1990 (before I owned/had access to a VHS recorder), have several Princess Marguerite retirement footage things on them.

So if I can get to storage soon, I'm praying the tapes are still good and I will upload (I know famous words, just like my promises of queen of Vancouver video). I bought an apparently good shape BETA machine off a guy on ebay from back east and have yet to test it. So if all goes well, there will be some great viewing of a historic nature soon! Wish me luck.

[pscurr]

a few more from the archives of slides..

[pscurr]

I think Haines Alaska, 1966

[FNS]

Evergreenfleet.com has a neat photo of the MAGGIE in the Ballard Locks.

www.evergreenfleet.com/thedayroom.html

www.evergreenfleet.com/dayroom/July2009/MaggiethruLocksMay1983_mairs.jpg

This happened in May of 1983. On that day, she left Pier 69 on the Seattle waterfront. Instead of going to Victoria, she went through the Lake Washington Ship Canal. I was at the Locks to watch her go through. I stood on the north side of the Locks.

As she was leaving the Locks, she tore off the railing of the public walking platform on the northeast lock door (the public and workers use these as cross-overs from one side of the Locks to the other). The lifeboat guides on her Main Deck sponsons were snapped off as well. She left the Locks damaged. I saw that through my naked eyes.

She then used her main three-set whistles and sounded a signal to the Ballard Bridge to open. The bridge tender royally obliged.

A local station showed an outstanding video picture of her as she left the Montlake Cut with Husky Stadium behind. CHEK 6 used this as their weather picture of the day.

She was on her way to then Sand Point Naval Station. There, she held a fundraiser dinner for a local charity. My family and I had dinner aboard her that evening. Very fun to see curious pleasure boats out of her Dining Saloon windows. We were free to tour the ship's entire public areas after dinner. Very interesting to see Lake Washington from the decks of this ship, to say the least. We met then Vancouver Mayor Michael Harcourt on the Promenade Deck. He gave us a friendly greeting and hoped we were having a happy time. He went into the aft lounge, perhaps used for VIP's that evening.

This was the only time she had been seen with white "Christmas" lights strung the entire length from the bow, over the masts, and to the stern.

After getting home, I turned on my scanner and listened to her passage back to Pier 69.

The next day, BCSS held an Open Ship aboard her. I attended that one.

I was very busy with that "Princess" those two days! ;D

[Barnacle]

The Maggie postcard is from an era before the rainbow stripe on the Jumbo, which would indicate it was probably taken before 1984... anyone know when that paint scheme landed on the the Princesss Marguerite?

[WettCoast]

Aug 13, 2009 12:45:06 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

The Maggie postcard is from an era before the rainbow stripe on the Jumbo, which would indicate it was probably taken before 1984... anyone know when that paint scheme landed on the the Princesss Marguerite?

The Maggie acquired that livery about 1974, when BC had its first NDP premier (Dave Barrett). The CPR had decided to retire the Maggie and put an end to the Victoria - Seattle summer service. Victoria businesses, especially in the tourism sector, were distraught and asked the BC Govt to step in. They did! The rest is history.

[FNS]

Aug 3, 2009 10:31:42 GMT -8 EGfleet said:

Next up is a late in the career photo postcard of the Maggie. Postmarked 1987, I liked this one as it showed a Jumbo in the background.

Aug 13, 2009 12:45:06 GMT -8 Barnacle said:

The Maggie postcard is from an era before the rainbow stripe on the Jumbo, which would indicate it was probably taken before 1984... anyone know when that paint scheme landed on the the Princesss Marguerite?

This photo was probably taken in 1981. The buff line on the Main Deck was replaced by red, white, and blue. Also, a new solarium was installed on the Sun Deck aft, replacing the 1960s installation of the corrugated plastic overhead. About a year or two later, a new mast was installed on her wheelhouse roof as her forward masthead light had to change locations (I guess that this forward light has to be located near or ahead of the red and green lights).

The buff trim on the frames of the 1971-installed window additions on the Promenade Deck, the buff paint on the deck houses, and the Union Jack livery on the stacks were applied on her 1975 comeback after being purchased by the BC government following the CPR withdrawal in September 1974.

[bcferryfan87]

Note: updated Oct 25 956pm; man, this took longer than I thought; converted to mp3, and it now has an audio message saying its a trial version of a conversion program on it (converted from wav to mp3 as wav is way to large a file).

Click on link it should work; you hear the seaplane and then the maggie (with the annoying audio trial file sound effect prior to maggie whistle and during).

www.mediafire.com/folder/ab9e48834efc333ce7c82ed4b8f0c3804385459926178ab39d4bfef7ef5beeff

www.mediafire.com/folder/ab9e48834efc333ce7c82ed4b8f0c3804385459926178ab39d4bfef7ef5beeff

Well the script below is nice.....any suggestions on putting sound to this is appreciated

To Set the scene, I would have walked out around the Laurel point inn, and facing the west entrance to the harbour (if you went far west, and then turned left (to Port) you would then be heading towards ogden point and then the ocean (straight of Juan de fuca).

As you stand facing west at Laurel point (with what is now Coast harbourside to your left), a seaplane - airbc/harbour air or similar, starts to taxi and then take off to the west, just a min ahead of the Maggie rounding the bend having passed ogden point. The seaplane lifts off, and as it banks to the left, you can still hear it's recognizable engine sound, as you watch to just see the mast of the maggie sneaking in behind fishermans wharf off to the far left.

You might see a little bit of smoke from the smoke stack, and then it proudly banks gently to starboard as it rounds the corner; just about as it reaches the marker boy on it's port side - as almost as if it's a marker point to blow the whistle (and maybe it is ), you hear the 4 differrent length blasts of the whistle - signalling another welcome to Victoria. She was saying hello to us as much as we were saying hello to her. I always enjoyed getting to Victoria a few times in the summer, and making sure I was down there if I could be, at 11:45, to see the maggie come in at about 12:15.

[Ferryman]

Oct 24, 2009 21:04:05 GMT -8 bcferryfan87 said:

Edited after I typed: Anyone know how to get a WAV file onto this board? The file is avail, tried to put it on youtube, but SUrprise they only take videos (thus my earlier comments which follows.....) I hope this is NOT too large a file, but here is the WAV file of Maggie entering Vic Harbour.

I have an account at www.sitesled.com , and have a bit of a selection of audio files on there. But for quick uploads, just use:

www.zshare.net/index.php

The instructions are pretty simple...Attach and then upload. Copy link to post on forum.

Good luck.

PS: Carefull with the ads....sometimes an ad will take over the screen, but just look for the "Skip Ad" button on the upper right hand corner of the screen to get out of it.

[bcferryfan87]

Pls see my link www.mediafire.com/folder/ab9e48834efc333ce7c82ed4b8f0c3804385459926178ab39d4bfef7ef5beeff www.mediafire.com/folder/ab9e48834efc333ce7c82ed4b8f0c3804385459926178ab39d4bfef7ef5beeff....re maggie; site suggested wouldn't work, so I couldn't upload there, and had to find an alternate one
To Set the scene, I would have walked out around the Laurel point inn, and facing the west entrance to the harbour (if you went far west, and then turned left (to Port) you would then be heading towards ogden point and then the ocean (straight of Juan de fuca).


As you stand facing west at Laurel point (with what is now Coast harbourside to your left), a seaplane - airbc/harbour air or similar, starts to taxi and then take off to the west, just a min ahead of the Maggie rounding the bend having passed ogden point. The seaplane lifts off, and as it banks to the left, you can still hear it's recognizable engine sound, as you watch to just see the mast of the maggie sneaking in behind fishermans wharf off to the far left.

You might see a little bit of smoke from the smoke stack, and then it proudly banks gently to starboard as it rounds the corner; just about as it reaches the marker boy on it's port side - as almost as if it's a marker point to blow the whistle (and maybe it is ), you hear the 4 differrent length blasts of the whistle - signalling another welcome to Victoria. She was saying hello to us as much as we were saying hello to her. I always enjoyed getting to Victoria a few times in the summer, and making sure I was down there if I could be, at 11:45, to see the maggie come in at about 12:15.

note the little echo of the whistle (that is real, not an effect I created); it would echo off the shore or something.. hope you guys/girls appreciate this

[ryan888]

I was just wondering how you were making out with your videos. Do you have the clip of the queen of victoria hit? A great friend of mine gave it to me and I would share it if you want.

[Low Light Mike]

Nov 28, 2007 18:35:45 GMT -8 Ferryman said:

Here's a photo sent to me from our newest member, landlubber. His father took this photo as he and his family was sailing on the MV Coho into Victoria Harbour, as the Princess Margueritte sailed past.

[Low Light Mike]

May 1, 2009 9:09:29 GMT -8 pscurr said:

[Low Light Mike]

May 1, 2009 9:12:07 GMT -8 pscurr said:

I think Haines Alaska, 1966

yeah, the 2nd pic is in Alaska, so maybe it's the Patricia.....but I'm too tired to break up this post. ;D

[Low Light Mike]

Aug 3, 2009 10:31:42 GMT -8 EGfleet said:

A few interesting bits of ephemera added to the collection.

a late in the career photo postcard of the Maggie. Postmarked 1987, I liked this one as it showed a Jumbo in the background.


As always, if anyone would like a larger scan of these sent to them, let me know and I'll email it to you.

[princessofvanfan]

What's amazing is that you can still find items in souvineer shops in Victoria with the Maggie emblazoned on them. The inner harbour just ain't the same without her, that's for sure. I always enjoyed seeing her and the Coho sitting together end to end along Belleville from across the harbour.

[bcferryfan87]

funny thing is, I haven't seen anything with the maggie on it for a number of years now. I remember finding stuff in about 2000 or 2001, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

Another funny thing: there are people now (kids, young adults - aka 20 or 21 yrs of age - so born about 87 to 89) that have no tangible memories or connection to the Maggie as they would have no recollection of it running - they maybe weren't even born when it last ran.

It's one of those things as you get into your hmmmmm....30's now (yah born around 1974 give or take ) that you now see people who are 19 or 20, and like an old math equation, you can remember when they were 1 or 2 (or remember cousins, kids etc that were 1 or 2 etc in 1987 - and the magic of time has them now "what the ..." they are now 20. lol

I love the memories of the Maggie, I won't even promise anymore to get my stuff up on here of the Maggie. As I have time to get it up here (if and when) I will post it. sigh! so much to do, just not enough time some days....

[princessofvanfan]

Yeah, it's true, we were there last April, and in one of those shops on Government St. I spotted a trinket (shot glass or something) with the Maggie on it. Couldn't believe it. It's the same thing here in Kelowna with our new floating bridge-there's gonna be postcards, etc. for years to come with the old bridge on them.

[WettCoast]

I am currently going through a slide collection of a Dr. Max Edwards, who is now passed on to the next place. He was a linguistics professor at UVic. He could speak something like 14 languages, was an accomplished pianist and harpsichordist, was interested in mountains and everything to do with transportation. He was multi-talented to say the least and would probably have fit right in here on this forum. Dr. Edwards was a customer on a Victoria Daily Times paper route that me and several of my brothers had during the 1960's. From that paper route we acquired gardening jobs working for Dr. Edwards at his Gorden Head home. That is how our family came to know him.

His slide collection covers a period from about 1960 to 1975 and now belongs to one of my brothers (John) who passed it on to me to look through and scan anything of interest. I have been ferreting out photos of ferries & trains from this part of the world, one of which is shown below.


Victoria Harbour viewed from the Empress Hotel - Princess Marguerite @ left - summer 1964 [Dr. Max Edwards photo]

The slide that this scan comes from is badly smudged on the emulsion side, which is the reason for the marks you see. Fixing this could take some time.

[EGfleet]

Some more great 16MM footage from the same trip, this leg of it from Victoria to Vancouver with some great shots of the Maggie and the Princess Patricia sailing past (so noted on the film can by the person who shot the film back in the '49.) Note the wake the Patricia leaves! Yowsa. Neat shot of the Maggie going under the bridge.

[tom98250]

Apr 15, 2010 7:12:08 GMT -8 EGfleet said:

Some more great 16MM footage from the same trip, this leg of it from Victoria to Vancouver with some great shots of the Maggie and the Princess Patricia sailing past (so noted on the film can by the person who shot the film back in the '49.) Note the wake the Patricia leaves! Yowsa. Neat shot of the Maggie going under the bridge.

Another great video! There's a very brief glimpse of the Princess Elaine at the dock; in the skyline shot.

[marguerite]

Hello all:)

I have recently been given a life preserver from the Princess Marguerite. I have been looking for information about it, hoping I could find out which ship it is from when I found this forum. I was hoping someone here might know some information about it, there is a date but I can't make out the 3rd number it looks to be either a 1 or a 7 making it either 1917 or 1977.

Attachments:

[FNS]

Aug 8, 2010 16:28:04 GMT -8 @marguerite said:

Hello all:)

I have recently been given a life preserver from the Princess Marguerite. I have been looking for information about it, hoping I could find out which ship it is from when I found this forum. I was hoping someone here might know some information about it, there is a date but I can't make out the 3rd number it looks to be either a 1 or a 7 making it either 1917 or 1977.

The flotation vest should be reading 1977 and be from the second PRINCESS MARGUERITE.

The first PRINCESS MARGUERITE was a triple stacker and was launched in 1924. She was lost in 1942 as per the linked info below.

www.shipwrecksofegypt.com/images/shippages/princessmarguerite.html

The second PRINCESS MARGUERITE was a twin stacker and was built in 1948.

The third PRINCESS MARGUERITE was a "Queen" in disguise as a "Princess" as the BC ferry QUEEN OF BURNABY tested the waters of Puget Sound on the Seattle to Victoria run, a run lasting three times longer than what she normally does in BC. This was in the 1990s and lasted a few years. Pier 48's building, which housed her Seattle offices and terminal, is now being torn down.

[lmtengs]

It looks like it's been scrubbed off or something, but underneath the words Princess Marguerite, I can definitely make out what looks to be 'Victoria Princess'. I don't remember there ever being a ship called 'Victoria Princess', but I do remember the 'Princess Victoria'. Didn't she sink? I thought that the sinking of the Princess Victoria was one of the worst sinkings, when it comes to loss of life, since World War II.

Anyways, could someone confirm or deny the existence of a 'Victoria Princess'?

[FNS]

Aug 8, 2010 18:15:02 GMT -8 @lmtengs said:

It looks like it's been scrubbed off or something, but underneath the words Princess Marguerite, I can definitely make out what looks to be 'Victoria Princess'. I don't remember there ever being a ship called 'Victoria Princess', but I do remember the 'Princess Victoria'. Didn't she sink? I thought that the sinking of the Princess Victoria was one of the worst sinkings, when it comes to loss of life, since World War II.

Anyways, could someone confirm or deny the existence of a 'Victoria Princess'?

There's another "Queen" in disguise as a "Princess" syndrome us maritime enthusiasts had to endure! That was in 1980. The BCSS gave the PRINCESS MARGUERITE that year off and the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT and a Boeing Jetfoil stood in for her. The QPR was nastily demoted to a "Princess" with VICTORIA PRINCESS painted on her sides. Thankfully, her demotion lasted one summer and she rightfully regained her "Queen" crown and name in 1981 as she went back to her usual territory up north.

I don't think the PRINCESS VICTORIA sank. The PRINCESS SOPHIA and PRINCESS KATHLEEN were (I don't want to mention what happened to these beautiful liners ).