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Post by Mike C on Apr 9, 2013 22:03:01 GMT -8
There are 9 pages and 7 years of discussion on the Princess of Vancouver in this thread. On nearly every page someone says "there must be photographic evidence somewhere of her painted up in the Expo colors" (other than when she was having the fixed bow reinstalled, as those don't show much). And then, one of our members posts the following picture to the WCF Flickr, and no one adds it to the board! Princess of Vancouver at Little River, circa mid-1980's [Photo © E. Hayter] by West Coast Photography, on Flickr This photo is indeed on the board, somewhere (I certainly recognize it). I will move it here when I find it. The photo was taken by the grandpa(?) of member Mike
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Post by princessofvanfan on Apr 10, 2013 22:25:57 GMT -8
Interesting. I remember when she was in the Dept. of Highways yellow, white, and black livery, but not BCF's.
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Post by EGfleet on Jun 5, 2013 15:32:25 GMT -8
Technically this is from another boat, but the Princess of Vancouver is featured on the front.
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Post by EGfleet on Sept 19, 2013 10:37:18 GMT -8
Flipping through the Sunday magazine Seattle Times/PI from 1987 saved for another ferry article, I stumbled upon this. Had looked at it in years and either forgot/wasn't aware this was in it.
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Post by princessofvanfan on Sept 25, 2013 23:38:56 GMT -8
Flipping through the Sunday magazine Seattle Times/PI from 1987 saved for another ferry article, I stumbled upon this. Had looked at it in years and either forgot/wasn't aware this was in it. I really didn't like that new funnel. Just didn't look right at all.
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Post by princessofvanfan on Sept 26, 2013 11:14:21 GMT -8
I'll give you a short walking tour of the PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER as much as I can remember from my trip from Nanaimo to Vancouver in 1974: The Main Deck was designed for use by both road and rail vehicles. Rail tracks were embedded in the decking. Well designed and was drivable by cars. The stern was flat ended for use by both road and rail transfer spans. She was a stern loader at both ends of the run between Vancouver and Nanaimo. There were at least two stairway towers leading guests to the Lower Passenger Deck. The Lower Passenger Deck was originally all for passengers. That was until about the late 1960s or early 1970s. Space for cars replaced lounge space and side hatches were installed. This was the only deck where cars entered and exited on the side. The forward end of this deck had the main forward observatory. The only views you had were mountain tops over the high bulwark of the bow. The sides were unobstructed, though. There was a covered prom at each side of the observatory, but the bow was roped off (due to anchor and mooring equipment) and there were stairways at the forward leading up to the Sun Deck. Walking aft now, we pass through the forward foyer. Then, we enter the vehicles' lounge (I think you know what I mean! ;D). Yes, this space had a circular traffic pattern. There was an uptake amidships. Continuing aft, watching our steps for oil droppings as we go along (no one wants to see oil stains on the ship's carpetry), we pass through and enter the aft foyer. We now enter the eatery section of the ship. Like what was done on the PRINCESS MARGUERITE in the early 1970s when she received her second car deck in place of deluxe staterooms, her dining room was divided. A small formal diner was on the starboard side and a cafeteria took up the rest of the space. The galley space was aft. Tour of the Lower Passenger Deck is now complete. We now go up to the Sun Deck. Walking from aft, there was an added lounge built to help offset the loss of space when automobiles took their spots below. Then, there were long lounges amidships. The forward end had staterooms for either passengers or crew (or both). A spacious promenade circumnavigated around the structures on this deck. The whistle heard on this trip was a single tone one tuned roughly a "middle-C". It was a great trip and passing under the Lions Gate Bridge was a real treat. Wished this continued. A side note of POV's CPR fleet mate: When the MAGGIE arrived here in Seattle each evening in her last years with CPR, it took forever to unload cars. The vehicle platform at Pier 64 was an elevator. One car at a time boarded the elevator from the upper car deck and was lowered to the dock level. Good for US Customs agents, though, as they had more time to deal with automobile folks! She had a stowable ramp between the main and upper car decks, but I don't know how it was used, though. I watched this action on a July Fouth in 1973 or 1974 when I watched the fireworks from the Lenora Street overpass (these started just when the MAGGIE arrived that evening). What a fabulous description. I loved going on the P.o.V. as a kid because she was so unique and different from BCF's ships, which was what we normally would sail on.
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Post by bcferryfan87 on Sept 30, 2013 12:03:28 GMT -8
I hope I can find some pics I have of the VIP (aka Princess of Vancouver) from my trip Sea to Vic in 89. I haven't made much effort to look for these, but I know I must have a treasurechest so to speak of pics. They got boxed up and are probably still boxed in one of a few boxes I need to go through. Along with Videos of Maggies retirement I mentioned some time back.
I like this message board, as it's nice to know others are interested in the ships also.
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dave2
Chief Steward
Deckhand!: Todo: Introduction post (I was born less than 100 feet from the ocean. The tide was...)
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Post by dave2 on Nov 13, 2013 4:09:01 GMT -8
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mrdot
Voyager
Mr. DOT
Posts: 1,252
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Post by mrdot on Nov 13, 2013 16:45:59 GMT -8
:)I still have a book of a couple of unused tickets from this $3.50 era, that I've saved in my CPR memorabila I even took the then new Carrier Princess on this service! mrdot.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,175
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Post by Neil on Nov 13, 2013 18:12:07 GMT -8
:)I still have a book of a couple of unused tickets from this $3.50 era, that I've saved in my CPR memorabila I even took the then new Carrier Princess on this service! mrdot. Could I ask a favor? Could you head on over to the Carrier Princess thread, and tell us whatever you can remember about being a passenger on board? The food, the facilities... whatever. I never rode her, and I know next to nothing about what kind of service CP provided on what was a real departure for them, historically. Thanks in advance...
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Mill Bay
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Long Suffering Bosun
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Post by Mill Bay on Nov 13, 2013 19:54:24 GMT -8
Just to note that Sono Nis has just released a new book Vancouver Island's Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway : The Canadian Pacific, VIA Rail and Shortline Years, 1949-2013 by Robert D. Turner and Donald F. MacLachlan. "This is the continued story of the ever-fascinating, often troubled E&N Railway." There are a few pages of discussion and some photos on the Princess of Vancouver's railferry services which are intriguing, but I was rather surprised to find no mention of her joining the BCFerries fleet. The Powell River-Comox service was noted, but I half expected a book with Robert Turner as co-author to list every milestone of service the ship had, especially the parts of the story the rest of us have not been able to find concrete proof for.
I would highly recommend the book, though, for railfans and BC History fans alike. As good as anything that Robert Turner has done, and he is the pre-eminent BC historian.
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mrdot
Voyager
Mr. DOT
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Post by mrdot on Nov 13, 2013 20:17:17 GMT -8
:)yes indeed I did the Carrier Princess as passenger on the run over to Nanaimo in those first year or the last years of that service, as I recall, you could alternate from the Princess of Vancouver over to this new option! It's a long time ago and my memory is a bit fuzzy but there was a reasonable passenger service in the first year or so! :)mrdot.
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granth
Oiler (New Member)
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Post by granth on Apr 28, 2014 16:00:35 GMT -8
I worked on her as a "porter" (busboy+) and jr. bartender the summer of 1977. Best summer job ever. 8h to do about 2h work. Got all my reading done for grade 12. (Yes, I was an underage bartender. I looked old enough, so nobody cared.
Lots of memories, from the taxis waiting for the crew to run them to the Queenie or one of the other hotel bars to the "booze cruises", to having our bunks (as noted elsewhere here) right under the rail deck. 2am though 3am was hard to sleep!
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Post by princessofvanfan on Apr 28, 2014 18:21:30 GMT -8
I worked on her as a "porter" (busboy+) and jr. bartender the summer of 1977. Best summer job ever. 8h to do about 2h work. Got all my reading done for grade 12. (Yes, I was an underage bartender. I looked old enough, so nobody cared. Lots of memories, from the taxis waiting for the crew to run them to the Queenie or one of the other hotel bars to the "booze cruises", to having our bunks (as noted elsewhere here) right under the rail deck. 2am though 3am was hard to sleep! Hmmm. Interesting. I always found it curious that a ferry on such a short crossing would have a bar. You mention the "booze cruises" - that would be the midnight sailing from Vancouver, taking Nanaimo residents home after a Canucks/Lions game or a concert, correct?
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Post by Starsteward on May 7, 2014 6:32:53 GMT -8
I worked on her as a "porter" (busboy+) and jr. bartender the summer of 1977. Best summer job ever. 8h to do about 2h work. Got all my reading done for grade 12. (Yes, I was an underage bartender. I looked old enough, so nobody cared. Lots of memories, from the taxis waiting for the crew to run them to the Queenie or one of the other hotel bars to the "booze cruises", to having our bunks (as noted elsewhere here) right under the rail deck. 2am though 3am was hard to sleep! Hmmm. Interesting. I always found it curious that a ferry on such a short crossing would have a bar. You mention the "booze cruises" - that would be the midnight sailing from Vancouver, taking Nanaimo residents home after a Canucks/Lions game or a concert, correct? Pushing the calendar back a few years more into the late '60's, there was a few Lion's fans heading back to the Island, the Canucks had yet to enter the NHL, but, back in the day there was a very large group of folks who were avid wrestling fans and would come over to Vancouver, (PNE Gardens, or the old BCTV studios in Burnaby for the All-Star wrestling show, taped live on Saturday afernoons). On many Saturday night runs from Vancouver to Nanaimo, the P.O.V. would have the likes of Gene Kiniski, Kinji Shabuya, Eric Froelich and Don Leo Jonathon aboard as they travelled to the Island for wrestling gigs in Victoria, Nanaimo and Port Alberni. And, most of those guys got on rather well together on the ship after having beat the crap out of each other earlier in the day. Great bunch of guys to serve in either the bar or the dining room. And if Don Leo Jonathon wanted a 'special order', one just replied, "yessir" The man was huge!
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on May 7, 2014 16:59:26 GMT -8
Hmmm. Interesting. I always found it curious that a ferry on such a short crossing would have a bar. You mention the "booze cruises" - that would be the midnight sailing from Vancouver, taking Nanaimo residents home after a Canucks/Lions game or a concert, correct? Pushing the calendar back a few years more into the late '60's, there was a few Lion's fans heading back to the Island, the Canucks had yet to enter the NHL, but, back in the day there was a very large group of folks who were avid wrestling fans and would come over to Vancouver, (PNE Gardens, or the old BCTV studios in Burnaby for the All-Star wrestling show, taped live on Saturday afernoons). On many Saturday night runs from Vancouver to Nanaimo, the P.O.V. would have the likes of Gene Kiniski, Kinji Shabuya, Eric Froelich and Don Leo Jonathon aboard as they travelled to the Island for wrestling gigs in Victoria, Nanaimo and Port Alberni. And, most of those guys got on rather well together on the ship after having beat the crap out of each other earlier in the day. Great bunch of guys to serve in either the bar or the dining room. And if Don Leo Jonathon wanted a 'special order', one just replied, "yessir" The man was huge! That was a fun show to watch on Saturday afternoons back in the 1980s and 1970s. Master SGT Al Tomko was a fun to watch both as a good guy and a villain. Ed Karl was a fun announcer to listen to. We had Big Time Wrestling here in Seattle and in Portland with Dutch Savage et al. If the PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER was strong enough to hold vehicles of all kinds, including those that run on tracks, she was strong enough to carry the strongest and meanest of all grappling grapplers! On the other hand, was there enough head room aboard the POV for Andre "The Giant" (if he ever had a chance in riding this ship)?
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Post by princessofvanfan on May 7, 2014 19:56:01 GMT -8
Yep - Stampede and All Star Wrestling on Sunday afternoons. My brother and I would watch every week then beat the crap out of each other afterwards. Well, not really, but we would try our best to re-enact that weeks show. Interesting tidbit about the guys taking the late run to the Island. I remember seeing them live at Beban Park rec centre in Nanaimo and also the old Memorial Arena in Victoria. Back to the P.o.V, I remember my Grandmother saying that the drunks used to always take the C.P.R. ferry because they could drink in the lounge for the duration of the trip.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on May 7, 2014 21:58:38 GMT -8
Yep - Stampede and All Star Wrestling on Sunday afternoons. My brother and I would watch every week then beat the crap out of each other afterwards. Well, not really, but we would try our best to re-enact that weeks show. Interesting tidbit about the guys taking the late run to the Island. I remember seeing them live at Beban Park rec centre in Nanaimo and also the old Memorial Arena in Victoria. Back to the P.o.V, I remember my Grandmother saying that the drunks used to always take the C.P.R. ferry because they could drink in the lounge for the duration of the trip. ... And the Mounties with billy clubs in their hands would obviously keep a watch on the roads for such bubbly-ers. I remember my only trip aboard her. It was late in the summer of 1974 on a sunny day. The ship was big and the approach to Vancouver was fun. It was a few days before I started my next phase of my education life as I entered my 7th Grade year in junior high. The days of recess were behind me now. It was neat to walk next to the forward observatory and climbing the ladder up to the Sun Deck. We had a Nanaimo-Class ferry off our port bow nearly the whole trip to Vancouver. The NC ferry was on her way to HSB from DPB and we were running from Downtown Nanaimo to Downtown Vancouver. Oh, the good old days.
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Post by Starsteward on May 8, 2014 9:45:46 GMT -8
Pushing the calendar back a few years more into the late '60's, there was a few Lion's fans heading back to the Island, the Canucks had yet to enter the NHL, but, back in the day there was a very large group of folks who were avid wrestling fans and would come over to Vancouver, (PNE Gardens, or the old BCTV studios in Burnaby for the All-Star wrestling show, taped live on Saturday afernoons). On many Saturday night runs from Vancouver to Nanaimo, the P.O.V. would have the likes of Gene Kiniski, Kinji Shabuya, Eric Froelich and Don Leo Jonathon aboard as they travelled to the Island for wrestling gigs in Victoria, Nanaimo and Port Alberni. And, most of those guys got on rather well together on the ship after having beat the crap out of each other earlier in the day. Great bunch of guys to serve in either the bar or the dining room. And if Don Leo Jonathon wanted a 'special order', one just replied, "yessir" The man was huge! That was a fun show to watch on Saturday afternoons back in the 1980s and 1970s. Master SGT Al Tomko was a fun to watch both as a good guy and a villain. Ed Karl was a fun announcer to listen to. We had Big Time Wrestling here in Seattle and in Portland with Dutch Savage et al. If the PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER was strong enough to hold vehicles of all kinds, including those that run on tracks, she was strong enough to carry the strongest and meanest of all grappling grapplers! On the other hand, was there enough head room aboard the POV for Andre "The Giant" (if he ever had a chance in riding this ship)? I can't remember seeing Andre "The Giant" on the Princess Of Vancouver, but I'm sure he made the trip at some point in his career. FerryNutSeattle, your question regarding headroom brought back a funny memory for me as I do recall one night the rather huge man, Don Leo Jonathon, hitting his head on the door frame as he came from the upper cardeck into the forward lounge area. No bllod, but D.L.J. had a nice welt on his forehead that looked like he'd got smacked in his last match. Back in the 70's there was Stampede Wrestling from Calgary hosted by one of the most colourful announcers that ever held a microphone, that being 'Cactus Jack Wells', the man was a 'Legend' and I believe he was inducted into the Canadian Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. Vancouver, with All-Star Wrestling, hosted by the best 'straight-man' in the business, Ron Moirier, aired every Saturday at 3:00 P.M., which my Dad would watch religiously, no matter what chores were underway. I do remember Ed Karl out of Seattle, who was another legend in the broadcast business. The good old days had many colourful guys that have never been replaced. One more thing about the good old 'P.O.V.' whilst the bar was 'officially' closed at 2:00 A.M., that just meant that no new imbibers could enter. Those already inside were always encouraged to stay and keep telling their x-rated jokes and 'stories'. Oh darn, where was my recording device back in the day? Once in a blue moon, a Senior Officer would drop by and "suggest" they move the wee gathering into one of their staterooms. That suggestion took some b---s! As has been suggested by some other esteemed members: "ah the good old days". They were special.
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Post by EGfleet on Sept 10, 2014 11:16:32 GMT -8
This is my second one of these--the other is postcard of the Kahloke--the Black Ball one, that is. I can kind of see why they never really caught on. I suspect there are few out there that managed to keep all the pieces over the years.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 15, 2014 12:16:16 GMT -8
Brief footage of Princess of Vancouver leaving Nanaimo's CPR dock. - 1960s.
at 0:30mark
I was just a baby then...
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Post by princessofvanfan on Dec 16, 2014 0:19:58 GMT -8
Interesting footage. Thanks for that.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Apr 10, 2015 22:26:57 GMT -8
Greetings, Forum mates! I recently obtained copies of a set of historic plans of well known ships that operated here in this part of the world. One of these is of the MV PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER. The other one is, I'll keep you in suspense until I present her plans later. These came in retractable versions as well as flat sheets. Without further ado, here's the MV PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER shown just for you, my mates of the West Coast Ferries Forum:
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 11, 2015 7:46:52 GMT -8
Greetings, Forum mates! I recently obtained copies of a set of historic plans of well known ships that operated here in this part of the world. One of these is of the MV PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER. The other one is, I'll keep you in suspense until I present her plans later. These came in retractable versions as well as flat sheets. Without further ado, here's the MV PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER shown just for you, my mates of the West Coast Ferries Forum: Wow! Thanks very much for sharing this. I took PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER a few times as a child, whenever BC Ferries was on-strike. I have memories of the revised upper deck, and it was a pleasure to look through these plans now and to rekindle some memories.
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Post by Starsteward on Apr 11, 2015 9:04:00 GMT -8
Greetings, Forum mates! I recently obtained copies of a set of historic plans of well known ships that operated here in this part of the world. One of these is of the MV PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER. The other one is, I'll keep you in suspense until I present her plans later. These came in retractable versions as well as flat sheets. Without further ado, here's the MV PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER shown just for you, my mates of the West Coast Ferries Forum: Wow! Thanks very much for sharing this. I took PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER a few times as a child, whenever BC Ferries was on-strike. I have memories of the revised upper deck, and it was a pleasure to look through these plans now and to rekindle some memories. Yes, very cool to see the old deck plans for the Princess of Vancouver. The upper car deck was in operation as early as 1965. The layout was very weird as one would walk out of the main lobby area and through the car deck enroute to the cafeteria/ dining room. Keeping the decks clean in the lobby and the food service areas was always a challenge as the car deck wasn't always the most spotless area of the old girl.
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