CP's Princess of Vancouver - photos & discussion

[Scott]

So to access the upper car deck, they had to be lifted up by elevator?

[FNS]

admin said:

So to access the upper car deck, they had to be lifted up by elevator?

Only on the PRINCESS MARGUERITE at Pier 64 Seattle in the early 1970s as per above posting. Pier 64 was a shabby old dock, but a beautiful one in design. There were no ramps built on that dock that lead cars up to the upper car deck. So, they built an elevator instead. I think this all depended on tides as well. This lasted from her 1972 refitting (that replaced the deluxe rooms with car space) through 1974 (the end of CPR's service to Seattle). BC Steamships deleted the upper car deck in 1975, put in a large lounge, welded the upper car deck side hatch opening permanently closed, restored the ornate window designs on the sides, et al.

Folks boarding the PRINCESS OF VANCOUVER drove up on a ramp to board her on her upper car deck at Vancouver and Nanaimo. A beautiful work of art in the construction of these ramps!

[Scott]

So they had ramps for the main deck at the stern of the vessel and then a special ramp to access the upper car deck from the side. I can only imagine it, but it really does sound like it would have to be a "beautiful work of art" Sounds pretty cool.. wish I'd been able to see it myself!

Sorry if I missed something, but what happened to this upper car deck after she was sold to the Ministry of Highways? I'm assuming it was either unused or refitted back to passenger space.

[FNS]

admin said:

So they had ramps for the main deck at the stern of the vessel and then a special ramp to access the upper car deck from the side. I can only imagine it, but it really does sound like it would have to be a "beautiful work of art" Sounds pretty cool.. wish I'd been able to see it myself!

Sorry if I missed something, but what happened to this upper car deck after she was sold to the Ministry of Highways? I'm assuming it was either unused or refitted back to passenger space.

After the oil droppings were mopped up, the upper car deck was put into the history books and this space was restored as a passenger lounge once again. The aft extra lounge was removed from the Sun Deck.

This picture from the bottom of page two on this thread shows the side ramp and the docking arrangement of this vessel in Vancouver (nearly identical arrangement at Nanaimo):

i21.tinypic.com/2vl1992.jpg

[WettCoast]

Here is a b&w photo of her leaving the Vancouver terminal in about 1976. The side vehicle access door is evident.

I rode on this vessel once or twice many years ago. Unfortunately I can't remember anything at all about her interior layout.


Canadian Pacific's Princess of Vancouver leaving its Vancouver harbour terminal c1976 [photo © Mr. DOT] by Wett Coast, on Flickr                     

[Neil]

Couple more schedules, sort of in the Princess of Vancouver vein... although, note the vehicle height clearance on the Princess Marguerite: 7 feet.

[Political Incorrectness]

3.50 for a round trip? Now when can we have that again?

[BreannaF]

ferrymaniac101 said:

3.50 for a round trip? Now when can we have that again?

Yeah, but we need to put it in perspective. In 1967, my Dad was a well-paid union electrician at Bethlehem Steel in Seattle -- and making something in the neighbourhood of $5.00/hour at that time.

So, if we want to compare the trip today to today's wage for the same job, it probably isn't too far off.......

[Salt Chucker]

pnwtraveler said:

... I remember seeing a Russian freighter and seeing the world's largest ship at the time which was designed to carry grain not oil surprizingly.

Does anybody know about this oil tanker?

I think that it was the largest tanker when built, but there was a glut of oil tankers when completed. The Canadian government contracted it to ship grain (before it carried oil) for aid to famine area. This would be in the 1970's.

[Northern Exploration]

Yeah that sounds right. It may have gone to India come to think of it. It was at one of the piers East of where the Canary Restaurant is. I would love to know more about it too. Dad's recollection is foggy. It would have been prior to August of 1972 because we moved then.

[Retrovision]

flugelhorn said:

pnwtraveler said:

Is the pic flopped? Isn't that Burnaby Mountain on the far left of the pic when it should be on the far right? Or am I just turned around? And Herg do you happen to know what building he was in? Perhaps the Guiness Building?

Yeah the more I think about it the ferries pulled into the area to the west of the old cruise ship pier. Between about Thurlow and Bute.

Here's the same pic, reversed. I think this is correct:
...

.....now it makes more sense....

Ah, thanks for that.

So then it looks like that's the other side of the old Pier B-C in the background, and where the SeaBus (/SkyTrain) station that was in that earlier photo I posted is, facing the other side, at the north end of Granville Street.

[Low Light Mike]

flugelhorn said:

I recall my parents saying (recently) that they knew someone who was part of the voyage when CP brought the PoV to Canada from Scotland.

I asked my parents today re who it was that they knew of, who was on the PoV's voyage from Scotland.

It was Doctor Larry Giovando, a well-known Nanaimo physician. He passed away in the 70's or 80's, and "Giovando Point" on Newcastle Island (Scott has taken pictures from there) is named for him.

So, there's an obscure connection between the PoV's voyage from Scotland, and our ferry-watching location near Nanaimo....

[Mill Bay]

Hey, here's the pic of Princess of Vancouver I said I was gonna post...

I bought the picture somewhere a while ago, so I don't have any details when it was taken or where, (or even who), but it is the POV.

It show's her quite clearly in the government scheme, with a modified bow, and I would guess she's at the Little River terminal


i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff290/Mill-Bay/PrincessofVancouver.jpg

[Mirrlees]

Cool photo, Mill Bay! It looks as though they were doing a lifeboat drill judging by the three lifeboats over the side.

[Curtis]

Great Photo Indeed, Mill Bay. It Looks like they were doing a life boat drill at the time since some of the boats are down...Or was that the way it was with her? Her bow sure didn't look nice with that, how do I say it..."Nose Job"

[Mill Bay]

I was wondering that as well. But, from looking at other pictures, it looks like the lifeboats were actually stored in the upper position in the davits when the ship was underway.

It could possibly be a lifeboat drill, or some other maintenance or inspection going on.

For some reason, though, I actually sort of like the open bow. The long, pointed bow actually looks a little too cosmetic in my mind. I was struck by how this angle of view makes the ship look very long. She must have been quite a bit longer than the V class.


I also found another picture, in a gallery of old ship postcards, somebody has posted: www.flickr.com/photos/mando_gal/917232179/in/set-72157601039538386/

By coincidence, the same collection also has a picture QE2 being launched on Clydebank.

[Retrovision]

Thanks for that, Mill Bay; great find.

millbay said:

I was wondering that as well. But, from looking at other pictures, it looks like the lifeboats were actually stored in the upper position in the davits when the ship was underway....

On a tangent, I've noticed on numerous occasions that the Vs atleast are stored out of service with their upper deck arm davits swumg out, though I'm not sure if I've simply caught them near drill time.

[Mill Bay]

I looked into this, and I was able to find some current regs for LIFEBOAT STANDARDS FOR NEW SHIPS from the Canadian Legal institute. They very clearly spell out how lifeboats are supposed to be outfitted, labelled and tested: www.canlii.org/ca/regu/crc1436/part211840.html

In addition, "all lifeboats may be boarded and launched from the stowed position or an embarkation deck".

Couldn't find anything specific about drills, or older regs, but I don't think it would make sense to have the lifeboats lowered while the ship is underway. The davits are designed to hold them locked in place, but when they are lowered, they would be more free to swing around and likely could cause damage.

[physicist]

Sorry to drag this back from the dead, but I finished a drawing thats somewhat pertinent to the discussion.

Seeing how we've never seen a clear picture of exactly how the Princess of Vancouver looked in the Expo livery during here brief tenure with BC Ferries, here's my take on how she looked.

[Mill Bay]

physicist said:

Sorry to drag this back from the dead, but I finished a drawing thats somewhat pertinent to the discussion.

Seeing how we've never seen a clear picture of exactly how the Princess of Vancouver looked in the Expo livery during here brief tenure with BC Ferries, here's my take on how she looked.

Somewhere out there, there has to be a picture. Let the hunt begin.

[Retrovision]

I look forward to such a picture, but I feel compelled to thank physicist for such a great rendering of what she might have looked like; quality drawing.

[Dane]

I PM'd John about this ship today saying I couldn't find anything about her running for BC Ferries, then he directed me to this thread which I don't think I have ever read.

Anyways, let the mystey go a little further.

In 1985 13 vessels were transfered from the Ministry of Highways to BCFC, the Princess of Vancouver is not listed in 1986 as being one of the vessels transfered. This is from the 1985/1986 Highways Report written while the transfer occured.

The BC Ferries report from the same fiscal year speaks to redeployment of the Queen of Tsawwassen to replace her upon BC Ferries taking over the route, and this is when funds were made available for installation of elevators on the Tsawwassen and Sidney.

The 1991 report for Highways Ferries, which from what I have been able to search is the next one after 1986 lists the same 13 vessels, and makes no mention of the disposition of the Princess of Vancouver. Obviously she made it to BC Ferries, so I am curious if she was transfered as a capacity measure for Expo '86.... BUT then there is also that photo of considerable bow work being done? Seems like work being done for a more long term commitment of operations?

www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=3696

[Taxman]

She was taken out of service from Nanaimo in '81, modified in '82, sold in '86 or '87 to be a casino cruise ship between Seattle and Victoria as Vancouver Island Princess. Reading back I found that ferrynutseattle has confirmed most of this info, although the date of the Modification is something I don't think we have nailed down before.

During this (according to the globe and mail) she got platforms, ramps, bow doors, new elevators and a new sewage system.

Additionally, when she was sold, some brass fittings didn't make the trip initially.

Looking at the headlines after 87, by 90 she was dead in the water fiscally. Unlike the Marguerite (Which the BC Gov bought) the stories tend to end here for the VIP


One more interesting line from the Province (Paper) in 1991 is:
"The suggestion is that B.C. Ferry Corp. provide interim service for 12 months. Our technical people have been studying vessel availability," Bouchard said."

[Dane]

gunther said:

She was taken out of service from Nanaimo in '81, modified in '82, sold in '86 or '87 to be a casino cruise ship between Seattle and Victoria as Vancouver Island Princess. Reading back I found that ferrynutseattle has confirmed most of this info, although the date of the Modification is something I don't think we have nailed down before.

But the question is what she was doing in '86/'87 before the sale. As fas as I can tell, she never joined the BC Ferries fleet and was only briefly used.... it appears from the link I posted and iformation on previous pages that she never was taken into possession by BC Ferries?

[Taxman]

From what I have read, the Sidney replaced her when BC Ferries took over, so she was probably surplus and sold. I will run another search through Canadian Newstand tonight