Harbourlynx

[Doug]

$8 million for a bloody engine?!

[NMcKay]

i might be exaggerating. its probably 250,000$ or some thing like that. its been a long time since i was "In the Know"

[new BCer]

I've been told by some people that the Harbourlynx is sold to one of the former investors of the company. The Lynx would operate again -maybe this fall otherwise upcoming winter...
Maybe it's just another rumour? maybe not...

[Balfour]

It would be nice if Harbourlynx got back up and running. It really was an important link for many people, considering it got alot of Nanaimo residents access to more job oppurtunities in Vancouver.

[Neil]

Another (yawn?) hopeful 'Lynx possibility?


Investor eyes harbour ferry plan



By Darrell Bellaart
The news Bulletin
Sep 09 2006


An entrepreneur is looking into re-establishing harbour-to-harbour passenger service with Vancouver.

But the details, including who's behind it and whether a single boat or a fleet of vessels would be used, are all under wraps - for the time being, at least.

"There is an individual looking at re-starting the service," said Marilyn Hutchinson, city economic development officer.

"He has asked that his name not be revealed. There is serious interest in re-establishing the service - it's the community's worst-kept secret."

Hutchinson said there was a flurry of investor interest in the spring, after the Harbourlynx service folded.

She said this investor is seriously interested, but he doesn't want his name made public until all the details have been worked out.

Hopes were high that a group of Chinese investors who visited Nanaimo earlier this summer would want to reinstate the service, but that group was more interested in real estate than transportation.

This investor is Canadian, Hutchinson said.

"But he's asked me to respect his privacy until he does all his due diligence. He knows the community was hurt once, and he wants to do it right this time."

He has spoken to various suppliers and industry sources, and he's contacted former employees to gauge interest in working for a new ferry service.

"I understand he's looking at a refit too, with regard to the engines."

Engine failure was the final nail in the coffin of the Harbourlynx service, which owners said was poised to start making a return on the investment this year.

When would it all happen?

"He's not given me that date," Hutchinson said. "The good news is he gives updates every few weeks. When he's ready to do his public announcement, he will."

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[Dane]

Great to see!

[Low Light Mike]

Well, I live in Nanaimo, and I'm not privy to our city's "worst kept secret".

I guess that I'll have to be patient and wait.

[Shipwatcher]

About 2pm this afternoon I was down at the Visiting pier in Nanaimo and noticed some action onboard the Harbourlynx. I could see about 5 people onboard and I am not sure what they were up to. 2 of them were on the upper deck checking out the side above the upper deck windows on the Port side behind the wheelhouse.

[NMcKay]

Mr. Ed Life, one of the previous investors and very close to one of the two 'financiers' of HL has announced to the crew his intention to get HL up and running again by December 15. He has a lot of work to do and has asked the crew for his support in moving the project ahead. He does not want in involvement or association with any of the previous management. He intends to get the HL up and running, starting with two trips per day increasing to three by Mar/April.

[Koastal Karl]

Just saw it on the noon news people were onboard doing some work on the Harbourlynx and looks like there is a new logo in the process of being put up above the forward lounge windows as they mentioned on the news.

[NMcKay]

HarbourLynx Service Could Resume

The HarbourLynx foot passenger service between Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver could be up and running again by Christmas. A potential buyer for the ferry is in negotiations with its owners to purchase the vessel and resurrect the service. HarbourLynx began providing foot passenger service in October 2003, but was forced into bankruptcy earlier this year after one of its engines broke down. That engine has still not been repaired, but crews are improving the outside of the vessel for the potential sale. The Nanaimo Port Authority is optimistic the sale will go through. Victoria-based businessman, Ed Life, has been named in some reports as the potential buyer, but when contacted Wednesday, Life would not confirm that.

[landlocked]

I will see it when I believe it. The vessel has too much capacity, burns too much fuel, and the company won't get reasonably priced terminal access. The vessel needs over 900 pax a day to make a go of herself, but, even at the end, while the numbers were improving all the time, the average was 600.

[Low Light Mike]

landlocked said:

I will see it when I believe it.

Simple dyslexia, or just the power of positive thinking?

[BrianWilliams]

A sad note: waiting for SeaBus on Sunday (24 Sep 2006) I noticed the standard blue TransLink sign west of the main ramp:

"Nanaimo Ferry" crudely covered with masking tape. What a shame.

As it happened, the doors were open to the ex-Harbour Lynx dock. Twenty or more tourists were out there snapping pics of Ryndam and Veendam at Canada Place pier.

Happy -though not Harbour Lynx news- I rode to Lonsdale and back on packed SeaBus trips on mid-day Sunday sailings. Holy smoke, who woulda thunk it 35 years ago?

Burrard Beaver and Burrard Otter are not sightseeing boats ... but the mob of Koreans, Australians, Swedes, Germans, Brits, Mexicans, Americans, Hollanders, Chileans, Filipinos, Japanese and many others almost crowded me off sailings both ways.

Digital cameras beeped constantly, snapping the most mundane pics, like North Vancouver's sulphur heaps, and passing Cates towboats.

*sigh* Beep, click and whirr ... tourist cameras shot Vancouver city's skyline and our busy harbour. Though I wasn't looking through their viewfinders, I did see what most of 'em missed.

The Lions, Crown, Grouse and Seymour Mountains. Silly people, they were chattering in 15 languages about Vancouver's beauty but missing the main event -- our 5,000 foot mountains that rise right out of the sea.

Any city can build some 40-story glass towers; Vancouver is especially blessed that ours sit on a granite knob with blue water in the foreground and a big coastal sky behind. Still, I'm disappointed that many folks do not look around.

I watched a Korean boy lining up a video shot with two giggling girls on the SeaBus. From where I sat, there was a stupendous view of the Lions ... the kid waved the girls left to a shot of Vancouver, said "Cheese-O" and buzzed 10 seconds of generic city. Too bad.

[landlocked]

Let's try that again! I'll believe it when I see it! How's that? As I understand, the crew is down working on the boat as we speak. If one looks at the market, you will note, that if you total up ALL the pax who use BCFS as a foot passenger and all the airlines coming into and out of Nanaimo, that totals about 900K. If the HL needs 325K to make a go of herself, that means they need almost 40% marketshare immediately. You can't influence the market with price as you've already got the highest cost per passenger mile now. Your price needs to be 2.5 times the current BCFS price to cover your costs. Add to that the fact that the Province of BC provides over 350K free rides every year to Seniors using exclusively BCFS boats. How can the private sector compete with FREE? I don't know how the new group, if they in fact intend to run the boat, will make a go of it.

[Low Light Mike]

All I can think of is the possible new owners might have deeper pockets, and be able to afford some losses. But for what reason? Do they want to move into this market, absorb the losses, in order to preserve market share for some future profitable expansion down the road?

I have no idea.

[ruddernut]

I just can't help but to wonder, couldn't passengers be transported much more cost effectively through passenger only vessels, not to mention less wastefully, than lugging them and their cars around on car ferries?

Okay, I suppose if you have the big, car carrying ferries running anyways, then I suppose you can also load a bunch of extra foot passengers onto it for next to nothing, but how does the economy of running passenger only ferries compare with that of running the big ferries? Why hasn't BCFS considered taking over HarbourLynx operations?

If more passenger ferries running between more convenient locations reduces the need to take the car, hence reduces the number of car ferry sailings needed, wouldn't that actually result in some savings?

[Political Incorrectness]

Why has BCF considered not taking over HL operations? ruddernut, I hope you will be able to catch onto this soon (or you caught onto it and I am misinterpeting) BCFS is in this game for proft. If they can make profit, they'll run it, if not, they put it on the list for Alternative Service Provider Proposal. They will not buy routes that do not make profit. The problem with catamarans these days is that they have 4 engines. That is what the wake problem is caused by, that is what holds them back. All you need is two friggin huge engines and that is it. That is what San Francisco's fast ferry system runs on (well there are many but at least Golden Gate Transportation system did this) with their catamaran is two engines. I am not sure about the HL having 4 engines but with catamarans, (like with ours) they are meant to run full blast whole time. It would be better to promote mass transit and forget the car due to gas and the dangerous Sea to Sky Highway (unless you know how to drive it like Chris does).

[ruddernut]

ferrymaniac101 said:

Why has BCF considered not taking over HL operations? ruddernut, I hope you will be able to catch onto this soon (or you caught onto it and I am misinterpeting) BCFS is in this game for proft. If they can make profit, they'll run it, if not, they put it on the list for Alternative Service Provider Proposal. They will not buy routes that do not make profit.

I didn't think any of them actually made a profit. I thought they just strived to minimize the losses, while receiving public subsidies to offset these costs.

[landlocked]

BC Ferries will not take over a passenger only business until such time as they feel the market can expand to make it profitable. They believe that pax only that competes with their current business does nothing but erode it and take away market share. In the case of HarbourLynx, they were able to 'grow' the market. I've seen as high as 70% as being the estimate of what portion of the business was 'new market'. BCFS don't get that you introduce a new product, and you will get new customers. In a survey done by the City of Nanaimo prior to building the New Nanaimo Centre, researchers found that central Vancouver Islands number one customer came from the GVRD, however that customers' number one reason for not visiting was because of inconvenient and less than hassle free ferry travel. Introduce additional ferries and they will visit Vancouver Island more often. The HarbourLynx was two engine, while more efficient than 4 and less than one, has just enought redundancy to make it to her home port in the event of a mechanical failure. Like the Q class boats, a four engine boat will not stop working because a propulsion component fails. She can continue to work. The HarbourLynx could not. With respect to BCFS and it's profitibility...it is not intended to make a profit, in fact is prevented from. If it makes too much of a profit on an individual run the route service fee will be reduced. That's why you see 'seat sales' in January and February on certain routes. They made too much money and need to dump some of it.

[Retrovision]

one of the few questions from the public at the BCFS AGM that I recorded was regarding passenger only service, and as soon as I upload it, I'll let you folks know.

[landlocked]

Re: Lack of questions concerning pax only ferries....BCFS see pax only as duplication of services, not an entirely new product. They do not understand the customer will change their habits, will reorganize their lives, and will purchase something they deem worthwhile. BCFS would like to grow with the population, not by offering new and exciting services that the customers want.

[Scott]

You're right landlocked. I think if there was a reliable service, people would change their lifestyle around it. They'd consider living in Nanaimo and working in Vancouver. But when you make that kind of major lifestyle change, you want to be sure that it's going to be there day-to-day and long-term. So I think there is a new market out there, if someone could just capture it and keep it.

[landlocked]

HarbourLynx was a far more significant economic generator in Nanaimo than it was ever given credit for. How many people that live on Vancouver Island want to live in downtown Nanaimo? Not many, and not enough to warrent the development costs involved. Therefore, you have to attract from other markets, such as Vancouver. If a 500 sq ft unit in the Woodwards complex in Vancouver went for 400K, imagine how desirable it would be for someone to buy an 1100 sq ft unit right on the waterfront in Nanaimo would be? The HL gave folks the opportunity to work in the centre of the BC business community and enjoy the island lifestyle, but a potential purchaser of real estate in downtown Nanaimo needs to know he/she rides to work everyday on a vessel or vessels that are going to be there when he/she needs them. That has not been the case to date. A player needs to come in that people trust will be there tomorrow and the next day, and the day after that. Reliable and in the project for the long term.

[Low Light Mike]

From Nanaimo Daily News
www.canada.com/vancouverisland/nanaimo/story.html?id=68f566bb-2d88-4311-b5b9-dd950fa6ac2d
==============================

B.C. company buys foot ferry
HarbourLynx: Deal reached to release vessel from arrest

Valerie Wilson
Daily News

Saturday, September 30, 2006

The HarbourLynx fast ferry has been sold to a B.C. company that lists Victoria-based businessman Ed Life as its registered director.

When contacted Friday by the Daily News, Life said he was just about to board an airplane, and would make no comment when asked if he had recently "bought a boat."

"I'll call you next week," Life said, before hanging up his cellphone.

But Victoria-based lawyer Darren Williams, who represents the former HarbourLynx crew (that arrested the vessel last February for unpaid wages) and Transport Canada spokesman Rod Nelson confirmed Friday the ship's sale.

"The bill of sale was entered (Thursday) in the Victoria Ships Registry," Williams said Friday. "I can confirm to you that Ed Life is a director of that company."

Williams said that doesn't necessarily mean Life is a shareholder in the company, listed on Transport Canada documents as 670680 B.C. Ltd., but said that is likely the case.

The Victoria address for the company listed as the new owner of the ship, 3403 Seymour Pl., is the same address listed for Tecnet Canada Ltd., a computer-service company owned by Life.

The 300-passenger HarbourLynx has been moored at its dock on the Nanaimo waterfront since service ended in February after an engine breakdown.

In the weeks following the breakdown, owners Bob Conconi and Walt Weaver, two Vancouver-based private bankers, filed for bankruptcy. That led to the arrest of the vessel by the ship's crew.

Williams said the sale of the ship in no way affects the crew's claim. The claim would also not be a hindrance to any former crew members from taking employment with the new owner, he said.

Williams also said papers were to be filed shortly in federal court to lift the arrest. The two parties have reached an agreement to post bail to release the ship, he said.

"In order to secure a claim and release the vessel, the (former) owner has paid money for the claim into trust, and the vessel will be released next week," he said.

The money stays in the trust, said Williams, until the court rules on the claim, or an agreement is reached between the parties.

It's not yet known what Life intends to do with the vessel, including whether he will return it to service between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver.

But at least one former commuter is hopeful the ship will again set sail between the two downtowns.

"I would probably be one of the happiest freakin' guys in the world," Greg Stolz said Friday from his downtown Vancouver office.

Stolz moved his information management company from Nanaimo to Vancouver at the beginning of February, and had planned on using the HarbourLynx to commute. Two weeks later, the ship broke down, and hasn't sailed ever since.

"I signed a two-year lease on the assumption I would be coming home every night," said Stolz.

He spent three months living in a hotel, before taking an apartment. Now he stays in Vancouver Monday through Friday, noting a three-hour commute each way via B.C. Ferries and bus to downtown Vancouver just isn't feasible.

"I sure hope it gets going again," he said.

"I would sure love to be home in my own bed at night."

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© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2006

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