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Post by Mike C on Apr 24, 2008 14:43:50 GMT -8
It looks like Neil had a reply from the "Dead Parrot" - so can we therefore agree that they might be alive - and living somewhere in Gibson? Maybe if they are watching........they can let us know.......I sure would like to see alive parrot......they are nice when in full color. trouble is... I don't think Parrots can survive in this climate... if you get my drift   |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 24, 2008 14:56:12 GMT -8
Breaking news... Coastal Link Ferries has moved one step closer to the launch of their new Vancouver to Gibsons passenger only service. The bathtub toy logo on their website is now in colour. Details as they become available. Back to you, Bill and Pamela. Did you interview for a deckhand job while you were in Gibsons yesterday? How'd that go? Or did you at least wander the docks below Molly's Reach to ask the locals about the new ferry service? Is Relic's jet-boat going to be the new ferry, or will it be the Persephone? |
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D'Elete BC in NJ
Voyager 
Dispensing gallons of useless information daily...
Posts: 1,671
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Apr 25, 2008 3:53:48 GMT -8
Breaking news... Coastal Link Ferries has moved one step closer to the launch of their new Vancouver to Gibsons passenger only service. The bathtub toy logo on their website is now in colour. Details as they become available. Back to you, Bill and Pamela. Did you interview for a deckhand job while you were in Gibsons yesterday? How'd that go? Or did you at least wander the docks below Molly's Reach to ask the locals about the new ferry service? Is Relic's jet-boat going to be the new ferry, or will it be the Persephone? My vote is for the Persephone and tow. Then on his next trip, Neil can ride on two barges. ;D  Oh, and though I don't know about parrots, parakeets do quite well in our climate. Most cities on both coasts have a few escapees. |
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Post by Guest 1 on Apr 25, 2008 6:43:42 GMT -8
So that big white - with blue tip - seagull will come and cr.p all over this poor little Parrot - who is only trying to make a home for himself and his family.
Isn't it open season on hunting seagulls ?
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Post by Guest 1 on Apr 25, 2008 6:49:54 GMT -8
Here is some up date - maybe on the name.....
Date: 2008/04/25 08:50:24
domain: coastallinkferries.com
owner-name: Silicon Minds Ltd
owner-address: 290 Pine Hill Road
owner-address: 01886
owner-address: Westford
owner-address: Massachusetts
owner-address: United States of America
admin-c: KS6-GANDI
tech-c: KS6-GANDI
bill-c: KS6-GANDI
nserver: a.dns.gandi.net 217.70.179.40
nserver: b.dns.gandi.net 217.70.184.40
nserver: c.dns.gandi.net 217.70.182.20
reg_created: 2008-03-21 02:30:29
expires: 2009-03-21 02:30:29
created: 2008-03-21 03:26:36
changed: 2008-03-21 03:26:36
person: Kevin Schmidt
nic-hdl: KS6-GANDI
address: Silicon Minds Ltd
address: 290 Pine Hill Road
address: 01886
address: Westford
address: Massachusetts
address: United States of America
phone: +1.9787031353
e-mail: bb7dc5a532c92a420588552b9dfe1c98-ks6@contact.gandi.net
lastupdated: 2008-03-21 14:23:24
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Post by Guest 1 on Apr 25, 2008 6:58:34 GMT -8
Sorry - should have put this together - not over 3 post's. Here is the link to Silicon Minds Limited - the owner of the web Site - some interesting links to Vancouver - via East Coast....... near the bottom of there main web page........ www.hyannispoint.com/default.asp |
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Post by Northern Exploration on Apr 25, 2008 7:15:49 GMT -8
Hmmm I know people who have attended the Willingdon Church. Scammers can attend churches too and often find the most trusting and gullible people are there to take advantage of, and also use as a base to gets people's trust from the surrounding community as well. That being said I think this is probably a tick in the plus column for at least the website designer being on the up and up. We will see how the rest unfolds.
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Post by tempest on Apr 28, 2008 18:27:48 GMT -8
Well gentlemen, it is true. I was speaking with the Economic Development Officer of Gibsons this am. He advised that he was meeting with the man known as Peter today. He advises that the operation is supposedly headed by a party coming from the east coast.
He is curious to find out how far along they are but is not expecting they would have a chance to get her up and running by Victoria Day as speculated.
On another note, as far as the website is concerned, having it produced by an ex-patriot living on the east coast of the US doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility, notwithstanding the fact that either what we see now is a basic first draft or the designers capabilities are simply without much talent.
Stay tuned.
Cheers!
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Post by ruddernut on May 2, 2008 20:12:48 GMT -8
Wouldn't the service be more viable and useful to more people if it were to make stops at Bowen Island and West Vancouver (say Ambleside area) along the way?
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Post by ruddernut on May 2, 2008 20:13:47 GMT -8
It looks like Neil had a reply from the "Dead Parrot" - so can we therefore agree that they might be alive - and living somewhere in Gibson? Maybe if they are watching........they can let us know.......I sure would like to see alive parrot......they are nice when in full color. Is that supposed to be a Monty Python reference? |
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Post by BreannaF on May 3, 2008 6:41:26 GMT -8
It looks like Neil had a reply from the "Dead Parrot" - so can we therefore agree that they might be alive - and living somewhere in Gibson? Maybe if they are watching........they can let us know.......I sure would like to see alive parrot......they are nice when in full color. Is that supposed to be a Monty Python reference? See reply #21 for context. (As a response to Reply #20.) |
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Post by Guest 101 on May 8, 2008 6:39:55 GMT -8
Simple question - what type of service are they going to offer - run and of course when?
a. Crew?
b. Vessel?
c. Finance - how much and from where?
d. Web site? Will it get better?
(Neil is the parrot alive or dead and did you get your refund?)
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Post by Retrovision on May 9, 2008 0:12:26 GMT -8
If anything - as per the saying there's no such thing as bad publicity - this operation has atleast created a formidable ammount of buzz here on the premier ferry forum of the region. I wish them all the best, especially for the sake of badly needed competition. Hoax or not, I applaud their effort, let's just hope it has atleast an ounce of truth to it.
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Neil
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Posts: 7,089
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Post by Neil on May 9, 2008 11:38:43 GMT -8
Hoax or not, I applaud their effort... Would we applaud the effort of a hoax? The latest addenda to their website, indicating that cyber-reality has not yet become a real reality: Notice: Coastal Link Ferries are coming soon but not yet sailing. Residents of the Sunshine Coast, watch for our public meeting announcement. The information on this site is a sample of what is to come. |
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Post by Hardy on May 9, 2008 16:31:23 GMT -8
The latest addenda to their website, indicating that cyber-reality has not yet become a real reality: Notice: Coastal Link Ferries are coming soon but not yet sailing. Residents of the Sunshine Coast, watch for our public meeting announcement. The information on this site is a sample of what is to come.At least by them adding this disclaimer, albeit late in the game, it does add somewhat to their eventual credibility. Perhaps it was a case of their website being discovered (by us?) before they were ready to go live with it? Perhaps also the have managed to find this forum and monitor some of the things that we are posting about them? That may be assigning a little too much, but it is possible. In any case, whether they get off the ground or not, I give them credit for starting to clear up some of the public misconception. |
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Post by Retrovision on May 9, 2008 23:17:05 GMT -8
Hoax or not, I applaud their effort... Would we applaud the effort of a hoax? The latest addenda to their website, indicating that cyber-reality has not yet become a real reality: Notice: Coastal Link Ferries are coming soon but not yet sailing. Residents of the Sunshine Coast, watch for our public meeting announcement. The information on this site is a sample of what is to come.Even if only a corporate decoy, yes, I'd applaud the effort. Even those who somehow believe that the US moon landing was a hoax have a certain ammount of admiration for those they accuse of perpetrating the so-called hoax. I'm not putting myself on either side until I get firm results, like most here, but I'm not about to discount the great effort put into the endeavour. |
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Post by guest 101 on May 14, 2008 18:51:06 GMT -8
Yes gentlemen, it appears to be true. The principle is rumoured to be Capt Iber Shaker. He used to be the principle of Shaker Cruise Lines of Toronto. They ran a service across the lake at Toronto with a 20k boat.
Supposedly what he is implementing here is a 25k boat less than 65 feet with a capacity of 75 pax. He is intending to take advantage of the 7-900 pax daily commuting to Vancouver. According to his schedule he will make the first run the am, deadhead back to Gibsons pick up the second load and then layover in Vancouver. I understand he is still negotiating with TransLink for use of the Seabus terminal and the old HarbourLynx ticket office.
Will be interesting to follow. If he can capture some of that market, he should make a decent living. Keep things simple, watch his costs, and he should do fine.
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Post by Northern Exploration on May 14, 2008 19:55:27 GMT -8
Hope they have better luck in BC than here. They know what they are doing as far as running ships. I don't think the service also got the support it needed. Toronto and the Province seemed to adopt a wait and see policy after seeing so many other attempts.
They are not alone though in misjudging the market here for a cross Lake Ontario ferry. There is a lot of noise for it in Rochester but simply not enough demand on this side of the lake. Toronto with its theatre scene, concerts, Blue Jays, Raptors etc. seem to quite attractive to those in Rochester and Western New York. There are busloads that come into town every evening. Rochester is a nice town but simply doesn't have the draw for Torontonians. With the cost of gas many people are simply not traveling as far
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Post by 101a on May 16, 2008 8:48:36 GMT -8
To make this route he or they, will need a very basic minimum of 2 vessels - but given the spread of region - it would be much better - and also have a greater chance of success if he or they had a min of 4 to 6 vessels.
They should stay away from water jets and stick to props as they are much more manageable and economical to operate at the speed been talked about here. With jets you have major intake problems – log’s…
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Post by Hardy on May 16, 2008 10:28:41 GMT -8
To make this route he or they, will need a very basic minimum of 2 vessels - but given the spread of region - it would be much better - and also have a greater chance of success if he or they had a min of 4 to 6 vessels. Having looked at the website and proposed schedule, I see only one vessel -- and it would appear to my untrained eye that the proposed schedule seems to cover most of the peak hour travel in both directions, which would be where the bulk of the revenue would be generated. I agree that if they want to get into scheduled tours and other outtings, that they would need additional vessels to do those and not disrupt scheduled service. However, as an upstart operation and probably needing to justify whatever capital they expend, I find your un-supported analysis lacking. Can you show how a 2+ boat operation would make this start-up company better out of the gate? Is there any proven demand for the additional capacity that additional vessels would provide? Is BCFS planning on refusing pax on Rte-3 and you are the only one in the know on that? Please provide some basis for your "business case" assessment. |
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Post by tempest on May 18, 2008 15:29:41 GMT -8
I think Mr Shaker may be on to something. It appears he is going to run a simple vessel, much like an oversize crewboat, and take advantage of the current market. I hope he has bought a reliable N. American engine, as I hear it will only be single screw.
I also hope he doesn't do what he did in Toronto and start cancelling trips due to light loads. Put a schedule together and run with it good or bad. I know folks who are in the scheduled bus business. They disregard low ridership trips in the long haul and look at daily loads, weekly loads, and monthly loads. They have however looked at daily yields and reduced the number of daily trips based on the available number of daily passengers. Why make seven trips a day if you can do five, for example, particularly if you will only pack the same number of passengers.
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Post by tempest on May 18, 2008 16:29:23 GMT -8
Another challenger to B.C. Ferries? Feature Story
Greg Amos/Staff Writer
Watch out, Queen of Surrey — here comes the Coastal Runner.
At a meeting with Gibsons council May 6, Coastal Link Ferries (CLF) unveiled their plans to run a 50-minute crossing between Gibsons Landing and downtown Vancouver.
“In an era where B.C. Ferries fare increases coupled with double-digit pay increases for directors have fueled criticism of that publicly-funded service, an alternative has quietly arrived and is setting up shop in Gibsons,” said CLF marketing director Peter Green in a recent press release.
Green said the 22-metre, 70-passenger vessel is close to completion at Sylte Shipyards in Vancouver. Sea trails will begin in two or three weeks, and the first sailing will be scheduled for mid-June. The company was incorporated in January, and Coun. Gerry Tretick said what he heard at the meeting is encouraging.
“They’re looking at running it in a fuel-efficient way,” he said. “It sounds like they have a fairly realistic view of how to run their business.”
CLF’s chief operating officer, Capt. Ihab Shaker, who has experience running ferry services on Lake Ontario and on the Nile River, commissioned the building of the first 70-passenger ferry. He describes the deep-hulled vessel as “like a sight-seeing bus but on the water.” He said large windows will extend halfway to the roof, and seating will have two passengers facing two others across a table.
Green told council fuel costs are expected make up 60 per cent of all operational expenses. Transport Canada’s incoming marine security (MARSEC) regulations, which will require secure terminals and some passenger screening, look like “they will have some implications for us,” Green said.
Dock space has been allocated at the government dock in Gibsons, but Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority (GLHA) board member Carol Doyle said a contract won’t be signed until after sea trials are complete. Doyle also noted another company, who is not ready to go public with its plans, has also expressed interest in using a slip at the dock. GLHA and CLF would also need to work out an arrangement for a passenger waiting room on the dock.
“In the past, organizations have failed, so we want to make sure once we sign the moorage away, that [the ferry] will work,” Doyle said, referring to past failures of services that hoped to provide an alternative to B.C. Ferries.
After a false start in 2002, Astrolabe Marine Group launched a commuter service catamaran ferry, the Bruno Gerussi, in fall 2003. It ran just three days before problems with the muffler and transmission shut the new boat down and left passengers stranded at the Gibsons dock. Later that September, the company was hamstrung with insurance issues. “Astrolabe didn’t pan out at all,” recalls Tretick.
That vessel ran a 50-minute crossing time as well with capacity for just 42 passengers. The service charged $30 before tax for a same-day return ticket, while CLF is proposing an $11 one-way fare.
Tretick, formerly chair of the Gibsons Economic Development Partnership (GEDP), noted previous efforts at running commuter ferry services only in morning and evening have failed. A full-day service is the solution, he said.
A 2003 study commissioned by the GEDP (which evolved into what’s now called the Gibsons Community Initiatives Association) shows “it could be done, based on a certain ridership,” said Al Mulholland, executive director of Community Futures Development Corporation.
The study also looked at parking and partnerships with businesses on the Coast. Tretick suggested Green try to partner with housing developers in Gibsons to provide a convenient service for homeowners who plan on commuting. Green said CLF’s business plan includes forging a partnership with Les Clefs d’Ors, an international concierge association that will be able to promote daytrips to Gibsons for guests at high-end hotels in Vancouver.
“What I’m learning from everyone I talk to, I’m hearing people say it’s needed,” said Green. “This is a margin route that B.C. Ferries is too big to handle.”
Coastal Link ferries will be holding a public meeting later this month in Gibsons, Green said.
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Post by BreannaF on May 18, 2008 22:45:38 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 26, 2008 8:23:08 GMT -8
and here's the news story that supposedly fills in some of the gaps (my assumption that these are connected): www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html?id=88f275fa-a98e-4e6c-b9ba-1b000a70a4be================== Another new buyer considers foot ferry
Past attempts to develop service were done the 'wrong way,' says businessman Paul Walton Daily News Monday, May 26, 2008 A new company is looking to start another downtown passenger-only ferry service between Nanaimo and Vancouver. Capt. Ihab Shaker, who ran a high-speed service on Lake Ontario between Toronto and St. Catherines about 10 years ago, and is initiating a service between Gibsons and Vancouver this year, said he wants to start the Nanaimo-Vancouver run in about two years. "Nanaimo is where the real money is," said Shaker. He has worked with Ed Life, who tried to establish the Sealink service after the HarbourLynx service failed. "I'm very well aware of all the past experiments," said Shaker. He said that the HarbourLynx and Sealink were good operations, but missing details he thinks were essential for success. "All these attempts were good attempts," he said, "but they were doing it the wrong way." Shaker knows the real problem lies in finding the size and type of vessel with the right speed that can be big enough to handle a large volume of passengers and adverse weather. But Shaker won't say what type of vessel he has in mind. "I'd rather not say that in public," he said. "The key is the right vessel, and I have the design." He said his experience with the Gibsons to Vancouver run, building a vessel on time on budget, indicates he can also deliver for a route between Nanaimo and Vancouver. Shaker said he has had no discussions with B.C. Ferries under its Alternative Service Delivery plans. "This is a private venture, and it's going to stay private," he said. Bill McKay, one of the principals in the HarbourLynx venture, said B.C. Ferries will be one of the biggest challenges should Shaker get his operation going. "They consider you to be competition and they do what they can to thwart you," said McKay. Shaker said being economical is the best way for the service to remain feasible, and said he plans a $24 one-way ticket. "I want to fill my boats up, it has to be competitive price-wise," he said. But McKay said that $24 sounds high. "The trigger point for this market would be closer to $19.95, with connections to mass transit on the other side," said McKay. "I'm concerned that he will go too small." Shaker also knows that the startup for Nanaimo will be more costly than the Gibsons to Vancouver route. He has financed that project himself with cash. "The plan is when Gibson succeeds I can raise some capital," he said. Though Shaker wants to "under-promise and over-deliver," McKay said that a focus on increasing the business will be as important as having the right vessel. He thinks Shaker will need an aggressive promotional program, with the budget to match, to quickly increase the customer base. "You would need do double the numbers HarbourLynx did, and do it very quickly," said McKay. Shaker said he's not yet initiated talks with the Port of Nanaimo, and McKay said securing good working relationships with the ports and municipalities is another key in unlocking a door that can lead to making the operation a success. "I really believe there's demand in the market place," said McKay. PWalton@nanaimodailynews.com © The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2008 =========================== |
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Post by Guest 101 on May 27, 2008 9:53:46 GMT -8
For this last article - it appears that Bill McKay - formerly of Harbourlynx has backed up what I mention in a previous post. I do wish Coastal Link all the best.....and just pray they have deep pockets and very thick skin to fight off the spin that will be put out by BC Ferries. It would be very worth while to have someone like McKay on there Board - as he has done it before - and knows the battle plans of BC Ferries and the assoicated local towns - which this company so far,... has not broker any agreements with......I would think that was the first thing to do?  ? |
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