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Post by Esquimalt Queen on Mar 31, 2009 12:53:50 GMT -8
I've been meaning to mention this for a while now... when I drive by the QoS these days (couple times a month, maybe), she seems to be dipping her nose quite a bit. Been like that since the big snowfalls back around Christmas, actually. Wonder if she's getting meltwater in where it shouldn't be toward the front?  Keep meaning to drive around on the Aldergrove side for a clearer view, but so far none of my travels have supported going that way. Oh god no! I wonder how much longer she has until she ends up like the SS San Mateo? |
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Post by ferryfanyvr on Mar 31, 2009 19:42:16 GMT -8
I've been meaning to ask for a while now, but could someone please give me directions to an area where I could take some pics of the Sidney?..(keeping in mind that I'm not familiar with that part of the Fraser Valley AT ALL). A childhood friend's father used to work on the Sidney decades ago when it was based out of Long Harbour. My friend now lives in Hong Kong and his father passed away last year, so I'd really like to send him a few photos of the Sidney.
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Mar 31, 2009 21:00:49 GMT -8
I've been meaning to ask for a while now, but could someone please give me directions to an area where I could take some pics of the Sidney?..(keeping in mind that I'm not familiar with that part of the Fraser Valley AT ALL). A childhood friend's father used to work on the Sidney decades ago when it was based out of Long Harbour. My friend now lives in Hong Kong and his father passed away last year, so I'd really like to send him a few photos of the Sidney. If you want to view here from the opposite side of the river, it is easy enough to get to, but you need to know your way around the rural roads of the Fraser Valley. It's off the end of a road, so it also requires a fairly long walk once you parked your car. It also might depend on the river levels as too how close you can get. I have no notion if it is private property, but I think there is a GVRD regional parks sign at the access road, which may also be for access to the CPR line as well. Basically, once you drive as far as you can east of Ft Langley on River Road, you reach a turnaround with a gate, beyond which is an access road that you'll have to walk on. (You might also want to try the rail grade itself, but that is definitely private property and you never know when a train will come.) If you're lucky, this is what you'll see  |
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Post by ferryfanyvr on Mar 31, 2009 21:36:43 GMT -8
Thanks very much for the directions  ...I'll try to take a drive out that way one day next week. |
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Post by bcferryfan87 on Mar 31, 2009 21:40:27 GMT -8
too bad someone didn't buy one of those ships (aka the Sidney) and make it a floating restaurant and something else; I know, there has to be some business plan, and $$$ etc, but just wishlisting I guess - sigh. So sad to see it in such poor shape (such as the pic above).
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 2, 2009 15:24:50 GMT -8
Here's the Sidneys #5 lifeboat starting a new life with deckhands in training at the Western Maritime Institute.  Just thought I'd provide an update regarding this Lifeboat. Last week, someone was tearing out all of the parts and pieces of the lifeboat, and power washing absolutely everything. Then by the end of the week, a portable tent was built around the lifeboat, so they could begin painting. At lunch time today, I peaked into the tent to see the lifeboat while the painters were off on their break, I noticed that the inside of the lifeboat is nice and spiffy with its new red paint. However, it's just a shell right now, because the thwarts, and other fittings still need to be re-installed. The painters also used the schools gymnasium as a paint bay, and pieces of the lifeboat are scattered around everywhere. All of the pieces were looking nice and freshly painted, so this is going to look like a brand new life boat once it's all finished. However, since the lifeboat and davit systems aren't ready yet, the school pushed my scheduled dates for training with it to a month from now, when I was supposed to be doing it in a week from now. So instead I'll be doing my survival craft training at the BCIT campus, at the end of the month. |
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Post by CN2972South on Apr 5, 2009 22:08:10 GMT -8
I have no notion if it is private property, but I think there is a GVRD regional parks sign at the access road, which may also be for access to the CPR line as well. It's actually the CN that goes through Fort Langley, and please don't tresspass on railway property. CN is really cracking down on people on the tracks. |
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 6, 2009 15:56:09 GMT -8
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Mirrlees
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Post by Mirrlees on Apr 6, 2009 21:42:21 GMT -8
I wonder how much fact or fiction went into that story? Good read though.  |
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Apr 6, 2009 22:11:55 GMT -8
The part of the story about the 'Sidney being sold by the NDP to help pay for the fast ferries is complete nonsense- she was sold after the Liberals came to power- so the rest of the tale might not be terribly accurate either.
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Post by Dane on Apr 7, 2009 11:25:20 GMT -8
The values of sold items is pretty accurate from what I have heard in casual conversation. The person who actually paid for the Sidney when she was purchased from BCF lives here, and it apart of my dad's dog walking informal-club. They spend more time dodging bylaw enforcement than talking ferries, though |
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Apr 7, 2009 14:32:05 GMT -8
The values of sold items is pretty accurate from what I have heard in casual conversation. The person who actually paid for the Sidney when she was purchased from BCF lives here.... Does he happen to know who bought her bell? I've heard various rumours that it is in the hands of a 'private' collector  . That, if anything, should be purchased for one of the maritime museums... pay the collector whatever he wants: like any important piece of history, it shouldn't belong to just one person. |
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 12, 2009 17:33:50 GMT -8
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Post by Northern Exploration on Apr 12, 2009 19:00:48 GMT -8
While emasculated by not being powered anymore, the Tswwassen's fate is much better than seeing the Sidney languish so badly. Dare I say it, I also think the Victoria's fate at the breakers and Sunshine Coast Queen going down mid-ocean, are preferable as well to that. |
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Post by Ferryman on Apr 18, 2009 8:51:00 GMT -8
Looks like the Painters of the Queen of Sidneys lifeboat found my photos of the Lifeboat on Flickr. They have photos of the painting process on site at the Campus I'm at. www.flickr.com/photos/pro-painter/ |
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Post by fargowolf on May 2, 2009 18:02:15 GMT -8
Anything left of the ferry in general? The lat time I saw it, was in late 2005 when she was tied up just east of the Silverdale Husky. A hole had been cut in the aft port side for access.
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pscurr
Chief Steward
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Post by pscurr on May 10, 2009 15:23:59 GMT -8
speaking of flags, does anybody have any idea if the masts have been removed from the Sidney and if they have where they may be? The first time the BC Flag was officially raised was on the Sidney by WAC Bennett on the first run from Tsawwassen  QPR May 9, 2009 |
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Jul 11, 2009 11:00:05 GMT -8
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Post by Ferryman on Jul 12, 2009 0:18:22 GMT -8
Lifeboats are numbered by having odd numbers on the Starboard side, and even numbers on the Port side. They're also numbered from the bow to the stern in numerical order. So, the missing lifeboats that you notice are as such: -The Number 1 lifeboat was removed a number of years ago, gravity davits and all, to be replaced with an FRC (Zodiac). -Number 5 lifeboat is missing, which was the one that Bill told us had the outboard engine on, and they would take it down to Albion and back some days. As I mentioned in previous posts in this thread though, that lifeboat was removed back in February, and placed on display at the Western Maritime Institute in Cassidy (Just south of Nanaimo). The lifeboat was completely refurbished, which looked like a messy process from my prospective. One guy spent and entire week power washing, and striping out all of the rotten thwarts, and deck planks to prepare for thurough painting. Deckhands in training now practice with that lifeboat into a pool at the facility. I became too impatient with the painting process, and went to BCIT to get the course over with a month before the lifeboat in Cassidy was ready to go. www.flickr.com/photos/pro-painter/3593331095/in/set-72157618362377461/ |
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Post by lmtengs on Jul 13, 2009 14:55:35 GMT -8
I'm going out tonight to get some photos of Sid from the Mission side of the Fraser. I'll upload them either late tonight, or tomorrow morning.
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Post by lmtengs on Jul 13, 2009 20:42:07 GMT -8
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Mill Bay
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Post by Mill Bay on Jul 13, 2009 21:19:55 GMT -8
Great photos... just note once again, that this is another open thread, so be careful about posting direct links to your facebook, especially if it happens to have a real name and photos and all. The internet is still a dangerous place after all.
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Post by bcferryfan87 on Jul 13, 2009 21:26:39 GMT -8
thanks for putting the pics up; interesting that the old BC Ferries Corp never went to the extent of "de-dogwooding" the sidney, the way that the "BCFerries (2002)..." does; it looks so sad and bad to see the sidney in that shape; wish I had got a tour of her when she was in better shape; I'd be afraid to go on her now me thinks - if that's even possible.
Can see why BCF does "De-slug" the old ships now; almost want to wash their hands of things as much as they can (so if ship lands up in bad shape, their name isn't all over it).
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Post by lmtengs on Jul 13, 2009 21:36:02 GMT -8
thanks for putting the pics up; interesting that the old BC Ferries Corp never went to the extent of "de-dogwooding" the sidney, the way that the "BCFerries (2002)..." does; it looks so sad and bad to see the sidney in that shape; wish I had got a tour of her when she was in better shape; I'd be afraid to go on her now me thinks - if that's even possible. Can see why BCF does "De-slug" the old ships now; almost want to wash their hands of things as much as they can (so if ship lands up in bad shape, their name isn't all over it). Even though they do de-slug, it's not a good paint job. You can still clearly see the slugs' shape (see a recent photo of QPR), and soon i expect the slug-blanket to peel and reveal the phantom that hides below. |
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Post by chinook2 on Aug 31, 2009 23:10:53 GMT -8
Have been offline for a while, but not idle. Took possesion of some family home movies this summer, and includes an entire reel of a trip on the Queen of Sidney in 1965!! shows docking, and mainly out the window shots. will be posting to youtube soon as i get the reels transferred
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...I'll try to take a drive out that way one day next week.
. That, if anything, should be purchased for one of the maritime museums... pay the collector whatever he wants: like any important piece of history, it shouldn't belong to just one person.
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