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Post by mvsidney59 on Dec 19, 2012 16:27:30 GMT -8
Hey, has anybody been out to the Sidney since my last post? If so, how's she looking, any pic?
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Post by lselena53 on Dec 24, 2012 21:09:06 GMT -8
Hi. I am a new forum member and am so enjoying reading the past posts on the former BCF ships. I don't know how the Sidney is looking these days as I live on Vancouver Island (near the town of Sidney actually), but the accounts I have heard are pretty sad. I used to travel on the Sidney when she was on the Powell River Little River route as my parents have a cabin on Savary Island. This was toward the end of her life, but she always got us across the pond on time and she had those beautiful teak railings and doors that set her apart from the more modern ships. The sound of those engines reverberating up to the car deck always made me wish I could go down and inspect them. Some have said that it is too bad that the Town of Sidney did not rescue her when she was retired. Unfortunately, aside from not having the resources and political moxie to pull it off, Sidney also lacks a suitable harbour or dock facility for a ship of her size to be permanently moored. I still live in hope that her sister the Tsawassen could find new life as hotel, museum and restaurant vessel somewhere ... like the new Bamberton development in Saanich Inlet or somewhere on the Lower Mainland. She is for sale again ...
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 25, 2012 9:29:06 GMT -8
I don't know how the Sidney is looking these days as I live on Vancouver Island (near the town of Sidney actually), but the accounts I have heard are pretty sad. From a few posts earlier in this thread: Here is how she was looking in October 2012. Taken at 200mm of zoom. The greyishness is smog and forest fire smoke.
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Post by lselena53 on Dec 26, 2012 13:20:26 GMT -8
Nice images of a not-so-pretty site. So sad. If there is any of the dogwood carpet left on that ship, it must be rife with mold. The caretaker on the Vancouver said it had started on that ship even as she was anchored in Baynes Sound.
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 4, 2013 22:07:39 GMT -8
Now when you look at the pictures of her from October, she's really not all that sad, she's still relatively rust-free (mostly due to storage in running fresh water) and she's only got 2 broken windows which have been boarded up. she's safely beached, which you'd have to bring a dredger in to get her un-stuck, she is in visually sad shape, and sturcturally, just from first looks, she's about a 8/10, with deck plate warping. that's not too shabby, at least in my opinion
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 4, 2013 22:14:18 GMT -8
The only nasty side is her Port. all the slime!
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 4, 2013 22:26:06 GMT -8
Cheapest thing, other than scrapping,z would be to sell what you could and then blow a hole in her hull off of Chemainus or Nanaimo. That is probably the most pure, and outright disgraceful thing to do to such an invaluable piece of history!
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Post by princessofvanfan on Jan 4, 2013 23:01:11 GMT -8
Yeah, but pretty funny, though. ;D
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Post by dofd on Jan 4, 2013 23:12:35 GMT -8
Cheapest thing, other than scrapping,z would be to sell what you could and then blow a hole in her hull off of Chemainus or Nanaimo. That is probably the most pure, and outright disgraceful thing to do to such an invaluable piece of history! I am sure John was thinking of sinking it as a diving platform. Not sinking it to sink it. www.divemaster.ca/boeing/
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 4, 2013 23:21:51 GMT -8
haha! that 737 was in storage for a long while at the Comox Air Park, not 6 kilometers from where I currently reside! The Sidney is more than worth saving, and whatever has come across the Tapps to slowly scrap her off, jeez man!
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 4, 2013 23:33:00 GMT -8
I don't know how the Sidney is looking these days as I live on Vancouver Island (near the town of Sidney actually), but the accounts I have heard are pretty sad. From a few posts earlier in this thread: Here is how she was looking in October 2012. She's still looking sharp at least from the Starboard
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Mirrlees
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Post by Mirrlees on Jan 5, 2013 19:22:24 GMT -8
From a few posts earlier in this thread: Here is how she was looking in October 2012. She's still looking sharp at least from the Starboard WHAAAAAAT??? Still looking sharp??? You need glasses, man! Seriously
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Post by Mike C on Jan 5, 2013 20:01:54 GMT -8
She's still looking sharp at least from the Starboard Still looking sharp??? You need glasses, man! Seriously Wow.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Jan 6, 2013 6:46:10 GMT -8
The photo quality is sharp, the vessel in comparison, I remember the Hyak with a good amount of rust and she didn't look "sharp" unless you were talking about the picture itself. Before being out of service is probably our reference point. Since sitting there, probably not either. What is your reference point?
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 6, 2013 21:31:11 GMT -8
I mean OBVIOUSLY not looking like she did when she was launched! but given her location and exposure, she's still decent!
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Post by lselena53 on Jan 7, 2013 15:09:59 GMT -8
OK, if she is only cosmetically challenged and hasnt been too gutted, it seems a shame to have survived all this time in one piece only to get hauled off to the scrap yard or sunk. I agree that the fresh water environment must have helped a bit. Anyone know if Jimmy Pattison is a history buff? Our Queen of Sidney needs a "Jimmy" and some partners to pony up a whole lot of green for the resto and a new place to call a permanent home with a new purpose. Anyone good at writing proposals?! What would she become? A museum and restaurant?! There is then just the small matter of where to build a dock suitable to moor her.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 7, 2013 17:46:14 GMT -8
OK, if she is only cosmetically challenged and hasnt been too gutted, it seems a shame to have survived all this time in one piece only to get hauled off to the scrap yard or sunk. I agree that the fresh water environment must have helped a bit. Anyone know if Jimmy Pattison is a history buff? Our Queen of Sidney needs a "Jimmy" and some partners to pony up a whole lot of green for the resto and a new place to call a permanent home with a new purpose. Anyone good at writing proposals?! What would she become? A museum and restaurant?! There is then just the small matter of where to build a dock suitable to moor her. I can assure you that this ship is plagued with far more issues than just the cosmetics. The whole reason she was retired in the first place was because of her asbestos issues, not to mention mold and the high likelihood of internal structural deficiencies. As Scott mentioned earlier in this thread, I would not go on board this vessel without a hazmat suit and biohazard mask. Going on board poses a risk to personal safety. I can't reiterate this enough - the Sidney was part of my childhood and it pains me to see this vessel to go to scrap/artificial reef, however that is the best option at this point. The idea of trying to save a vessel long after it can be saved with extreme financial burden is called 'Kalakala Syndrome' Re. Jim Pattison: he is interested in ventures that make money. This would consume a huge amount of capital with a minimal return (the restaurant/food industry has extremely slim margins, museums must be run as non-profits). He is interested in history, and does invest in it, but I don't think this is a venture that would be worth it.
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Post by Mike on Jan 7, 2013 19:11:06 GMT -8
Another reason why she was retired was because her engines began to send a fine mist of engine oil into the air of the engine room. Crew members had to wear a respirator at all times while down there.
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Post by Neil on Jan 7, 2013 19:21:48 GMT -8
OK, if she is only cosmetically challenged and hasnt been too gutted, it seems a shame to have survived all this time in one piece only to get hauled off to the scrap yard or sunk. I agree that the fresh water environment must have helped a bit. Anyone know if Jimmy Pattison is a history buff? Our Queen of Sidney needs a "Jimmy" and some partners to pony up a whole lot of green for the resto and a new place to call a permanent home with a new purpose. Anyone good at writing proposals?! What would she become? A museum and restaurant?! There is then just the small matter of where to build a dock suitable to moor her. Welcome to the Forum, Iselena53... you need to know that virtually no one outside of this small group cares about old car ferries, and even among many of us here, there's the realization that it's better if these old vessels have a quick visit with the shipbreakers, rather than the ' Sidney's long decline as an eyesore on a public waterway. That's the reality. There are no sugar daddies for ferries, only fools like Steve Rodrigues.
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 7, 2013 19:28:27 GMT -8
Well, the "restaurant" idea isn't bad, but I could foresee better. If a few of us guys got together, bought her as a group, and over the next while, slowly began restoration, we could go back to Blackball, BCFS etc. to obtain her old parts, re-assemble her, and THEN figure out what to do, and MileagePhoto, it's a difficult task, but NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, if we stopped the rust, easy. and cleaned her up so she wasn't as much of an eyesore from the Port, she's blockaded in by pilings, so she's safe there for pretty much however long it'd take. She's obviously of dire importance to more members than just ME! The QOS was decomm'd not just because of that, but it was forced into retirement because of the goddamn Liberals. Iselena53, can you think of any members that support her RESTORATION? if so, let's get together and chat. We'll get something figured out for the 'ol girl.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 7, 2013 19:35:41 GMT -8
Well, the "restaurant" idea isn't bad, but I could foresee better. If a few of us guys got together, bought her as a group, and over the next while, slowly began restoration, we could go back to Blackball, BCFS etc. to obtain her old parts, re-assemble her, and THEN figure out what to do, and MileagePhoto, it's a difficult task, but NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, if we stopped the rust, easy. and cleaned her up so she wasn't as much of an eyesore from the Port, she's blockaded in by pilings, so she's safe there for pretty much however long it'd take. She's obviously of dire importance to more members than just ME! The QOS was decomm'd not just because of that, but it was forced into retirement because of the goddamn Liberals. Iselena53, can you think of any members that support her RESTORATION? if so, let's get together and chat. We'll get something figured out for the 'ol girl. Ok, I'll try to be respectful here: - What an utterly ridiculous post.
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Post by mvsidney59 on Jan 7, 2013 20:05:38 GMT -8
I look back on that post and go... hehehehehe just dreams, that's all!
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Post by Mike C on Jan 7, 2013 21:10:50 GMT -8
If a few of us guys got together, bought her as a group, and over the next while, slowly began restoration, we could go back to Blackball, BCFS etc. to obtain her old parts, re-assemble her, and THEN figure out what to do... No. Late edit: Actually I've changed my mind. I have here a $10 bill. If you restore the Sidney, I will pay for the final $10 of restoration. If you don't, I will be mailing it to the Liberal Party of BC. Choose wisely. ...and MileagePhoto, it's a difficult task, but NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE... That logic went straight over my head so I guess I can't argue. But I guess when you shoot for the moon and miss, you'll land among the stars. Or, in this case, in the Fraser River.
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 7, 2013 22:45:03 GMT -8
We can blame the BC Liberal Conservative Party for many things, but the demise of the Queen of Sidney is NOT one of them. The BC Ferry Corporation decommissioned the Sidney and then sold her off while the New Democrats were still in power.
In my dreams I see the WCFF as owning Departure Bay Terminal (after it is decommissioned as a cost saving measure. The WCFF, with its almost infinite financial resources, fills each of the three berths at Departure Bay with ferries worthy of preservation. At berth one we see the Queen of Sidney, afloat and looking as spiffy as she did in 1962. In berth 2, a refloated & completely restored Queen of Surrey 1, looking exactly as she did during those mid 1970's years when she was a regular at this terminal. In berth 3, well I don't know... At this point I want others to tell me which retired beauty should be afloat at berth 3. How about the Pender Queen?
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Ferryman
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Post by Ferryman on Jan 8, 2013 0:13:29 GMT -8
The Sidney has been without heating and ventilation for 12 years. The amount of mold, mildew rust, rot is horrendous on board. When we toured the Sidney in 2005, I remember my clothes smelling like mold and Diesel until I washed them a few times after. That was over 7 years ago now already, so I could only imagine how much worse things have gotten in there since. I also remember the Bridge Alleyway being flooded with a couple of inches of water since the Deckhead was letting rain water in. I would say that at this point, you'd almost be looking at a nearly a complete demolition of everything and starting completely new in order to maintain a safe environment for people. So what I'm saying is that you're better off building a re-creation of the Sidney.
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