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Post by fargowolf on Jun 21, 2009 19:04:51 GMT -8
Converting her back into a ferry perhaps... Either as a vehicle ferry, or a passenger ferry.
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Post by northwesterner on Jun 21, 2009 22:33:53 GMT -8
Converting her back into a ferry perhaps... Either as a vehicle ferry, or a passenger ferry. Yeah, right. She has to be one of the shortest lived (maybe the shortest that isn't a PacificCat) new-build ferries on the west coast. She was built in 1963, and by 1969 was bounced off BC Ferries routes into summer only service for the MOH. The historians on this list have a hard time accounting for what activities she did for BCF in the 1980s until she was sold in 1991. Most likely, she was tied tight at Deas without moving. She must have been really, really awful.
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Post by Nickfro on Jun 22, 2009 14:40:17 GMT -8
So a marina owner has purchsed the boat. Does that mean that St. John's Fishing Lodge has new accommodations for this year, or does the new owner lease it out to the lodge for their operating season? According to the fishing lodge website, they are still fully operating and they still show the QotI on their site.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jun 22, 2009 14:47:47 GMT -8
The historians on this list have a hard time accounting for what activities she did for BCF in the 1980s until she was sold in 1991. Most likely, she was tied tight at Deas without moving. She must have been really, really awful. That's a bit harsh. Queen of The Islands served somewhat the same role as the Bowen Queen does now; filling in for other vessels during refit. She got around to a number of different routes through the '70s and '80s, and during Expo 86 she ran in tandem with the Queen of Tsawwassen on route five. There's no question that she was the most poorly conceptualized of any vessel BC Ferries built in the '60s. Only 220 or so feet long and carrying only 40 cars, her hull was the deepest of any vessel in the fleet, and her gross tonnage was far more than vessels like the Bowen class. Her Fairbanks Morse Twin propulsion generated an impressive 4000 horsepower, and no doubt, with all the steel and hull depth, probably made her the Hummer of '60s ferries, given what she could carry. On a fuel consumption per vehicle carried basis, the Coastals are probably 'smart' cars in comparison. She had a reputation for being difficult to load, something not made easier by the fact that her vehicle deck clearance was only 13'. Perhaps Bennett and Gaglardi figured Gulf Islanders got their goods delivered by Jedd Clampett style jalopies, and didn't need the full height. In a recent article in Western Mariner magazine, there was mention of a turntable on her deck in earlier days, but I've never seen reports of that anywhere else. She was designed specifically for the Tsawwassen to Gulf Islands route, but it wasn't long before route one vessels were stopping at Village Bay and Otter Bay to help out their little sister. By the summer of '68, she was replaced by the Sechelt Queen. As an expensive to run single ender with limited capacity, there weren't any routes where she fit as the main vessel, hence the mule role. Now she's officially classed by Transport Canada as a barge, so I suppose her engines have been removed. She's probably destined for a role even less glamorous than the fishing lodge she was.
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Post by fargowolf on Jun 22, 2009 19:01:42 GMT -8
She was difficult to load. On top of figuring out where to put vehicles for the multiple destinations, she had to be loaded just right, otherwise, she would sail with a distinct list.
I think that the turntable MAY have been mentioned in Gary and Patricia's book: The Ships of British Columbia, but I can't confirm that.
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Mill Bay
Voyager
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,886
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Post by Mill Bay on Jun 22, 2009 22:04:01 GMT -8
It seems almost unbelievable how small her car capacity was. All the pictures make her seem much more large and substantial, and the parallel tunnels through her cardeck look a couple lanes wide at least, each. Perhaps she was also too narrow to accommodate as many lanes of cars on the cardeck. Here's probably the best photo to be found for comparative size proportions on the cardeck, since you can actually see a truck type vehicle at the bow: i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/7sisters_photos/QueenoftheIslands.jpg
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Post by fargowolf on Jun 23, 2009 18:24:17 GMT -8
Judging by that pic, she had 4 lanes for vehicles. Each lane held 10 cars, or equivalent.
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Post by Dane on Jun 23, 2009 22:25:19 GMT -8
She is due to be lifted out of the water at Allied to get a sand plasting and hull repainting in the very immediate future - perhaps even now. Cost at $100,000. She will then be placed as a breakwater, that's the certain part. There is also plans, like there is with every retired ferry but the V's (and QPR) to turn her into a restaurant. This is in North Vancouver.
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Post by Queen of Nanaimo Teen on Jun 23, 2009 23:09:51 GMT -8
So by being used as a breakwater, what do you mean by that exactly? And when would that be?
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Post by fargowolf on Jun 24, 2009 6:27:26 GMT -8
It means exactly that. Whether or not it's as a FLOATING breakwater though.... that's another question.
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Post by Dane on Jun 24, 2009 9:24:42 GMT -8
It will be floating, hence the work being done to the hull. It should be fairly immediately, they want to be running for 2010. A break water is a large object that sits in front on a Marina to limit wake or waves. A great example can be seen a Sewells when coming into Horseshoe Bay.
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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 Jun 24, 2009 9:46:36 GMT -8
It will be floating, hence the work being done to the hull. It should be fairly immediately, they want to be running for 2010. A break water is a large object that sits in front on a Marina to limit wake or waves. A great example can be seen a Sewells when coming into Horseshoe Bay. Of course, if that wake is followed by a large double ended ferry, all bets are off on that breakwater's effectiveness...
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Post by fargowolf on Jun 24, 2009 17:50:08 GMT -8
It will be floating, hence the work being done to the hull. It should be fairly immediately, they want to be running for 2010. A break water is a large object that sits in front on a Marina to limit wake or waves. A great example can be seen a Sewells when coming into Horseshoe Bay. Of course, if that wake is followed by a large double ended ferry, all bets are off on that breakwater's effectiveness... ;D ;D ;D ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!! And I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the were playing "Demolition Man" by Def Leppard in the background either.....
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 28, 2009 15:02:03 GMT -8
All this discussion on the QotI has got me scanning & adding to the retired ferries section on my photo site ( s90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/wetcoastkidjst/Retired/). Here is some of what is available at that site: Q of the Islands - 1960's - BC Dept of Travel Industry (DOT collection) Drawings above & below from DOT collection Q of the Islands - 1960's - post card (DOT collection); a cropped version of this is currently serving as my 'sig' photo. Q of the Islands @ Deas Dock - 04 Apr 1977 (photo © JST) Image hosted on FlickrQ of the Islands @ Earls Cove, Sunshine Coast - 15 July 1978 (photo © JST) Q of the Islands at Swartz Bay - ~late 1970's (photo © DOT) Q of the Islands in Gulf Islands - ~1980 (photo © DOT) Even if not a very practical vessel, she really was/is a rather handsome little ferry, IMHO. I have a few more items yet to add here. Some photos here have appeared previously on the Historical BC Ferries Photos thread.
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Post by Ferryman on Jun 28, 2009 16:17:50 GMT -8
Thanks for putting this together Jim.
Quick question: On the 5th photo, titled "Queen of the Islands at Comox...", are you sure that was at Comox? I was always under the impression that the vessels on the Comox route would always dock stern-to at Westview, and then bow-to at Comox due to the positioning of the berths. Judging by the angle that the photo was taken from, it would also make sense for it to be at Westview, as if the photographer was at the end of the curved warf.
There's been alot of discussion regarding this ferry in a number of the most recent issues of Western Mariner, including one account regarding her bow. A number of sources confirm that at one point she had a fused bow, having the bulwark wrap right around the bow, but then later had the doors installed. So during that time, they had a turntable at the bow due to the narrow beam of the ship, to turn the cars around 180 degrees to be pointed in the right direction for unloading. What a pain of a process that must have been.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jun 28, 2009 18:02:14 GMT -8
Many thanks, Wett Coast Mann. I agree that she was fine looking. I especially like the forward-travel angle, where the placement of the superstructure, especially the bridge, enhances the forward motion look. Much like a cyclist's posture riding or a jockey on a horse. No, I'm not saying QotI looks like a horse or bicycle, but I like the forward-motion-effect of the superstructure.
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Post by Curtis on Jun 28, 2009 23:31:13 GMT -8
A number of sources confirm that at one point she had a fused bow, having the bulwark wrap right around the bow, but then later had the doors installed. So during that time, they had a turntable at the bow due to the narrow beam of the ship, to turn the cars around 180 degrees to be pointed in the right direction for unloading. What a pain of a process that must have been. I guess that's what happens when you follow plans that probably would've worked fine on the route between Quebec City and Lévis. Too bad they didn't try building a miniature Spaulding vessel similar to the LeConte and Aurora. But compared to that, we got a pretty nice vessel; just not mechanically. It's really a shame that they had to let her go so early, but it's funny that the first minor vessel built by BC Ferries ends up as a failure. Since the QotI, BCF has built little to no minor vessels; most were built under the highways. Lets hope that BCFS doesn't mess it up when they start to build new minor vessels. Oh, BTW, a quick question after looking over the plans for the main Passenger Deck. Did the QotI have a snack bar?
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Jun 29, 2009 0:10:30 GMT -8
Taken last night...
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Post by lmtengs on Jun 29, 2009 9:21:01 GMT -8
was that beside the IWMB, or the LGB? The QotI has always been my favorite vessel when it comes to looks
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Post by Balfour on Jun 29, 2009 10:15:39 GMT -8
was that beside the IWMB, or the LGB? The QotI has always been my favorite vessel when it comes to looks That is beside the Iron Workers Memorial. Scott took that photo from nearby the rail bridge at the Second Narrows from the south end of the bridge.
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 29, 2009 22:07:48 GMT -8
Quick question: On the 5th photo, titled "Queen of the Islands at Comox...", are you sure that was at Comox? I was always under the impression that the vessels on the Comox route would always dock stern-to at Westview, and then bow-to at Comox due to the positioning of the berths. Judging by the angle that the photo was taken from, it would also make sense for it to be at Westview, as if the photographer was at the end of the curved warf. There's been alot of discussion regarding this ferry in a number of the most recent issues of Western Mariner, including one account regarding her bow. A number of sources confirm that at one point she had a fused bow, having the bulwark wrap right around the bow, but then later had the doors installed. So during that time, they had a turntable at the bow due to the narrow beam of the ship, to turn the cars around 180 degrees to be pointed in the right direction for unloading. What a pain of a process that must have been. Chris, Me thinks you are correct. The picture identified as being at Little River is in fact at Westview. I am bad as this is the 2nd time I have made that mistake. Thanks for the correction. As for the bow and the turntable... I asked my brother, Mr. DOT. He confirms that she did have a turntable. However, he states that she never had a 'fused bow'. All photos that I have seen of her show with half height bow doors, which were removed in later years. Also, the drawings done when she was new (shown above) clearly indicate loading at both ends.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Jun 29, 2009 22:48:57 GMT -8
Another example of the laziness of the Bannerman book- that while he mentioned Queen of The Islands being hard to load, he left out one of the main reasons- turning cars around on the only turntable that was installed on the '60s newbuilds.
Thanks Chris and WCK for confirming that.
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Post by Ferryman on Jun 30, 2009 9:41:00 GMT -8
I tend to agree with you as well, WCK, regarding the bow doors. I was able to find a few photos of the Queen of the Islands interior on this webpage. The advertisements are annoying, but the pictures aren't. Funny to see a dolled up Ferry interior, and then they end up keeping the retro 70s brown carpet. There was also an obvious snack bar onboard before the St. Johns Fishing lodge conversion as well. Anyways, see for yourselves. Note that there's more pics on the second page. family.webshots.com/album/32279949PGOWRG
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Post by WettCoast on Jun 30, 2009 20:05:16 GMT -8
I vaguely recall some sort of snack bar service when the QotI was doing summer service on the Comox - Powell River route. Sorry, no pictures. I have been thinking lately that this vessel might have been a good candidate for some serious slicing and dicing similar to what was once done on the NIP, and more recently the Kuper. I wonder if they ever put any thought and possibly design work into such. If she had been widened to six car lanes and lengthened to bring car capacity to ~75 she might still be serving our coast today. I will leave you with a couple of more images... DOT collectionQueen of the Islands in Gulf Islands - original pen & ink sketch © 1981 by D.O. ThorneAnd with this, I reach the 2000 'posts' mark. Watch out Karl, I'm catching up!
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Post by Queen of Nanaimo Teen on Jul 2, 2009 12:10:58 GMT -8
Wow!!! Those photos are awesome!!! I want to go onboard that ships sooooooo badly!!! The Queen of the Islands is such a neat ship!!! I love how they really haven't changed much in the lounge, it still looks like the interior of an old ferry!!! Does anyone have any idea as to how long she will be in North Van?
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