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Post by Wolf on Jun 11, 2015 16:19:41 GMT -8
Does anybody know why they choose cycloidal drives from Voith Schneider over normal propellers? Because the lake is a hydroelectric reservoir that fluctuates, which puts beach debris like old logs and stumps into the lake A regular right angle drive would be torn off by that, a vsp can handle the impact (to an extent) Just last month a log slammed into the prop of the columbia and put it out of service for a few days, and they didnt even know what happened until the next day, the captain never felt the impact but the engineer did Also, a vsp is highly manoeuvrable, a vessel can turn on a dime instantly and can put thrust in any direction with them without loss of power vs a RAD prop which only goes one way and must be rotated 180 degrees to reverse the vessel in motion
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Post by Wolf on Jun 22, 2015 8:24:05 GMT -8
Anyone making a trip to this ferry sometime this summer to get pictures and video of it landing and unloading? And maybe even arrange for a visit to the bridge?
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Post by kevins on Jun 26, 2015 18:05:43 GMT -8
some photos www.pbase.com/kstapleton/mv_columbiashort video of them loading Takes a good load of heavy commercial, don't really notice the lack of a lounge as not any foot passengers to speak of. Besides, its free Kevin should be able to view it as it indicates public, instead of using the link, perhaps search in youtube.
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Post by Wolf on Jun 27, 2015 9:34:36 GMT -8
some photos www.pbase.com/kstapleton/mv_columbiashort video of them loading Takes a good load of heavy commercial, don't really notice the lack of a lounge as not any foot passengers to speak of. Besides, its free Kevin It works now. Great video and pics
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Post by WettCoast on Apr 11, 2016 18:38:17 GMT -8
Check out this photo on Flickr of the Arrow Lake ferry Columbia approaching its berth at Galena Bay. Click on the photo below to see a high-res version of this photo. It looks superb when viewed at higher resolution. This comes from Revelstoke photographer Bob Bittner aka 'Revvy Bob'. He has a superb collection on Flickr of CP trains & heritage homes & businesses in Revelstoke, the West Kootenay & Victoria too. See more of his work at: www.flickr.com/photos/51316561@N03/. MV Columbia Art Oil Mat2016-5780.jpg by Bob Bittner, on Flickr
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Post by Mike C on May 22, 2016 23:52:46 GMT -8
Shelter Bay provides a pretty unbelievable backdrop for this ferry's approach into berth. The route was, in my opinion, one of, if not the nicest route in the inland ferries system. The boat, on the other hand, left something to be desired. The lack of passenger waiting room was something I found a little odd, especially given her cousin (the Francois Forester) has a small-ish waiting room accessible from the car deck. Columbia - Shelter Bay, BC by Michael Coulson, on Flickr Columbia - Shelter Bay, BC by Michael Coulson, on Flickr
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Post by WettCoast on May 23, 2016 8:22:56 GMT -8
Mike C, did you see in your travels, one or both of the old upper Arrow Lakes boats ( Galena, Shelter Bay)? If not, have you heard anything about their current 'status'?
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Post by Mike C on May 23, 2016 9:49:27 GMT -8
Mike C, did you see in your travels, one or both of the old upper Arrow Lakes boats ( Galena, Shelter Bay)? If not, have you heard anything about their current 'status'? Yes, apologies for the lack of photo documentation. They were berthed in their usual spot, tied up in Shelter Bay. No word on a game plan for the two vessels, though...
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Post by Wolf on May 23, 2016 10:45:29 GMT -8
Mike C, did you see in your travels, one or both of the old upper Arrow Lakes boats ( Galena, Shelter Bay)? If not, have you heard anything about their current 'status'? The DEV galena is being prepped to take over for the mv needles while it goes under a hull inspection. The galena will be the backup for all 3 ferries, the only ship that needs hull inspection on dry land is the needles, im assuming when we build the arrow park it will be designed for underwater inspection like the columbia was. Also, (off topic) i noticed i cant post photos in the forum anymore, i have to post on another source like flickr and paste a link here, can anyone shed light on why this is?
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Post by Mike C on May 23, 2016 14:44:43 GMT -8
Mike C, did you see in your travels, one or both of the old upper Arrow Lakes boats ( Galena, Shelter Bay)? If not, have you heard anything about their current 'status'? The DEV galena is being prepped to take over for the mv needles while it goes under a hull inspection. The galena will be the backup for all 3 ferries, the only ship that needs hull inspection on dry land is the needles, im assuming when we build the arrow park it will be designed for underwater inspection like the columbia was. Also, (off topic) i noticed i cant post photos in the forum anymore, i have to post on another source like flickr and paste a link here, can anyone shed light on why this is? Thanks for the info regarding the Galena. Do you happen to know when this will be taking place? Re. posting photos: a copied URL is usually the best route for posting photos anyways, so I would suggest setting up a Flickr or Photobucket account for that purpose. ProBoards has been inconsistent about updating the forum's photo uploader, so that could be the issue.
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Post by Wolf on May 23, 2016 15:25:56 GMT -8
The DEV galena is being prepped to take over for the mv needles while it goes under a hull inspection. The galena will be the backup for all 3 ferries, the only ship that needs hull inspection on dry land is the needles, im assuming when we build the arrow park it will be designed for underwater inspection like the columbia was. Also, (off topic) i noticed i cant post photos in the forum anymore, i have to post on another source like flickr and paste a link here, can anyone shed light on why this is? Thanks for the info regarding the Galena. Do you happen to know when this will be taking place? Re. posting photos: a copied URL is usually the best route for posting photos anyways, so I would suggest setting up a Flickr or Photobucket account for that purpose. ProBoards has been inconsistent about updating the forum's photo uploader, so that could be the issue. Not sure when it will be but the manager and one of our welders went up there to do some work to prep the DEV galena for taking over the needles. I expect sometime this month or early june or possibly when we start construction of the adams lake replacement starting end of june when steel arrives
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 23, 2016 16:18:59 GMT -8
Honestly I think the Columbia is a pretty ugly boat. No lounge? Probably no washrooms either? That's crazy! Especially in the winter when the weather is miserable you have to sit in your car with no heat as I take it they dont want you running your engine, lol! I liked the older boats better but I dont even think they had a lounge either.
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Post by Wolf on May 23, 2016 17:36:28 GMT -8
Honestly I think the Columbia is a pretty ugly boat. No lounge? Probably no washrooms either? That's crazy! Especially in the winter when the weather is miserable you have to sit in your car with no heat as I take it they dont want you running your engine, lol! I liked the older boats better but I dont even think they had a lounge either. I think you should ride it before you judge it. It has 3 bathrooms, 1 is wheelchair accessible btw. It doesnt need lounges because there is no foot traffic up there. The ship was built to do the job that it needs to do, it was custom built for the run as are all ships. It has the bridge to the side to allow over height traffic, whereas the galena and shelter bay were limited and there are many dents and scrapes under the bridge-way that spans over the deck. If you dont like it, dont look at it. It does its job very well, it doesnt need to look fancy like the osprey (which is basically a tourist ferry) this is a ferry built for commercial/industrial traffic and occasional tourists. Also id like to add that the ferry route is windy 24/7, constant cross breeze, if its hot, open a window. If its too cold then run your vehicle, they cant stop you if its freezing cold and if they ever did let me know and ill get it straightened out, i work at waterbridge
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on May 23, 2016 21:32:31 GMT -8
Honestly I think the Columbia is a pretty ugly boat. No lounge? Probably no washrooms either? That's crazy! Especially in the winter when the weather is miserable you have to sit in your car with no heat as I take it they dont want you running your engine, lol! I liked the older boats better but I dont even think they had a lounge either. I think you should ride it before you judge it. It has 3 bathrooms, 1 is wheelchair accessible btw. It doesnt need lounges because there is no foot traffic up there. The ship was built to do the job that it needs to do, it was custom built for the run as are all ships. It has the bridge to the side to allow over height traffic, whereas the galena and shelter bay were limited and there are many dents and scrapes under the bridge-way that spans over the deck. If you dont like it, dont look at it. It does its job very well, it doesnt need to look fancy like the osprey (which is basically a tourist ferry) this is a ferry built for commercial/industrial traffic and occasional tourists. Also id like to add that the ferry route is windy 24/7, constant cross breeze, if its hot, open a window. If its too cold then run your vehicle, they cant stop you if its freezing cold and if they ever did let me know and ill get it straightened out, i work at waterbridge I completely disagree on the lounge question. If a small ferry on a five minute route across the Columbia River in Washington can have a modest lounge, so can an 80 car vessel on a much longer route. There are occasionally going to be people on bicycles or motorcycles, or those who simply want a break from their vehicles, especially in cold weather. On a vessel that size, it's ludicrous that the budget didn't have room for a construction trailer sized lounge, at least.
As for the comments about the Columbia's appearance, I guess I'd agree that functionality trumps (jeez, I hate that word now) aesthetics, but this is a fan forum, after all. What amazes me about the Columbia is how the car deck overhangs the hull like a dinner plate sitting atop a small soup bowl. I guess that works okay on a relatively placid lake?
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Post by titanium48 on May 24, 2016 20:44:39 GMT -8
I'm sure I'd be cursing the lack of a lounge if I were a biker who got caught in the rain, but I am happy staying in my car in poor weather or walking around on deck if the weather is nice. In the typical near-freezing conditions of a Revelstoke winter your car is just starting to get a bit chilly at the end of the 20 minute trip. The window fogging sometimes necessitates starting your car a bit early on the trip back from the hot springs though.
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Post by Wolf on May 24, 2016 20:50:36 GMT -8
I think you should ride it before you judge it. It has 3 bathrooms, 1 is wheelchair accessible btw. It doesnt need lounges because there is no foot traffic up there. The ship was built to do the job that it needs to do, it was custom built for the run as are all ships. It has the bridge to the side to allow over height traffic, whereas the galena and shelter bay were limited and there are many dents and scrapes under the bridge-way that spans over the deck. If you dont like it, dont look at it. It does its job very well, it doesnt need to look fancy like the osprey (which is basically a tourist ferry) this is a ferry built for commercial/industrial traffic and occasional tourists. Also id like to add that the ferry route is windy 24/7, constant cross breeze, if its hot, open a window. If its too cold then run your vehicle, they cant stop you if its freezing cold and if they ever did let me know and ill get it straightened out, i work at waterbridge I completely disagree on the lounge question. If a small ferry on a five minute route across the Columbia River in Washington can have a modest lounge, so can an 80 car vessel on a much longer route. There are occasionally going to be people on bicycles or motorcycles, or those who simply want a break from their vehicles, especially in cold weather. On a vessel that size, it's ludicrous that the budget didn't have room for a construction trailer sized lounge, at least.
As for the comments about the Columbia's appearance, I guess I'd agree that functionality trumps (jeez, I hate that word now) aesthetics, but this is a fan forum, after all. What amazes me about the Columbia is how the car deck overhangs the hull like a dinner plate sitting atop a small soup bowl. I guess that works okay on a relatively placid lake?
As i said before, there is virtually no foot traffic, it is not built for tourism, it was built to carry more weight per trip and more vehicles on a commercially busy route. This area is not kootenay lake. Galena bay/shelter bay area is in the middle of nowhere. The closest dwellings are halcyon and revelstoke. If lounges were needed, they would be on there right now. There was no call for a lounge, and if that is the case the columbia needs one, why wasnt there one on the DEV galena? Again, same thing when it was built there was no need. When the area becomes like balfour/crawford bay then yes a lounge will be needed but as of now no. It may also interest you to know that the crew deck was built wider than the washroom area so there is a 5ft overhang to sit under. I highly doubt people are riding bikes when the temps drop below 5. Also, when you are building a $27million ship and you are 2 months past delivery date, a lounge is the least important thing to worry about. I wasnt working at waterbridge during the columbia's construction but from stories ive heard from workers there was alot of crap to deal with. Building a ship that size is not simple. If a piece of steel wasnt marked after being welded in, it was cut out and discarded until it was done proper. This info came directly from Dave Healy btw
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Ignacio
Oiler (New Member)
Posts: 37
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Post by Ignacio on May 31, 2016 12:07:42 GMT -8
I bagged three ferries new me this weekend...the second one was the very cool MV Columbia. Rode her twice to Shelter Bay and back. Nice ferry, incredible view, and biggest of the three I rode on the loop.
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Post by Wolf on Jul 21, 2016 20:21:08 GMT -8
Drive bc has issued the following:
Shelter Bay to Galena Bay both directions sailings will be cancelled due to Marine Railway use on Saturday July 23 12:00am, and for Sunday July 24 sailings at 12:30am, 5:00am, and 5:30am. Updated on Mon Jul 18 at 2:23 pm PDT.
The needles ferry at this time will be out of service due to hull inspection and some minor repairs and upgrades. The DEV galena will be taking over at needles during this time.
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Post by Wolf on Nov 29, 2016 14:15:14 GMT -8
As of december 31st the only back-up vessel (DEV Galena) to the current MV Columbia is being retired. Petitions have been started and i have already wrote emails in opposition.
Hello,
Thank you for your interest in the Inland Ferries.
Ministry is committed to providing safe reliable ferry service on all the inland ferry routes. As planned, the Ministry has maintained the DEV Galena as a back-up for the MV Columbia during the two-year warranty period of the new ship; the DEV Galena will retire on December 31, 2016, and the MV Shelter Bay has already been decertified. The MV Columbia was designed and built to be as robust and reliable as possible. The MV Columbia is equipped with hatches to facilitate the quick replacement of propulsion equipment, and the operator has a full set of replacement parts for all major components. In addition, the vessel's equipment and systems can be fully serviced from the car deck or inside the vessel. In addition, both the Needles cable ferry and the Arrow Park cable ferry are capably pushed by a tug if the need arises.
Please recognize that many ferry routes don't operate with a back-up vessel.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me directly.
Thanks & Regards,
Callum
Callum Campbell, P. Eng. Manager | Marine Branch | Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Work: 250-356-0461 | Cell: 250-213-1924 | callum.j.campbell@gov.bc.ca
-----Original Message----- Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2016 7:26 PM To: Campbell, Callum J TRAN:EX Subject: Keeping the Galena ferry
Greetings I am writing this email in response to the recent decision to remove the DEV Galena from service on the arrow lakes northern ferry crossing. As a local resident i know all too well the complications that can happen with vessels on this lake. The current MV Columbia in service is not bullet proof and as recent as last year a log disabled it for approx 2 days, which created havoc. If the Galena is removed from service we will have absolutely NO BACKUP. The MV Shelter bay is far too small and slow moving to ply the upper arrow lake run when the Columbia is down for repairs.
A few years ago when the Galena was in dry-dock for repairs, the only vessel in operation was the shelter bay which was the original needles ferry before 1991, and it was built for short crossings. When this vessel was the main link for over a week, traffic was backed up on both sides 24/7 and it took almost 40 minutes to cross one way. It can carry only 28 vehicles and if you add a chambers b train semi, you can minus off 5-6 cars in accordance with weight and 3-4 cars for deck space. The DEV Galena can carry 50 vehicles with gross tonnage of approx 570 vs 338 with the shelter bay. The Galena is larger, can carry more weight and is much faster. This was the main vessel for this run since its construction and getting rid of it makes no sense. The shelter bay was created for a short crossing and is not feasible as the back-up when the much larger Columbia breaks down.
The Galena can be deployed to needles and arrow park much faster than the shelter bay and can keep up with traffic flow better. With a major refit, this vessel can sustain the arrow lakes as a back-up for all three crossings for many many years to come. I do not want to see the arrow lakes lose the only backup vessel when the main vessel(s) in operation break down. If the Shelter bay is scrapped, the money can be transferred to a refit of the DEV Galena. The upper arrow lakes is a major artery of the BC transportation system. If the trans Canada is closed for more than an hour, traffic is re-directed south through highway 23 to the arrow lakes ferry system. If the Columbia is down for repairs at the same time as a highway 1 closure between Revelstoke and golden or Revelstoke and Sicamous and there is no backup (or the Shelter bay is the only vessel) the congestion will be tremendous and the government will be to blame when tourists discover the only backup was scrapped.
In my lifetime, hwy 1 was closed at least 2 times per year. Any major mudslide or avalanche to a major vehicle accident can disable the busiest highway for many hours. Highway 23 becomes the detour which can congest the MV Columbia at the best of times, and just think what will happen if there is no backup or the smallest of the 3 is operating. Please re-consider removing the Galena and have it kept on our lake as the back-up, we are an isolated community and we need it. Thank you Sincerely, a concerned local resident
As you can see they care nothing of the consequences. The ministry doesnt understand what happens if the Columbia is down. What if it sustains catastrophic damage that could cripple the vessel for months? We will have no replacement until it can be put back into service again. If the columbia breaks down the same time as a hwy 1 closure, and there is no backup, i cant imagine how frustrated people would be not to mention us as locals wont have that route open if this situation occurs
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Post by Mike C on Nov 29, 2016 17:38:08 GMT -8
As of december 31st the only back-up vessel (DEV Galena) to the current MV Columbia is being retired. Petitions have been started and i have already wrote emails in opposition. Thanks for writing in and posting your responses here. I also find it disappointing that the ministry has chosen to decommission both vessels, particularly the Galena. If I recall, one of the vessels has provided relief on the lower Arrow Lakes route since the Columbia has entered service. Therefore, there is already a precedent of the vessels operating in place of those taken out of service. I understand that cost is the overrulling factor here, but if one considers the Arrow Lakes vessels to be part of a single fleet of 3 ships servicing 3 routes, it adds up, in my mind, to maintain one to keep services operating smoothly. In addition, operating the Arrow Park or Needles with a tug and barge operation seems, in my mind, to hardly be a solution. Both of those vessels are suited for their service and would not function adequately at other routes on the lake; not to mention that they would still be down one vessel. Again, thanks for voicing your concern, and keeping your ear to the ground on this one. Definitely disappointing.
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Post by Wolf on Nov 29, 2016 18:24:24 GMT -8
As of december 31st the only back-up vessel (DEV Galena) to the current MV Columbia is being retired. Petitions have been started and i have already wrote emails in opposition. Thanks for writing in and posting your responses here. I also find it disappointing that the ministry has chosen to decommission both vessels, particularly the Galena. If I recall, one of the vessels has provided relief on the lower Arrow Lakes route since the Columbia has entered service. Therefore, there is already a precedent of the vessels operating in place of those taken out of service. I understand that cost is the overrulling factor here, but if one considers the Arrow Lakes vessels to be part of a single fleet of 3 ships servicing 3 routes, it adds up, in my mind, to maintain one to keep services operating smoothly. In addition, operating the Arrow Park or Needles with a tug and barge operation seems, in my mind, to hardly be a solution. Both of those vessels are suited for their service and would not function adequately at other routes on the lake; not to mention that they would still be down one vessel. Again, thanks for voicing your concern, and keeping your ear to the ground on this one. Definitely disappointing. There are several flaws in the response i received as well. There are many routes with back up vessels. Kootenay lake, francois lake, and bc ferries operates several back up vessels to my knowledge. My major concern is transportation access. If the columbia is down for any long period of time with no back up, the upper arrow lake crossing is shut down, and before the needles cable ferry was built, the current shelter bay was in its place and there was no back up for the galena. Given the current spike in tourism to this part of bc in recent years necessitated a new replacement but if this new ferry breaks down, traffic will be stalled until it is back in service. A crippling break down that delays it for a month will generate much anger with locals, not to mention commercial trucking will be affected. The ministry dropped the ball on this one. The benefits outweigh the costs of keeping a back up on standby in emergencies. They are putting all their eggs in one basket here...
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Jun 15, 2018 21:32:39 GMT -8
This isn't a particularly creative photo, but in scanning the previous six pages on Columbia, we don't have a shot from exactly this angle. This vessel is definitely a lake ferry. Huge overhang of the car deck above the hull. On the sailing I took, they were doing some emergency drills, and even a modest turn caused the boat to rock somewhat. She's lakeworthy, not seaworthy. But what a spectacular crossing. My favorite coastal route is Earls Cove to Saltery Bay... this doesn't rank far behind that, with the mountains all around. Galena Bay is a beautiful spot to wait for a ferry, and I found it fascinating to note how simple the dock structures were. There's a reason these inland routes are free.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jun 16, 2018 7:15:28 GMT -8
Thanks for this, Neil. I wonder how rare it is for a Columbia sailing to be without either a logging truck of a Chambers chip-truck. The forest industry is so tied to this route, for moving logs and chips. I haven't seen or sailed on any of the new inland ferries yet, and that won't change in 2018. I'm overdue for a few different trips, this being one of them.
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jun 16, 2018 7:51:07 GMT -8
I am currently in Kelowna heading home today. Monday I was on the Columbia from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay and Wednesday I came back from Galena Bay to Shelter Bay. I must say I prefer Shelter Bay is more scenic to me than Galena Bay. But the route beautiful little 20 mins crossing. I actually wished it was longer. On my way over I was actually the last car on the boat and coming back I managed to the first on the boat. I knew she had no passenger lounge but I was surprised that she actually had washrooms on board. The sailings I took were not full. I believe it was the 1pm sailing I took from Shelter Bay then coming back on the Wednesday it was the 3:30pm sailing. It was calm when I arrived at Galena Bay on the way back but on the boat the lake winds picked up and it looked a bit choppy. Not very good time do a round trip with no inside lounge. On my way back I pulled off at the rest area at Shelter Bay despite the rain and watched her load and sail away. What I thought was interesting was that they hooked some cables up to the dock and they pulled it with the ship. Not sure what they were doing but they obviously needed to move the dock a bit. First time on the new ship. I have photos but on my Facebook page.
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Post by Ferryman on Aug 1, 2018 8:14:04 GMT -8
I finally had a chance to ride aboard the MV Columbia from Galena Bay to Shelter Bay. I hadn't traveled on this run for nearly 20 years as well, back in the good old days of the DEV Galena and DEV Shelter Bay. This trip was completely unintentional, since I was trying to get to Kelowna from Nelson by the evening. Earlier I had already traveled on the Needles Cable Ferry, and drove part way up the Monashee, until I was turned around due to a fatal accident that closed the highway until late at night. I turned back and headed for Galena Bay, and eventually stayed in Revelstoke for the night. Overall impression of the ship: Simplistic yet practical from a vehicle moving standpoint. That is all. Here are some evening photos of this glorified barge.
Make Ferries Great Again.
MV Columbia departing Galena Bay, two minutes before my arrival ($%$%!!!!) BC Inland Ferry Travel by Deck-dog SSI, on Flickr BC Inland Ferry Travel by Deck-dog SSI, on Flickr
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