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Post by princessofvanfan on Jul 6, 2014 21:44:22 GMT -8
Earlier today I was trying to remember which ships, and when, operated on route 2 in the 70's. Please feel free to make any corrections :
1970 - 75 : Tsawwassen, Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West.
1975 - 76 : Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West, Surrey (Q o t N).
1976 - 79 : Cowichan, Coquitlam, with Nanaimo during peak times. |
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 7, 2014 12:53:43 GMT -8
Earlier today I was trying to remember which ships, and when, operated on route 2 in the 70's. Please feel free to make any corrections :
1970 - 75 : Tsawwassen, Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West.
1975 - 76 : Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West, Surrey (Q o t N).
1976 - 79 : Cowichan, Coquitlam, with Nanaimo during peak times. It is interesting to note how short a life the Queen of Sidney and the Queen of Tsawwassen actually lasted on route 1 for which they were originally built. In ten years or so, traffic had grown to such a point that newer bigger Spauldings were being churned out by Victoria Machinery Depot and Burrard Shipyard in North Vancouver. What is remarkable is how long the original Spauldings lasted and the fact that there a still two running, albeit not for much longer. What a shame. The Queen of Surrey, ex Stena Danica, was a real hoot to ride to Departure Bay and back as BC Ferries had not done a lot of 'make-over' work on her as yet and many of her Stena features were still visible. The hydraulic dance floor was one such feature that was the crew would 'demo' when passenger loads were light and time permitted.
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Post by WettCoast on Jul 7, 2014 21:30:38 GMT -8
Earlier today I was trying to remember which ships, and when, operated on route 2 in the 70's. Please feel free to make any corrections :
1970 - 75 : Tsawwassen, Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West.
1975 - 76 : Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West, Surrey (Q o t N).
1976 - 79 : Cowichan, Coquitlam, with Nanaimo during peak times. It is interesting to note how short a life the Queen of Sidney and the Queen of Tsawwassen actually lasted on route 1 for which they were originally built. In ten years or so, traffic had grown to such a point that newer bigger Spauldings were being churned out by Victoria Machinery Depot and Burrard Shipyard in North Vancouver. What is remarkable is how long the original Spauldings lasted and the fact that there a still two running, albeit not for much longer. What a shame. The Queen of Surrey, ex Stena Danica, was a real hoot to ride to Departure Bay and back as BC Ferries had not done a lot of 'make-over' work on her as yet and many of her Stena features were still visible. The hydraulic dance floor was one such feature that was the crew would 'demo' when passenger loads were light and time permitted.
The three B's plus the Tsawwassen ruled route 2 from 1965 through to 1974. in the 1972-74 period the three B's were stretched. In August of 1974 the first Queen of Surrey ( Stena Danica/ QotNorth) replaced the Tsawwassen. In mid 1976 the first two C-class vessels came on line replacing the Queen of Surrey 1 & the B's, though one was kept around to do extra sailings during summers & other busy periods ( I can't confirm that it was the Nanaimo, though). The Sidney & Tsawwassen only lasted two years on route 1 (1960-62), just until the 'City' class pair came on line. The Sidney & Tsawwassen then went to route 2, relieving the Chinook II & Kahloke. I am fairly sure that in the summer of 1962 the Chinook II & Kahloke actually worked route 1 together with the new 'City' class. The veteran ex-Blackball ships offered the first even hour sailings on route 1, meaning that in 1962 there were up to 16 sailings daily. By summer 1963 the first Queens (the Esquimalt & Saanich) came on line on route 1 which sent the Chinook II & Kahloke north to Langdale. It is important to keep in mind that the auto & passenger capacities of all nine BCF original Spaulding designed vessels were essentially the same, just over a hundred cars & about 900 passengers. |
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Post by princessofvanfan on Jul 7, 2014 22:16:40 GMT -8
Earlier today I was trying to remember which ships, and when, operated on route 2 in the 70's. Please feel free to make any corrections :
1970 - 75 : Tsawwassen, Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West.
1975 - 76 : Nanaimo, Burnaby, New West, Surrey (Q o t N).
1976 - 79 : Cowichan, Coquitlam, with Nanaimo during peak times. It is interesting to note how short a life the Queen of Sidney and the Queen of Tsawwassen actually lasted on route 1 for which they were originally built. In ten years or so, traffic had grown to such a point that newer bigger Spauldings were being churned out by Victoria Machinery Depot and Burrard Shipyard in North Vancouver. What is remarkable is how long the original Spauldings lasted and the fact that there a still two running, albeit not for much longer. What a shame. The Queen of Surrey, ex Stena Danica, was a real hoot to ride to Departure Bay and back as BC Ferries had not done a lot of 'make-over' work on her as yet and many of her Stena features were still visible. The hydraulic dance floor was one such feature that was the crew would 'demo' when passenger loads were light and time permitted.
I'm pretty sure the Burnaby and New West went to the Langdale route in 1976, leaving the Nanaimo as the supplemental vessel for route 2. I remember riding on the Queen of Surrey, as well. It was really bizarre, with the dancefloor and all. |
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 9, 2014 6:12:30 GMT -8
Does anyone out there have, what would be a very rare photo of any of the early route 2 boats departing Horseshoe Bay...going astern to mid-bay then doing a '360' and heading out around the point... bow-first?
Such a photo would be extremely rare as only a couple of the early-day Masters ever dared that manoeuver. I've been told that this 'radical departure' was done during daylight shifts only. Clue: One such Master later went on to run his magic on the Queen of Prince Rupert.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 9, 2014 7:12:53 GMT -8
Clue: One such Master later went on to run his magic on the Queen of Prince Rupert. Captain Parkinson ? |
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Post by WettCoast on Jul 9, 2014 8:29:19 GMT -8
Clue: One such Master later went on to run his magic on the Queen of Prince Rupert. Might you be referring to 'a wee Scotsman' named Captain Arnie? |
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mrdot
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Post by mrdot on Jul 9, 2014 15:46:29 GMT -8
:)of all the masters that went north from Swartz Bay, the most frendly in my mind was Jimmy Butterfield! :)mrdot.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jul 9, 2014 19:39:55 GMT -8
I am fairly sure that in the summer of 1962 the Chinook II & Kahloke actually worked route 1 together with the new 'City' class. The veteran ex-Blackball ships offered the first even hour sailings on route 1, meaning that in 1962 there were up to 16 sailings daily. By summer 1963 the first Queens (the Esquimalt & Saanich) came on line on route 1 which sent the Chinook II & Kahloke north to Langdale. Hmmh. I've never seen pictures of the Kahloke or Chinook II at Tsawwassen or Swartz Bay during this time, and never read anything which indicated that they didn't transition from the Nanaimo route to Langdale. We need a 1962 schedule. E-Fleet? |
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Post by chinook2 on Jul 9, 2014 22:16:05 GMT -8
Both Burnaby and Nanaimo remained on route 2 until the Surrey(2) and Oak Bay were built. In 1976 and 77 four boats were operated full time on route 2 until a major fare increase (the first since 1960) cut ridership. At this point in 1977 two boat operation in off season with extra service friday and sunday became the norm. late 1976 saw the sidney and tsawwassen working together on route 3; beginning in 1977 the New West was number one vessel on the route with Tsawwassen supplementing
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Post by chinook2 on Jul 9, 2014 22:20:28 GMT -8
I am fairly sure that in the summer of 1962 the Chinook II & Kahloke actually worked route 1 together with the new 'City' class. The veteran ex-Blackball ships offered the first even hour sailings on route 1, meaning that in 1962 there were up to 16 sailings daily. By summer 1963 the first Queens (the Esquimalt & Saanich) came on line on route 1 which sent the Chinook II & Kahloke north to Langdale. Hmmh. I've never seen pictures of the Kahloke or Chinook II at Tsawwassen or Swartz Bay during this time, and never read anything which indicated that they didn't transition from the Nanaimo route to Langdale. We need a 1962 schedule. E-Fleet? Microfilm of news articles of the time confirm that Kahloke and Chinook II (nice name:) worked route 1 in 1962/63. News articles tend to focus on the black ball ships not keeping schedule .next time I get to library will try and remember to get copies. |
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Post by chinook2 on Jul 9, 2014 22:40:50 GMT -8
AFAIR the surrey operated as third ship from horseshoe bay in summer 1975. Also, this is a historic thread, so remember that there were no B Class vessels in the fleet until the 1980s. Burnaby Nanaimo and New Westminster were officially Victoria Class, popularily known along with Victoria Vancouver Esquimalt and Saanich as Stretch Ferries.
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 10, 2014 10:31:08 GMT -8
Clue: One such Master later went on to run his magic on the Queen of Prince Rupert. Captain Parkinson ? You've won a brand new car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nah, just kidding, but Mr. Flugel Horn you have one of at least three of the right answers. Yes, Captain 'Parky' was quite the seaman and showman. While not being one of the Masters who put 'owies' on the QPR's underbelly he did encounter some bad 'P.R.', when upon arriving at Prince Rupert on the QPR's Inaugural Run, during a low tide, whacked the starboard side of the newly minted QPR into one of the dolphins and took out at least two of the big windows in the dining room. Standing beside Captain 'Parky' on the bridge taking this all in, was none other than good old W.A.C., the Premier himself. ....ooops
One of the other Skippers would did the turn and burn, bow first out of Horseshoe Bay was a Skipper with the initials O.J.
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 10, 2014 10:34:10 GMT -8
Clue: One such Master later went on to run his magic on the Queen of Prince Rupert. Might you be referring to 'a wee Scotsman' named Captain Arnie? Unfortunately the prize car has already been won there Wett Coast No, Arnie the wee lad, wasn't on "that" infamous list, but of course he did make another 'list'. Hence there were never any more unscheduled cruises through Gun Boat Passage.
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 10, 2014 10:44:51 GMT -8
:)of all the masters that went north from Swartz Bay, the most frendly in my mind was Jimmy Butterfield! :)mrdot. Well, Captain Butterfield, ( and he had several nicknames given him by a little band of busboys out of Victoria) was indeed a jovial Skipper, just as long as you didn't tire of him relating his stories about being the Master of the HMCS Oriole. I believe he began his tenure on the 'Rupert' as Second Officer and rose in the ranks from there. Captain 'Jimmy' was one of the easier to please officers when serving him in either the Officer's Mess or at the Captain's table in the dining room. " Butterfield" often got mis-called "Butterworth", to which he would retort: " I hate pancakes"! ( A full-on retort overheard in the Officer's Mess) suffered by one of the bratty busboys of B Watch. Ah those were the days.
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mrdot
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Post by mrdot on Jul 10, 2014 11:39:59 GMT -8
:)of all the skippers I worked with or sailed with no fonder memories are in my memory bank than jimmy butterfield, and his familys connection to classical music lives on with my wifes connection to this, and several trips north as well as a repositioning trip back to tsawwassen, after his transport of the royals to Vancouver for the opening of expo! I did a illustration of his first vessel which was 'empress of russia' for him when I visited his family place in Victoria! :)mrdot.
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Post by Dane on Jul 10, 2014 16:55:20 GMT -8
I am 100% sure this is not 100% correct... But it should be a reasonable facsimile of the truth. For example the Esquimalt had some good stints on the run not captured here. Queen of Surrey, the first, is not here at all. And obviously HSB did not have three vessels assigned to Rte 2 at the same time as is noted in the sixties / seventies. Anyways I have been hard at work again trying to catalogue things into a timeline format so any (referenced) changes / updates are very much appreciated Route 2 Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)-Departure Bay (Nanaimo) 1961-1962: Langdale Queen 1964-1971: Queen of New Westminster (Horseshoe Bay; 1), Queen of Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay; 2), Queen of Burnaby (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Tsawwassen (Departure Bay; 2) 1964-1972: Queen of New Westminster (Horseshoe Bay), Queen of Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay), Sechelt Queen (Horseshoe Bay), Queen of Burnaby (Departure Bay), Queen of Tsawwassen (Departure Bay) 1973-1976: Queen of New Westminster (Horseshoe Bay; 1), Queen of Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay; 2), Queen of Burnaby (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Tsawwassen (Departure Bay; 2), Sechelt Queen (Departure Bay; supplemental) * Langdale Queen sails in place of vessels removed for stretching. 1976-1980: Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Horseshoe Bay; 1) 1982-1995: Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay; 1), Queen of Burnaby (summer) 1996: Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Victoria (Departure Bay; 3) Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay; 1) 1996-1999: Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Esquimalt (Langdale/Departure Bay; 3) Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay; 1) 1999-2000: Pacificat Explorer (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 2), Pacificat Discovery (Horseshoe Bay) 2000: Pacificat Explorer (Departure Bay; 1), Pacificat Discovery (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) * 1 Feb 2000 fast ferries are both based out of Departure Bay and alternate in service as the full time vessel. This arrangement ended on 13 Mar 2000 when the Pacificats were removed from service as full time vessels. 2001-2007: Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) 2008: Coastal Renaissance (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) * Queen of Cowichan is the number 1 vessel M-R in shoulder season 2008-2009: Coastal Renaissance (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) 2010-Current: Coastal Renaissance (Departure Bay; Summer 1), Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; Summer 2, Shoulder 1), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) |
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Post by princessofvanfan on Jul 10, 2014 23:00:00 GMT -8
Wow, very thorough. The Langdale Queen filled in during stretching refits? Hmmm...Suzie Q would have made more sense, being larger, but was slower, perhaps.
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 11, 2014 6:06:02 GMT -8
I am 100% sure this is not 100% correct... But it should be a reasonable facsimile of the truth. For example the Esquimalt had some good stints on the run not captured here. Queen of Surrey, the first, is not here at all. And obviously HSB did not have three vessels assigned to Rte 2 at the same time as is noted in the sixties / seventies. Anyways I have been hard at work again trying to catalogue things into a timeline format so any (referenced) changes / updates are very much appreciated Route 2 Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)-Departure Bay (Nanaimo) 1961-1962: Langdale Queen 1964-1971: Queen of New Westminster (Horseshoe Bay; 1), Queen of Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay; 2), Queen of Burnaby (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Tsawwassen (Departure Bay; 2) 1964-1972: Queen of New Westminster (Horseshoe Bay), Queen of Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay), Sechelt Queen (Horseshoe Bay), Queen of Burnaby (Departure Bay), Queen of Tsawwassen (Departure Bay) 1973-1976: Queen of New Westminster (Horseshoe Bay; 1), Queen of Nanaimo (Horseshoe Bay; 2), Queen of Burnaby (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Tsawwassen (Departure Bay; 2), Sechelt Queen (Departure Bay; supplemental) * Langdale Queen sails in place of vessels removed for stretching. 1976-1980: Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Horseshoe Bay; 1) 1982-1995: Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay; 1), Queen of Burnaby (summer) 1996: Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Victoria (Departure Bay; 3) Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay; 1) 1996-1999: Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Esquimalt (Langdale/Departure Bay; 3) Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay; 1) 1999-2000: Pacificat Explorer (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Surrey (Departure Bay; 2), Pacificat Discovery (Horseshoe Bay) 2000: Pacificat Explorer (Departure Bay; 1), Pacificat Discovery (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) * 1 Feb 2000 fast ferries are both based out of Departure Bay and alternate in service as the full time vessel. This arrangement ended on 13 Mar 2000 when the Pacificats were removed from service as full time vessels. 2001-2007: Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Coquitlam (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) 2008: Coastal Renaissance (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) * Queen of Cowichan is the number 1 vessel M-R in shoulder season 2008-2009: Coastal Renaissance (Departure Bay; 1), Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; 2), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) 2010-Current: Coastal Renaissance (Departure Bay; Summer 1), Queen of Cowichan (Departure Bay; Summer 2, Shoulder 1), Queen of Oak Bay (Horseshoe Bay) Excellent research Dane! Very well done and I have to think you spent a great deal of time piecing all that information together. To add to your meticulous fact finding, I would just add that for some strange reason, The Queen of Sidney ran out of Horseshoe Bay on June 14th 1964, to be replaced the very next day with the Sechelt Queen, ( old dowager that she was), until our crew got the thrill of working aboard the brand new Queen of Nanaimo starting on August 4th, 1964. Getting the 'Nanny' brand new was like inheriting a brand new car. It was if we had inherited a new cruise ship:) We were all so busy enjoying our new boat that I have no idea of what became of the 'Sidney'.
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Post by Kahloke on Jul 11, 2014 6:37:18 GMT -8
Thanks for your post Dane. Question: where was Queen of Alberni assigned in the 1980's? Wasn't it assigned to Route 3 for awhile after getting lifted? And I know it was on Route 2 at least some of the time, because we have pics in the Queen of Alberni thread showing it in Horseshoe Bay, and I remember taking Alberni on Route 2 in the late 80's. Was Alberni primarily a relief vessel in the late 80's, before Route 30 opened up?
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Post by Dane on Jul 12, 2014 8:45:00 GMT -8
Here is the Alberni, you'll notice it conflicts with info I've posted in this thread (the ship specific info I have is generally more accurate). Over the next year or so I hope to get it all cross-referenced to verify. Just a bit time consuming, and it is very much a side hobby.
Route 1 – Tsawwassen (Vancouver)-Swartz Bay (Victoria) (1976-1981)
Route 2 – Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)-Departure Bay (Nanaimo) (1981-1984)
Route 3 – Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) – Langdale (Sunshine Coast) (1984-1985)
Route 2 – Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)-Departure Bay (Nanaimo) (1985-1990; Auxiliary)
Route 3 – Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) – Langdale (Sunshine Coast) (1987-1991; Auxiliary)
Route 30 – Duke Point (Nanaimo)-Tsawwassen (Vancouver) (1991-2008)
Route 30 – Tsawwassen (Vancouver)-Duke Point (Nanaimo) (2008-Current)
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jul 12, 2014 11:01:00 GMT -8
Re: Sechelt Queen, '64 to '72... before '68 it served the Langdale run, at least in summer. Late summer '68 it moved to the Tsawwassen - Gulf Islands route. For at least one summer during the Barrett years, it was the fifth vessel on route one. Don't have my schedule collection here on Hornby, so I'll have to check for more exact info later.
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mrdot
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Post by mrdot on Jul 12, 2014 15:41:30 GMT -8
:)with regard to the late 1960's, I remember our Queen of Sidney summer service on the main run, when we took some of the gulf islands overload from the Sechelt Queen's route as well, we would often meet as we transeted active pass! :)mrdot.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jul 12, 2014 22:02:32 GMT -8
:)with regard to the late 1960's, I remember our Queen of Sidney summer service on the main run, when we took some of the gulf islands overload from the Sechelt Queen's route as well, we would often meet as we transeted active pass! :)mrdot. ... and the ' Sidney was pressed into service helping out route nine as early as '66, if not before, just two years after Queen of The Islands was introduced on the run. With all the praise often heaped on old Wacky for building BC Ferries, it has to be noted that from an operational and conceptual standpoint, Queen of The Islands was perhaps the biggest miscue. Even if she was one nice looking ferry. |
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Post by mrdot on Jul 13, 2014 20:09:49 GMT -8
:)as for wacky's prolific ferry newbuilds, they were all westcoast designs with the exception of the Q of the Islands, and she was always a missfit, but this was one of the old guys few mistakes, and there was blame for others in top mgmt! (zzz)mrdot.
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