grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
|
Post by grk on Jul 2, 2020 13:58:43 GMT -8
Victoria Clipper, the original vessel, has now been moved from a marina, to the Victoria’s deep sea docks at Ogden Point. I assume that a deep sea vessel with heavy lift capabilities is due soon to carry her to Africa to start a new life there. If my memory is correct the Clipper arrived on our shores at the same facility. I snapped an IPhone picture but don’t know how to include it!
|
|
FNS
Voyager 
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Jul 3, 2020 18:34:50 GMT -8
Victoria Clipper, the original vessel, has now been moved from a marina, to the Victoria’s deep sea docks at Ogden Point. I assume that a deep sea vessel with heavy lift capabilities is due soon to carry her to Africa to start a new life there. If my memory is correct the Clipper arrived on our shores at the same facility. I snapped an IPhone picture but don’t know how to include it! If someone hasn't done this yet, a video of how to insert photos would be a good idea.
I use Flicker. If you took a pic on your phone, send it as a message to your email address and download it on your computer (if your phone can't connect to computers directly).
Upload to to a site like Flicker and view all sizes. Select 1024X768 (the maximum size allowed on this forum). Right click on photo and chose "copy image location". Click on the photo button on the toolbar on the forum page you're contributing and paste the location in the pop up. Presto!
I hope this vessel is more seaworthy than the SKAGIT and KALAMA that went to Africa. One of them capsized on a loaded passenger run there. Upon arrival there, I hope the VICTORIA CLIPPER will be managed and operated by more prudent African citizens than the ones who ran the former WSF passenger twins.
|
|
|
|
Post by SS San Mateo on Jul 10, 2020 11:39:41 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by paulvanb on Aug 3, 2020 7:35:07 GMT -8
Feel free to correct me, but this one is here in Victoria on this rainy BC Day.  |
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Aug 4, 2020 6:05:58 GMT -8
Feel free to correct me, but this one is here in Victoria on this rainy BC Day. After zooming in, that is most likely the original VICTORIA CLIPPER. |
|
grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
|
Post by grk on Aug 5, 2020 9:28:38 GMT -8
Yes that is the original Clipper. It has been sold to an operator in western Africa. She is waiting for a vessel with heavy lift cranes to load her as deck cargo. The Clipper name and corporate logo have been painted over, while the "union jack" paint scheme remains.
|
|
grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
|
Post by grk on Aug 28, 2020 10:59:19 GMT -8
On August 28, the original Clipper was loaded into a hold on the MS St Georg. The next leg of her voyage to Gabon is underway. I have a picture on my I Phone but I do not know how to post it!
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Aug 28, 2020 13:29:54 GMT -8
On August 28, the original Clipper was loaded into a hold on the MS St Georg. The next leg of her voyage to Gabon is underway. I have a picture on my I Phone but I do not know how to post it! Select your photo and send it as a message to your email address. Download from your email inbox on your computer and edit if you wish (like cropping). Then, upload it to your photo server.
I believe 1024 x 768 is still currently the max size of pics you can post on this forum.
If it's too complicated for you, send me a private message and I'll give you my cell number. I can receive images through the message channel. I'll then post it for you.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Aug 28, 2020 13:55:55 GMT -8
Here is the MV ST GEORG's pilot order:
It looks like she'll be doing a coastal trip to Ensenada before going to the next port stop on her voyage itinerary. |
|
grk
Chief Steward
Posts: 227
|
Post by grk on Aug 28, 2020 14:45:16 GMT -8
The Clipper is not deck cargo. It was lowered into the aft hold. It must have been a tight fit. My pic shows her being lowered into the hold.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Aug 28, 2020 15:56:59 GMT -8
The Clipper is not deck cargo. It was lowered into the aft hold. It must have been a tight fit. My pic shows her being lowered into the hold. Here's the photo of the VICTORIA CLIPPER being lowered into the hold of the ST GEORG. This pic was sent to me by "grk" for posting on this thread.
I guess she'll be a very protected vessel until her arrival at her destination.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Aug 29, 2020 0:05:20 GMT -8
The tug CH CATES IV was alongside the ST GEORG at Ogden Point at 2345PDT, 2020-08-28. Departure, with the VICTORIA CLIPPER 1 in her hold, was commencing.
At 0015PDT, 2020-08-29, first movement out of Ogden Point had occurred. We'll use this as the departure timestamp.
At 0030PDT, the ST GEORG was underway abeam the breakwater out of Victoria and the CATES was released.
At 0055PDT, the PACIFIC SCOUT took her pilot. |
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Aug 29, 2020 1:12:28 GMT -8
The ST GEORG passes by Port Angeles. The ship is on the right side of this image from the Race Rocks Cam.
Under a bright moon.
We say farewell to the original VICTORIA CLIPPER. May you have a safe journey to your new home.
Out she goes.
There will be no further tracking postings of this ship except, perhaps, at the intermediate stops with revised destination signs. A final posting might be posted when she gets to her destination, if the ship trackers has coverage. In other words, no extensive coverage like what I have done with other ferries of interest.
I said it before, and I'll say it again. We thank racerocks.ca for having a good camera there so we can see these ships and ferries of interest pass by.
|
|
|
|
Post by avgeekjoe on Aug 29, 2020 10:50:19 GMT -8
How unfortunate they aren't willing to discuss viable alternatives given the current service is sitting on the cutting board right now. The current service is not on the cutting board. All anyone is talking about is not dumping a ton of money in the Elwha to fix it. The boat has been out over 18 months of the last 24 and service hasn't suffered all that much, save for that time last fall. Making the Chelan's maintenance period a priority for the winter months would work until a SOLAS boat can be built, but the Sidney run has been down to one boat before for several years at a stretch off an on and it can survive with just one vessel.
This wasn't really alternative service. It became very clear during the meeting that this was a "gimme" to Victoria Clipper to skirt laws about having a qualified pilot on board the vessel. They admitted flat out that no, the vessel they had in mind for the Anacortes-Sidney run would not be able to dock at the WSF terminal, and in fact, they would have to BUILD a terminal to accommodate their boat. This also means it won't fit the Sidney dock either. Just where along Anacortes' waterfront could you build another terminal? Given all the environmental impact statements it would have to go through, tribal approval, and everything else, we're talking *years* to get something done--and they want this service in 18 months.
When pressed by our rep from Skagit County if they couldn't find a place to build a terminal in Anacortes, would they move the service elsewhere and the answer was a very sheepish, "Uh, well, yes."
In addition, this is a high-speed catamaran car ferry they want to use, zipping through the islands and our endangered indigenous orca's waters at 45 mph. Does anyone think that is a good idea or even practical?
I'm pretty sure this was floated so Clipper could get the car ferry--and probably use it from Seattle to Victoria. I doubt Anacortes to Sidney was even remotely a serious consideration--just a convenient leverage point.
It's now 29 August 2020 so maybe I'm responding too late but the state budget is in a huge hole. The WSF fleet just finally, thankfully is retiring the Elwha but is still long in the tooth. As one poster noted above, we're down to one SOLAS boat. I'm open to a discussion around a public-private partnership; but there needs to be clear economic benefits to my fellow Skagitonians. I'm also not terribly wild about the idea of a 30+ knot fast ferry with 50 cars plus trucks (e.g. Austal design) blasting thru the San Juans. Frankly it'd have to go a sufficient distance around the San Juan Islands National Monument with all the wake wash the fast ferry kick up so where's the speed difference once the extra distance is added? I'm sure the folks of Sidney, BC would really resent us Washingtonians having that fast ferry dock in Victoria, BC proper due to the detour also. Clipper Navigation has a lot of work to make the business case stack up. But I sure would love to ride the Victoria Clipper V one day... |
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Sept 4, 2020 1:50:03 GMT -8
The ST GEORG, with the original VICTORIA CLIPPER in her hold, departed Ensenada, Mexico, shortly after the beginning of the new 24 hour clock day PDT, 2020-09-04. Next stop is Golfito Bay, Costa Rica, fairly close to Panama.
No Catalina sighting as she was well off shore on her way to Ensenada.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Sept 15, 2020 6:27:35 GMT -8
At 0700PDT, 2020-09-15, the ST GEORG was spotted at anchor outside of the Pacific foyer of the Panama Canal.
The Tanker JABALI transferred fuel to the ST GEORG on the afternoon of this date.
At 2226 local time, 2020-09-13, she departed Golfito.
The canal transit waiting has begun.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Sept 19, 2020 7:14:23 GMT -8
While the ST GEORG, with the original VICTORIA CLIPPER in her hold, still awaits her turn to transit the Panama Canal, I found a pic I took worthwhile of sharing of the VC1 from the Sun Deck aboard the CHETZEMOKA on a run from Keystone to Port Townsend. The VC1 was doing a southbound trip to Seattle.
|
|
|
|
Post by avgeekjoe on Sept 20, 2020 23:22:41 GMT -8
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Sept 23, 2020 22:46:42 GMT -8
Not the best quality of photo from this cam, this does show the ST GEORG in the Gatun Locks.
The original VICTORIA CLIPPER is now on the Atlantic side of the continents of the Americas aboard the ST GEORG. She has completed transiting the Panama Canal.
My first spotting of the SG's blip this evening was when she was inside the Canal. She cleared the Gatun Locks at 2255PDT, 2020-09-23.
Her destination sign now shows her next stop as being Palm Beach in gator-infested Florida. ETA: 2020-09-28, always subject to change. Must be unloading boats there and/or picking up some.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Oct 3, 2020 7:48:13 GMT -8
The ST GEORG, has left the swamp! Departure time from Palm Beach FL was 2353EDT (2053PDT) 2020-10-02. Arrival was on 2020-09-28 at 0930EDT (0630PDT).
The ST GEORG is back tracking to Panama with a new destination sign showing "Cristobal". ETA: 2020-10-07 at 1700 local time. I think this may be a fueling and store replenish stop.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Oct 25, 2020 23:11:51 GMT -8
Here's an update on the ship that loaded the VICTORIA CLIPPER in Victoria for her new home.
The ST GEORG is back on the Pacific side of North America. After leaving the Florida swamp, she went back through the Panama Canal and up to La Paz and Ensenada in Mexico. Now, she's charting a set of courses for Victoria again.
I guess she unloaded the VC1 somewhere on the Atlantic side and transferred her to another and bigger ship for the long trans Atlantic ocean crossing and the western side of Africa.
Maybe "GRK" might know.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
|
Post by FNS on Nov 20, 2020 15:58:13 GMT -8
I guess the VC1 was transferred to another ship somewhere on the east side of North America. The ST GEORG seems to be making U-turns around this continent of ours.
With that, I'll close my watch on the VC1's progress to her new home and the ST GEORG as well. Hope she gets there safely.
To the original VICTORIA CLIPPER, thanks for your years of service on the Salish Sea. Best wishes at your new home.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kahloke on May 10, 2021 18:16:01 GMT -8
Victoria Clippers IV and V moored in Seattle. Guess it will be awhile longer before Victoria will see Clipper V gracing its harbour again.  |
|
|
|
Post by elwharust on May 17, 2021 12:43:18 GMT -8
Victoria Clippers IV and V moored in Seattle. Guess it will be awhile longer before Victoria will see Clipper V gracing its harbour again. looks like IV could use some fresh paint |
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on May 17, 2021 19:32:42 GMT -8
Victoria Clippers IV and V moored in Seattle. Guess it will be awhile longer before Victoria will see Clipper V gracing its harbour again. looks like IV could use some fresh paint Isn’t Victoria Clipper IV retired? |
|
