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Post by Mike C on Jul 16, 2020 14:15:05 GMT -8
Quadra Queen II is currently moored at Blubber Bay on Texada right now but will not be put into service today due to unknown reasons. Salish Eagle will be making stops at Texada today on it’s trips between Powell River and Little River. What a mess! www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=7960 I think if I was the Minister of Transportation, responsible for the operations at BCFS, I would be 'requesting' some explanation as to why this new vessel is experiencing this sort of problem and whether or not we are likely to see this occur with the other new vessel? The constituents of the ridings involved with this "inconvenience" deserve an explanation as they had high hopes for their new vessel eh? Some teething issues are almost inevitable with a new ship. Based on my recollection I think some level of early-service mechanical issues have occurred on nearly every BC Ferry since the 90s (though admittedly not all being a full stoppage of service like this). It happens. I don’t think they’re owed an explanation of the breakdown itself, but rather why the newly designated minor route relief vessel is, well, unable to tend to relief duties when needed. This does seem to continue the longstanding tradition of Routes 17/18 feeling the bulk of mechanical issues... even with two new ships.
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Post by northwesterner on Jul 16, 2020 19:48:23 GMT -8
I don’t think they’re owed an explanation of the breakdown itself, but rather why the newly designated minor route relief vessel is, well, unable to tend to relief duties when needed. This was my point earlier in the thread. BCF has built a system with little redundancy or resiliency. And it is the internal BCF policies that perpetuate those issues. Some of these will be solved through the forthcoming fleet standardization, but thats still a few years off. In the interim, these issues need to be addressed.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jul 16, 2020 20:42:04 GMT -8
I don’t think they’re owed an explanation of the breakdown itself, but rather why the newly designated minor route relief vessel is, well, unable to tend to relief duties when needed. This was my point earlier in the thread. BCF has built a system with little redundancy or resiliency. And it is the internal BCF policies that perpetuate those issues. Some of these will be solved through the forthcoming fleet standardization, but thats still a few years off. In the interim, these issues need to be addressed. We need our longtime Powell River correspondent, Curtis, to weigh in here. What has happened at Blubber Bay since the last time Tachek was on the route? I thought that these docks BC Ferries was building were supposed to be pretty versatile... apparently not, since fit seems to have been the issue that sent the Quadra Queen II back to Buckley Bay. A layman is surprised that a berth serviceable for the North Island Princess didn't work for the QQII. My main concern, though, is for Texada islanders, who are being denied reasonable connection with Powell River and points south, in the busiest part of the year.
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Post by paulvanb on Jul 16, 2020 21:20:47 GMT -8
This was my point earlier in the thread. BCF has built a system with little redundancy or resiliency. And it is the internal BCF policies that perpetuate those issues. Some of these will be solved through the forthcoming fleet standardization, but thats still a few years off. In the interim, these issues need to be addressed. We need our longtime Powell River correspondent, Curtis, to weigh in here. What has happened at Blubber Bay since the last time Tachek was on the route? I thought that these docks BC Ferries was building were supposed to be pretty versatile... apparently not, since fit seems to have been the issue that sent the Quadra Queen II back to Buckley Bay. A layman is surprised that a berth serviceable for the North Island Princess didn't work for the QQII. My main concern, though, is for Texada islanders, who are being denied reasonable connection with Powell River and points south, in the busiest part of the year. As of 10:19 tonight, the Salish Eagle is at Blubber bay.
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Post by Kahn_C on Jul 16, 2020 21:34:15 GMT -8
This was my point earlier in the thread. BCF has built a system with little redundancy or resiliency. And it is the internal BCF policies that perpetuate those issues. Some of these will be solved through the forthcoming fleet standardization, but thats still a few years off. In the interim, these issues need to be addressed. We need our longtime Powell River correspondent, Curtis, to weigh in here. What has happened at Blubber Bay since the last time Tachek was on the route? I thought that these docks BC Ferries was building were supposed to be pretty versatile... apparently not, since fit seems to have been the issue that sent the Quadra Queen II back to Buckley Bay. A layman is surprised that a berth serviceable for the North Island Princess didn't work for the QQII. My main concern, though, is for Texada islanders, who are being denied reasonable connection with Powell River and points south, in the busiest part of the year. Confirmation that the issue was dock fit in Westview: www.prpeak.com/news/bc-ferries-provides-update-on-powell-river-texada-route-1.24171573I don't think Westview has seen any dock changes since the last major overhaul. I've never been on the QQ2, so I don't know what's different on her stern vs the Tachek, I know there's some visible minor differences with their bows. The Tachek sits a fair bit off center in the new Westview berth, so maybe something on the QQ2 sticks out farther than on the Tachek (or there's something installed that isn't present on the Tachek). Edit: After comparing some pictures of the two boats, it appears the Tachek's stern rails don't go as far back as the QQ2's do, so my guess is that the Westview ramp (which is much wider now than it used to be) can't clear them thanks to the funky angle of the boat in the berth.
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Post by Nickfro on Jul 17, 2020 9:13:04 GMT -8
Looks like they've made an adjustment to the Salish Eagle's daily schedule until further notice while the Island Discovery is out of service.
Comox-Powell River will retain 4 round trips on a modified schedule.
Powell River-Texada will have 2 dedicated round trips on the Salish Eagle: one mid-day and one in the evening.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 18, 2020 7:52:16 GMT -8
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Post by Shane on Jul 19, 2020 9:18:23 GMT -8
Island Discovery is back in service. I did see the Quadra Queen II doing dock tests at Westview, didn't have time to snap a pic unfortunately. Now that the Quadra Queen and presumably the Tachek won't be able to be used in an emergency to replace the Discovery, I'm wondering what boat they would be able to use to quickly fill in on the Texada route. Looking like BC Ferries' work of standardizing the fleet isn't happening without some sort of issue.
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Post by 1foot2ships on Jul 19, 2020 21:10:53 GMT -8
i've noticed a lot of you guys either have major irritations/serious issues with BCF's service notices. there's a lot of stuff which went on today that i'm sure will drive you guys bonkers. it took me a bit to piece it together, but with all the serious delays, i sense enough ppl got mad about it that it's going to be on the late news.
if it's not, i'll put up some screenshots for you guys tm.
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Post by Charles on Jul 19, 2020 22:15:03 GMT -8
i've noticed a lot of you guys either have major irritations/serious issues with BCF's service notices. there's a lot of stuff which went on today that i'm sure will drive you guys bonkers. it took me a bit to piece it together, but with all the serious delays, i sense enough ppl got mad about it that it's going to be on the late news. if it's not, i'll put up some screenshots for you guys tm. Posting service notices is kind of the point of this thread though... speaking of which Service Notice - Sailing Delay - Vancouver (Tsawwassen) - Victoria (Swartz Bay) - Spirit of Vancouver Island #ServiceNotice #Tsawwassen - #SwartzBay #SpiritOfVancouverIsland is operating 94 minutes behind schedule Posted Sunday, July 19, 2020 Print Version Note: This Service Notice applies to the following route(s): - Vancouver (Tsawwassen) - Victoria (Swartz Bay) Update as of 8:38 pm Please be advised that the Spirit of Vancouver Island is operating 94 minutes behind schedule due to a mechanical issue, the vessel was experiencing a problem with closing the stores doors. Engineers have rectified the issue. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this sailing delay. www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=7994
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Post by Mike C on Jul 20, 2020 11:19:12 GMT -8
i've noticed a lot of you guys either have major irritations/serious issues with BCF's service notices. there's a lot of stuff which went on today that i'm sure will drive you guys bonkers. it took me a bit to piece it together, but with all the serious delays, i sense enough ppl got mad about it that it's going to be on the late news. if it's not, i'll put up some screenshots for you guys tm. I’d really prefer to not have this thread become an airing of grievances, so I’d request maybe refraining from posting screenshots, especially if they come from social media. I think saying “passengers are upset” pretty well summarizes it.
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Post by 1foot2ships on Jul 20, 2020 15:29:23 GMT -8
i've noticed a lot of you guys either have major irritations/serious issues with BCF's service notices. there's a lot of stuff which went on today that i'm sure will drive you guys bonkers. it took me a bit to piece it together, but with all the serious delays, i sense enough ppl got mad about it that it's going to be on the late news. if it's not, i'll put up some screenshots for you guys tm. I’d really prefer to not have this thread become an airing of grievances, so I’d request maybe refraining from posting screenshots, especially if they come from social media. I think saying “passengers are upset” pretty well summarizes it. sorry Mike C, but i'm going to put it up anyways. if you don't like it or if i draw a million dislikes, you can exercise your moderator privileges against me. the reason why i want to bring this to everybody's attention is that although ~90% of members on this board are shameless ferry fan boys (not that there's anything wrong with that), i don't think that gives the corp immunity to criticism. ergo... re: Charles's post above (here's the rest of the story) summary: yesterday, a lot of passengers were stuck at both ends of route 1 waiting for a boat which was ultra late for two separate & completely valid reasons. instead of posting useless reasons on their departures page, they (again) missed an opportunity to get out relevant and key information which would have instantly killed all/any complaints the traveling public were (unfairly) leveling at the ticket agents, terminal attendants... keep in mind... that reply on twitter wasn't even initiated by them! it was a response (posted hrs later after the fact) to somebody else who happened to be in the area who saw it happen, and on their own, posed the question to BCF asking if they could assist. insert code here
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Post by Kahloke on Jul 20, 2020 15:51:43 GMT -8
sorry Mike C, but i'm going to put it up anyways. if you don't like it or if i draw a million dislikes, you can exercise your moderator privileges against me. the reason why i want to bring this to everybody's attention is that although ~90% of members on this board are shameless ferry fan boys (not that there's anything wrong with that), i don't think that gives the corp immunity to criticism. ergo... re: Charles's post above (here's the rest of the story) summary: yesterday, a lot of passengers were stuck at both ends of route 1 waiting for a boat which was ultra late for two separate & completely valid reasons. instead of posting useless reasons on their departures page, they (again) missed an opportunity to get out relevant and key information which would have instantly killed all/any complaints the traveling public were (unfairly) leveling at the ticket agents, terminal attendants... keep in mind... that reply on twitter wasn't even initiated by them! it was a response (posted hrs later after the fact) to somebody else who happened to be in the area who saw it happen, and on their own, posed the question to BCF asking if they could assist. This has not been a good summer for ferries. Sailing delays, sometimes even cancellations, and vessel breakdowns have plagued both BC Ferries and Washington State Ferries. I don't know what's happening with BCF, but with WSF, at least part of the problem is a lack of available crews.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Jul 20, 2020 21:47:31 GMT -8
I’d really prefer to not have this thread become an airing of grievances, so I’d request maybe refraining from posting screenshots, especially if they come from social media. I think saying “passengers are upset” pretty well summarizes it. sorry Mike C, but i'm going to put it up anyways. if you don't like it or if i draw a million dislikes, you can exercise your moderator privileges against me. the reason why i want to bring this to everybody's attention is that although ~90% of members on this board are shameless ferry fan boys (not that there's anything wrong with that), i don't think that gives the corp immunity to criticism. ergo... re: Charles's post above (here's the rest of the story) summary: yesterday, a lot of passengers were stuck at both ends of route 1 waiting for a boat which was ultra late for two separate & completely valid reasons. instead of posting useless reasons on their departures page, they (again) missed an opportunity to get out relevant and key information which would have instantly killed all/any complaints the traveling public were (unfairly) leveling at the ticket agents, terminal attendants... keep in mind... that reply on twitter wasn't even initiated by them! it was a response (posted hrs later after the fact) to somebody else who happened to be in the area who saw it happen, and on their own, posed the question to BCF asking if they could assist. insert code here I don't think that whatever BC Ferries posts on their service notices would have the slightest effect on the level of customers' reactive anger at delays. I doubt that many people even read the service notices, aside from seeing the wait times. I'm not clear on what you're referring to when you mention forum members' supposed antipathy to the service notices. I was annoyed at the wording about 'safely loading' vessels. They've changed that. I don't do twitter- maybe it's a Trump aversion thing- so I have no idea what people are going on about. Ferry traffic has probably ramped up a lot faster than the province and BC Ferries were expecting, and it's caused some real problems. When you look at how our COVID19 numbers are ramping up as well, maybe further service increases to alleviate complaints would not be advisable right now.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 21, 2020 12:43:50 GMT -8
Under the category of genuine explanations:
Sometimes it just takes more time. Hopefully the people in the line-up had a stack of old books to read, or were able to catch-up on their Instagram.
(Note: this post has not been triple-checked to remove any smartassedness)
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Neil
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Posts: 7,181
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Post by Neil on Jul 21, 2020 19:01:39 GMT -8
Under the category of genuine explanations: Sometimes it just takes more time. Hopefully the people in the line-up had a stack of old books to read, or were able to catch-up on their Instagram. (Note: this post has not been triple-checked to remove any smartassedness) Hate to tell you this, Mike, but even your reference to triple checking for smartassedness is kind of smartassed, being a dig at the poster who accused you of being a wise guy. Apparently, you just can't escape yourself.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 21, 2020 19:20:27 GMT -8
Under the category of genuine explanations: Sometimes it just takes more time. Hopefully the people in the line-up had a stack of old books to read, or were able to catch-up on their Instagram. (Note: this post has not been triple-checked to remove any smartassedness) Hate to tell you this, Mike, but even your reference to triple checking for smartassedness is kind of smartassed, being a dig at the poster who accused you of being a wise guy. Apparently, you just can't escape yourself. I love being caught in a loop. Kind of like how a morning sailing-delay because of trying to safely load as many vehicles as possible will then create a never-ending pattern (until the next morning) of sailing delays. It makes me wonder if our challenges in daily life can be explained and understood by applying common BCFS service-notice explanations.
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Post by hwy19man on Aug 5, 2020 4:35:39 GMT -8
Late night sailing for route 3.
"The Queen of Surrey will be replaced by the Queen of Capilano for the last round trip between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale on August 5, 2020. This is to allow for required maintenance to take place on the Queen of Surrey.
As the Queen of Capilano will be performing these sailings after completing their scheduled daily operations between Horseshoe Bay and Snug Cove, they be sailing on a slightly modified schedule for the Langdale departure:"
Modified Schedule:
2330h departing Horseshoe Bay
0030h departing Langdale
www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=8160
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Aug 30, 2020 23:17:27 GMT -8
Revised schedule has been put in place on routes 17 and 18 from August 31 until further notice: www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=8324I don’t understand why BC Ferries would not move the MV Island Aurora to Texada Island and move Quadra Queen II back to Alert Bay to restore full service on route 18.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 19, 2020 18:08:50 GMT -8
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 20, 2020 21:25:52 GMT -8
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 21, 2020 18:20:01 GMT -8
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 21, 2020 18:42:55 GMT -8
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Post by ferryfanyvr on Oct 21, 2020 18:49:23 GMT -8
I believe it's because the Tsawwassen-based route 30 crews aren't certified on the Coastals or the original C's....at least that was the case in the past. Since the New West is in refit, that would leave them with no other options.
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Neil
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Posts: 7,181
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Post by Neil on Oct 21, 2020 19:18:06 GMT -8
I know she had, umm, engine issues very early on, but over the years, the Skeena Queen has been so dependable. Very rare, this disruption.
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