NORTHERN SEA WOLF - Photos & Discussion

[Kahloke]

I was looking at the Damen Shipyard site looking for the new Newfoundland Ferries, and found this article on the new vessels.  It got me thinking that this might be a pretty good template for a future Northern Discovery should BC Ferries ever bring Route 40 back, or it may even work pretty well as the Discovery Coast Connector, certainly better than Nimpkish.

Stats:
length - 80m
speed - 14 kts
cars - 60AEQ
pass - 200

Have a look at the article.  I particularly like the simulated video at the bottom of the page
www.damen.com/en/news/2013/12/second-80-m-ice-class-ferry-to-newfoundland-and-labrador-province

[WettCoast]

A new Nimpkish?  Minister Stone(d) is admitting in this article that all is NOT well with the Discovery Coast 'Connector'.

Nimpkish to be replaced by 2018: Minister of Transportation Todd Stone

by Monica Lamb-Yorski - Williams Lake Tribune
posted Jun 30, 2015 at 8:00 AM

The provincial government is close to signing an agreement with BC Ferries for a new vessel to replace the Nimpkish, said Todd Stone, Minister of Transporation and Infrastructure. 

“The Nimpkish will have to be replaced no later than 2018, possibly earlier,” Stone said while in Williams Lake Thursday. “Very soon B.C. Ferries will begin the process of procuring a new vessel.”

While he was not sure how big the new ferry will be, Stone said it is apparent the capacity of the Nimpkish with its capacity to hold 16 vehicles and 133 passengers is not large enough.

“Again the season is booked solid, as it was last season and the season before,” Stone said.

The new ferry will be a modern ship with all the modern amenities and fully accessible, he added.  [JST bolded to draw attention]

Stone stressed, however, there will be no reinstatement of Route 40 with the direct link between Port Hardy and Bella Coola.

“I completely understand there is a level of frustration and disappointment with that and know there have been impacts to the tourism industry, with the hardest hit being Bella Coola, then the Chilcotin part of the province and some businesses here in Williams Lake,” he said, adding he hoped the new ferry announcement brings certainty to the region’s tourism industry.

The announcement of a new ferry is good news said Petrus Rykes, chair of Save the Discovery Coast Ferry and president of the West Chilcotin Tourism Association.

“Right now if they get a bigger ferry and they have some amenities, that would bring back some of the players internationally,” Rykes said. “It’s a doable proposition. It can make money if it’s run properly, otherwise we wouldn’t be bothered fighting for it.”

Stone promised to make sure there is a good amount of community engagement with people throughout the Bella Coola Valley and Cariboo-Chilcotin around the new ferry’s scheduling.

“All of that process will be led by B.C. Ferries,” Stone said. “It’s only our job to tell BC Ferries which routes we are prepared to fund and at what level of service.”

The province continues to receive $30 million annually from the federal government to provide the continuation of service between the mainland and Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, Stone confirmed.

From the Williams Lake Tribune (Black Press) here.

[Low Light Mike]

Jul 1, 2015 16:06:44 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

A new Nimpkish?  Minister Stone(d) is admitting in this article that all is NOT well with the Discovery Coast 'Connector'.

Another example of the sham of the semi-private notion of BCFerries. Stone announces a new ship and a timeline. It's pretty arrogant of the Minister to bypass the ferry company in this matter, when at the same time he's telling the ferry company to figure-out everything else on its own.


Oh, I get it now. Because there's a good-news spin to this announcement, the Minister had to make it, to earn political points.

-------------

All that being said, I am interested in the specifics of what the new ship might be.

[Low Light Mike]

A new thread to discuss and share news about what might be a new ship by 2018 or so.

Minister Stone announced this idea recently.

Big thanks to Mr. Wett Coast for finding the story.

[Mike]

Jul 1, 2015 16:40:48 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Jul 1, 2015 16:06:44 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

A new Nimpkish?  Minister Stone(d) is admitting in this article that all is NOT well with the Discovery Coast 'Connector'.

Another example of the sham of the semi-private notion of BCFerries. Stone announces a new ship and a timeline. It's pretty arrogant of the Minister to bypass the ferry company in this matter, when at the same time he's telling the ferry company to figure-out everything else on its own.


Oh, I get it now. Because there's a good-news spin to this announcement, the Minister had to make it, to earn political points.

-------------

All that being said, I am interested in the specifics of what the new ship might be.

Perhaps this is actually an announcement of the beginning of a 3 year refit for the "new" vessel to be named Northern Chilliwack?  

[Low Light Mike]

Jul 1, 2015 17:05:13 GMT -8 Mike said:

Perhaps this is actually an announcement of the beginning of a 3 year refit for the "new" vessel to be named Northern Chilliwack?  

Given the Minister's knowledge of things maritime, and his track record in describing ships, I'm thinking that there are many possibilities of what this "new ship" might be.

A patched-up Tenaka ?

A re-born Chillywack ?

A real newbuild from Remontowa ?

A Steilacoom II extended deck vessel, built at Lummi Island ?


Or the Baynes Sound Connector, towed by SS Master ?

[Kahloke]

Something similar to what Newfoundland has ordered for their new Fogo Island / Change Islands ferry would be nice to have.  That ferry can carry 60 vehicles and 200 passengers.  See article:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/new-fogo-island-change-islands-ferry-mv-veteran-launched-in-romania-1.3014586

[WettCoast]

Jul 1, 2015 17:17:03 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Or the Baynes Sound Connector, towed by SS Master ?

ROTFLMAO...  And it would fulfill the Minister's statement "The new ferry will be a modern ship with all the modern amenities and fully accessible".

[Low Light Mike]

Jul 1, 2015 17:19:41 GMT -8 Kahloke said:

Something similar to what Newfoundland has ordered for their new Fogo Island / Change Islands ferry would be nice to have.  That ferry can carry 60 vehicles and 200 passengers.  See article:

Something purpose-built sure would be nice.

[Luke]

I wonder how a vessel based on the design of the Steel-Electrics (Post 1980's Rebuild) would work. A 55-car double-ender with two elevators, men&women's washrooms, and a Coast Cafe Express that could stand in on other routes during off-season. Just a thought.

[Mike C]

Jul 1, 2015 19:44:15 GMT -8 Luke said:

I wonder how a vessel based on the design of the Steel-Electrics (Post 1980's Rebuild) would work. A 55-car double-ender with two elevators, men&women's washrooms, and a Coast Cafe Express that could stand in on other routes during off-season. Just a thought.

This is a 90 year old ferry design with a shallow draft hull, open deck ends, and none of the passenger and safety features necessary to operate in open ocean. Possibly one of the least likely candidates for a design, along with a small two person pedal-boat, and a log boat from Disneyland's Splash Mountain. Absolutely no way this would be certified, let alone make it past the consultation process.

[Curtis]

Well this is a surprising development. The fact that it's coming from the man who gave such a rave review of the Nimpkish last year makes it even more of a surprise. Though personally, I think this kind of thing had to happen, even if it was just an upgraded Tenaka.

Whether this vessel is a "Newbuild" or not is certainly up for debate.

If it's indeed a newbuild, perhaps the 'Northern Discovery' is back from the dead! Though the originally proposed 60 vehicle capacity might be changed since that plan was made up before the elimination of Route 40. It would be wise though for BC Ferries to make this vessel capable of serving Routes 10 and 11 if the need ever arose. The vessel Kahloke posted above or something similar would be a perfect basis to go off of if they went that route. Though I don't expect something that extravagant since 10a as it is now runs entirely in protected water. The only thing I'm concerned about is the timeframe Stone stated. Being just under 3 years, that's pretty quick for a vessel the public didn't even know was being considered until yesterday. This makes me think the vessel will be a fairly small one. Maybe an enclosed or partially enclosed vessel comparable in size to the NIP? Hey, you never know, the NIP will have to be replaced around 2019, maybe the Nimpkish plan will tie in with the NIP's replacement. Wishful thinking?

If it's not a newbuild though, they have to either buy a vessel, or use an existing vessel. Buying a vessel IMO is more likely since they could easily find a number of them around the world and have one ready by 2018. Course there's always a chance a vessel of suitable size and age isn't on the market. As for existing vessels, there's probably two candidates and they're both sitting unused at Deas right now. There's the Tenaka, which would need an extensive upgrade to keep her going. Though BC Ferries has suggested a number of times the last few years that the Tenaka's days might be numbered. The other option is putting the Queen of Chilliwack back in that area to at least get some use out of the millions of dollars they spent on that upgrade. It would be overkill though if the Wack ran during the offseason, plus she'd require more crew than the Nimpkish and Tenaka combined, and then there's the rumours the Wack is up for sale... So in conclusion, neither of those vessels is likely to run 10a.

Still plenty of questions that need to be answered though. Hopefully we get more details real soon.

[WettCoast]

I can't see them going with a vessel larger than about 40 cars.  The design might be something like a much scaled down version of the new 'intermediates' currently under construction in Poland.

Going with a larger vessel of sixty cars similar to the new Newfoundland vessel just might make a few of the Socred-Liberal government supporters scratch their heads and wonder just why there was the hurry to ditch the Wack & route 40. 

[westernflyer]

Anyone had a look at the Kvaloy? , It's a 2011 Remontowa built ferry operated in Norway by Torghatten Nord AS.

[WettCoast]

Jul 2, 2015 8:23:59 GMT -8 westernflyer said:

Anyone had a look at the Kvaloy? , It's a 2011 Remontowa built ferry operated in Norway by Torghatten Nord AS.

This looks like an excellent design although auto capacity looks too small.

[WettCoast]

I have yet to find any sort of acknowledgement from BC Ferry Services (the company) regarding Todd Stone(d)'s pronouncement re the new vessel to replace the Nimpkish.  Could it be that he neglected to talk to BCFS before talking to the media?

[Low Light Mike]

Jul 2, 2015 18:48:19 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

I have yet to find any sort of acknowledgement from BC Ferry Services (the company) regarding Todd Stone(d)'s pronouncement re the new vessel to replace the Nimpkish.  Could it be that he neglected to talk to BCFS before talking to the media?

Here's the lead line from the news article:

The provincial government is close to signing an agreement with BC Ferries for a new vessel to replace the Nimpkish

So presumably there are discussions/dictations already underway. Perhaps Minister Stone was premature in announcing the almost-agreement for a new ship. He must have had a political reason for doing so.

[Starsteward]

Jul 1, 2015 17:30:26 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

Jul 1, 2015 17:17:03 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Or the Baynes Sound Connector, towed by SS Master ?

ROTFLMAO...  And it would fulfill the Minister's statement "The new ferry will be a modern ship with all the modern amenities and fully accessible".

   Minister Stone's announcement of a "new", "modern amenities", "fully accessible" ship to be deployed on the sad entrails of Route 40, must have come as a bit of a

wee surprise to the management 'suits' at BC Ferries.

  One could forgive the management suits at BCF head office if they were a bit confused as to just what Minister Stone was referring to as: new, modern, and fully accessible. After all, wasn't it BC Ferries mandate to who plan any additions or subtractions from their fleet? (Keeping in mind that it's Uncle Todd who is adding or subtracting the 'zeros amount' on the yearly subsidy cheque, isn't it)?

  Little wonder we have a messy dysfunctional maritime transportation system on our coast eh?

 

        

         

  

      

[roeco]

Im not sure what other existing vessel in the Fleet could do or be modified for a Discovery Coast connector service cause it would be a huge waste to purpose build one unless they were gonna put actual Route 40 back into service and run a service up on the North Coast the way it should be done. Summer should be Inside Passage every 2nd day direct PH-PR. And Route 40 two direct trips Port Hardy to Bella Coola, and one milk run trip per week via Bella Bella. Extend the season like mid May to mid Sept at minimum.

[Dane]

Probably (actually certainly) too large, but looks like the "Nova Star" may be available cheap! This isn't too serious a suggestion as the interest in developing Northern tourism via ferries by our current government is essentially nil, but it is sort of rare to see vessels like this in North America for sale. That said I'm not actually certain the vessel is for sale, but rather seized for value to pay off debts.

Ship - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Nova_Star
Uncertain Status - www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-star-seizure-1.3298863

[Mill Bay]

Nov 1, 2015 18:53:48 GMT -8 Dane said:

Probably (actually certainly) too large, but looks like the "Nova Star" may be available cheap! This isn't too serious a suggestion as the interest in developing Northern tourism via ferries by our current government is essentially nil, but it is sort of rare to see vessels like this in North America for sale. That said I'm not actually certain the vessel is for sale, but rather seized for value to pay off debts.

Ship - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Nova_Star
Uncertain Status - www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-star-seizure-1.3298863

Way too huge, anyway.

[Low Light Mike]

Occasionally when he wants to, Minister Stone speaks for BC Ferries. Here's a recent quote regarding the Nimpkish replacement:

Stone said the new ferry will accommodate 40 to 60 vehicles and incorporate First Nations culture and food.

from HERE

[Low Light Mike]

Here's the BC Government announcement to start things off:

The WCFF brief:
- seasonal direct ferry service between Port Hardy & Bella Coola
- target start-up for Summer 2018
- search underway for an appropriate used vessel

=================

The Government of British Columbia and BC Ferries are committing to a seasonal direct ferry service between Port Hardy and Bella Coola to support Aboriginal tourism and the mid-coast economy, Premier Christy Clark announced today.

This service will begin by the 2018 summer tourism season. A search is underway for an appropriate used vessel to make that happen.

“British Columbia’s strong, diverse and growing economy gives us the ability to invest in unique tourism opportunities along the mid-coast,” Premier Clark said. “By introducing the right ferry service, using the right vessel, we can take advantage of the increasing numbers of international visitors who come here to experience one of the world’s jewels – the Great Bear Rainforest.”

“We’ve been working with the Mid-Coast Working Group on how best to serve visitors to the mid-coast, given the pending retirement of the MV Nimpkish,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone. “This new service will provide access for visitors to the unique and unparalleled beauty of the Great Bear Rainforest, now protected by the Province, and create additional interest in tourism along the mid-coast and through the Cariboo-Chilcotin for years to come.”

The introduction of a new service between Port Hardy and Bella Coola requires the Province and BC Ferries to amend the Coastal Ferry Services Contract, which outlines the coastal ferry service levels. As this work happens, the government will work with BC Ferries, the Aboriginal Tourism Association of B.C. (AtBC) and its partners in the Mid-Coast BC Ferry Working Group to determine how to best serve the tourism sector and communities of the mid-coast.

“This new service will encourage the development of new cultural and eco-tourism options in the region, which will help create jobs and build our economy,” said Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett. “Equally as important as the new ferry service is the path taken to get here. The collaboration between the Cariboo-Chilcotin tourism industry and First Nations should be held as a model for cooperation.”

A total of 4.9 million international visitors came to B.C. in 2015, an increase of 7.9% over the previous year. In B.C.’s tourism industry, Aboriginal tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors, with more than 300 Aboriginal tourism businesses in operation.

"British Columbia continues to see record-breaking tourism numbers. One of the reasons for that is the growth of Aboriginal tourism with visitors looking to experience First Nations culture and traditions,” said Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond. “I want to thank the partners for rolling up their sleeves and working hard to create a strategy that will build on the success of current Aboriginal tourism initiatives and inspire even more tourists to make a choice to #exploreBC.”

Those who travel via BC Ferries through Bella Coola come to explore the natural beauty of coastal British Columbia and the Cariboo-Chilcotin. One of the biggest draws on the central coast is the Great Bear Rainforest, the largest piece of intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world. In February 2016, the Government of B.C. announced full protection of 85% of the area’s forests.

Since early 2014, Mid-Coast Working Group members have been analyzing and reviewing marine transportation options that would support the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal tourism industry on the central coast, as well as meet local transport needs. Mid-Coast Working Group members met with government on numerous occasions to present its analysis. The groundwork done by contributing members of the working group was instrumental in developing this workable, sustainable option.

“This is a significant achievement today and the work of ATAC as part of the Mid-Coast Working Group is one of the best examples of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal tourism industry partnerships in the country,” said co-chair for the Mid-Coast Working Group and Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC) president and CEO Keith Henry. “Aboriginal tourism along B.C.’s coast is yet to realize its full potential and today marks an important step in our work to build new experiences and market this incredible destination to the world.”

“Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism is proud to align with such a diverse group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal partners on this journey to build a new vision for the Great Bear Rainforest,” said co-chair for the Mid-Coast Working Group and Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association past chair and BC Hotel Association director Pat Corbett. “Today’s announcement reflects the power of partnership, and will lead to job creation and economic development in a vital part of rural British Columbia.”

The province is also investing $198,750 in B.C. Air Access Program funding for the Bella Bella Airport. This funding will help the Bella Bella Airport construct a terminal building, which will improve comfort and convenience for visitors to the region. The Bella Bella Airport Authority will provide the remainder of the funding for the $480,000 project. The Bella Bella Airport provides scheduled passenger services by Pacific Coastal Airlines to Campbell River, Comox, Port Hardy and Vancouver (South Terminal).

Complementing the new ferry service and Bella Bella airport investment are improvements to highway access in the region. A $6.2-million project to rehabilitate a large stretch of Highway 20 outside of Bella Coola, as well as a section outside of Anahim Lake, has recently been completed. This investment on Highway 20, which connects the Interior of B.C. with Bella Coola, provides a safer journey and will accommodate local pedestrians and cyclists along parts of the route.

While the vessel and its capacity have not yet been determined, BC Ferries will ensure it offers the comfort and amenities visitors might expect for this length of voyage. Presently, the MV Nimpkish, with a 16-vehicle capacity, provides a connector service between Bella Coola and Bella Bella. The MV Nimpkish is due to be retired in 2019.

from HERE

[Low Light Mike]

Sept 6, 2016 11:41:49 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

“By introducing the right ferry service, using the right vessel...."

This quote from the Premier is correct.

Right service:
- The most popular part of old Route-40 was the direct day trips between Port Hardy & Bella Coola. That was the right service, and it's been missed since 2013. It will be good to get that back.


Right vessel:
- It's been well documented and discussed here on this forum that the old Queen of Chilliwack was not a well-suited vessel to this route, because of slow speed, rolling ride in the open water, and poor passenger area design. It will be good if they can get a ship that is better suited to the new route.

[Deleted]

Nothing like a pending election to get the Premier and her Ministers to suddenly realize that they might get a few more votes if they make a two year "promise" that they can back out of if things don't go their way. They have done their best to destroy the economy of the region, now they get all cheery and offer too little too late. I'll believe it when I see it.