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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 2, 2024 21:33:16 GMT -8
1. The Queen of Coquitlam does seem better utilized with 8 hours days seven days a week now. Queen of Alberni could see better utilization but that requires crew and dock space at Duke Point. 2. Route 2 elimination seems like it could be in cards now because Duke Point route could probably easier to expand and grow. Route 2 would need to see Regional District of Nanaimo Transit System introduce a express bus between Woodgrove, County Club, Downtown, Southgate Plaze to Duke Point with mostly like some type of high capacity buses. Route 2 is the direct route to Vancouver for mid Island traffic. Getting rid of it would be a terrible idea. The Coquitlam should be doing L runs, maybe 4 per day on route 3 & 2 on route 2.
The Alberni could be based at Tsawwassen where an overnight berth would be available, and then three round trips daily could be made. Alternatively BCFS could complete the second berth at Duke Point and again, problem solved. Future demands for Bowen Island and Sunshine Coast might call for elimination of route 2 because Horseshoe Bay cannot expand easily. Duke Point route could easily expand to four boat service year round with summer schedule, that would easily make up the loss of route 2. I don’t think loss route 2 would be biggest deal if BC Ferries just puts those vessels and sailing on Duke Point route.
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 2, 2024 22:01:36 GMT -8
BBF, do you understand the difference between a direct route and a giant backward letter ‘C’?
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 2, 2024 22:07:07 GMT -8
BBF, do you understand the difference between a direct route and a giant backward letter ‘C’? I do but future requirements might force it to happen because Horseshoe Bay is not best terminal for future growth of the Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and rest of British Columbia. Duke Points doesn’t add that much distance or time to anywhere on Island so I think worth exploring a future without route 2. I think BC Ferries handles correct it could actually be one best decision that could make.
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Post by Ollie on Sept 3, 2024 12:05:41 GMT -8
I am going to use this old thread to pass out a big Attaboy (attagirl, aka Kudo) to BC Ferries for on the whole very smooth sailing over the summer of 2024 (Friday of the July 1st weekend through to today, Labour Day).
As far as I know there were only two cancelled sailings on the major routes (one round trip for the Oak Bay in July, and one round trip for the Celebration about a week ago). No cancellations at all due to crew shortages that I am aware of.
Also, as far as I know it was also smooth sailing on the minor routes, and the northern routes too.
I thought that the problems with the Celebration were maybe going to mess up things up pretty badly late in the game but they got that resolved too.
So the only suggestions that I have to make things better are for BCFS: 1 - get better utilization out of the Coquitlam & the Alberni 2 - stop treating route 2 customers so poorly 3 - expedite new major vessels. 2029 is not soon enough
Once again, congrats to BC Ferries for a summer Well Done.
Looks like the Queen of New Westminster broke today, cancelling all sailings.
For some reason the service notice calls it the "60-year-old":
"Due to a mechanical difficulty with the main engine on the 60-year-old Queen of New Westminster, the following sailings between Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Tsawwassen (Vancouver) today, Tuesday, September 3 have been cancelled."
Cancelled Sailings: 8:00 am departing Swartz Bay 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 4:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 6:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 8:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
Cancelled Sailings Tomorrow, September 4: 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 4:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
The service notice also says "another vessel" will do the 6pm and 8pm sailings. Could this be the Alberni doing route 1?
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 3, 2024 12:34:46 GMT -8
The Coastal Celebration will be adding two sailing to make up for the cancelled sailing.
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Post by Ollie on Sept 3, 2024 12:43:27 GMT -8
The Coastal Celebration will be adding two sailing to make up for the cancelled sailing. So they did not change anything? The Coastal Celebration was already scheduled to do the 6pm from Swartz Bay and 8pm from Tsawwassen...
The way they wrote it made it sound like they added sailings to replace the Queen of New Westminster's cancelled sailings.
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anderpz
Deckhand
Waiting impatiently for my next Ferrapy session
Posts: 60
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Post by anderpz on Sept 3, 2024 14:41:48 GMT -8
The Coastal Celebration will be adding two sailing to make up for the cancelled sailing. Queen of Coquitlam just left Langdale. Is she going to replace the New West? C-Class on Route 1??? Maybe just going for refit though.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 3, 2024 14:46:59 GMT -8
The Coastal Celebration will be adding two sailing to make up for the cancelled sailing. View AttachmentQueen of Coquitlam just left Langdale. Is she going to replace the New West? C-Class on Route 1??? Maybe just going for refit though. Probably going in for her refit.
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Post by Olympic Ferries on Sept 3, 2024 15:37:30 GMT -8
View AttachmentQueen of Coquitlam just left Langdale. Is she going to replace the New West? C-Class on Route 1??? Maybe just going for refit though. Probably going in for her refit. Coquitlam is getting a refit. Alberni has taken over the 2/3 swing Nanaimo ship slot.
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Post by Ollie on Sept 3, 2024 16:35:39 GMT -8
Looks like the whole week is cancelled now:
"Issued: Tuesday, September 3
Due to a mechanical difficulty with the main engine’s propulsion system on the 60-year-old Queen of New Westminster, the following sailings between Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Tsawwassen (Vancouver) have been cancelled.
Cancelled sailings:
Tuesday, September 3: 8:00 am departing Swartz Bay 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 4:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 6:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 8:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
Wednesday, September 4: 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 4:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
Thursday, September 5: 6:00 am departing Tsawwassen 8:00 am departing Swartz Bay 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 4:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
Friday, September 6: 6:00 am departing Tsawwassen 8:00 am departing Swartz Bay 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 2:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 4:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 6:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 8:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
Saturday, September 7: 6:00 am departing Tsawwassen 8:00 am departing Swartz Bay 10:00 am departing Tsawwassen 12:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
Sunday, September 8: 8:00 am departing Tsawwassen 10:00 am departing Swartz Bay 12:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 2:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 4:00 pm departing Tsawwassen 6:00 pm departing Swartz Bay
We have added the following sailings for September 3 and September 4 using another vessel on this route to assist with traffic volumes:
6:00 pm departing Swartz Bay 8:00 pm departing Tsawwassen"
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Post by Ollie on Sept 3, 2024 17:09:28 GMT -8
Queen of New Westminster has left Swartz and seems to be going around Saturna.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,289
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Post by Neil on Sept 3, 2024 17:32:47 GMT -8
I am going to use this old thread to pass out a big Attaboy (attagirl, aka Kudo) to BC Ferries for on the whole very smooth sailing over the summer of 2024 (Friday of the July 1st weekend through to today, Labour Day).
As far as I know there were only two cancelled sailings on the major routes (one round trip for the Oak Bay in July, and one round trip for the Celebration about a week ago). No cancellations at all due to crew shortages that I am aware of.
Also, as far as I know it was also smooth sailing on the minor routes, and the northern routes too.
I thought that the problems with the Celebration were maybe going to mess up things up pretty badly late in the game but they got that resolved too.
So the only suggestions that I have to make things better are for BCFS: 1 - get better utilization out of the Coquitlam & the Alberni 2 - stop treating route 2 customers so poorly 3 - expedite new major vessels. 2029 is not soon enough
Once again, congrats to BC Ferries for a summer Well Done.
I wonder if their staff shortages have lessened this summer. They still weren't able to go to a third round trip for the ' Alberni on route 30, but maybe that's more to do with finances. I'd be interested to learn if there are more people coming out of vocational school, or if BC Ferries has improved the conditions for new staff. They certainly can't be blamed for breakdowns on sixty year old vessels that impact service. I think they're also doing a good job of emphasizing savings on non-peak hours sailings, to even out the load a bit. I would agree; it's been an improved summer in an industry where every operator seems pressed for staffing, so they're doing something right.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,289
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Post by Neil on Sept 3, 2024 17:45:31 GMT -8
BBF, do you understand the difference between a direct route and a giant backward letter ‘C’? I do but future requirements might force it to happen because Horseshoe Bay is not best terminal for future growth of the Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and rest of British Columbia. Duke Points doesn’t add that much distance or time to anywhere on Island so I think worth exploring a future without route 2. I think BC Ferries handles correct it could actually be one best decision that could make. BBF, I think you've got a real blind spot on this issue. Eliminate route two, build the second berth at Duke Point, and the best you can do for Nanaimo is sixteen round trips a day, compared the the current eighteen in summer. You would also have to berth another major vessel at Tsawwassen, and I'm not sure that's even logistically possible. Departure Bay would be too expensive to keep merely as a berth for another ferry to deadhead over to Duke Point. Bottom line: a reduction in service, with no possibility of increase, aside from building behemoth vessels. Give it up. We all know, Horseshoe Bay isn't ideal for three routes, but it serves a large population that finds it more convenient to go there rather than Tsawwassen. BC Ferries has started a tentative effort to wean some traffic off Horseshoe Bay with the switch of the third vessel to route thirty, but I doubt very much that they have any grand plan to shut down completely what Black Ball built in 1951. The volume of traffic from the mainland to Nanaimo and points north just doesn't make that practical.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 3, 2024 18:10:27 GMT -8
I do but future requirements might force it to happen because Horseshoe Bay is not best terminal for future growth of the Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and rest of British Columbia. Duke Points doesn’t add that much distance or time to anywhere on Island so I think worth exploring a future without route 2. I think BC Ferries handles correct it could actually be one best decision that could make. BBF, I think you've got a real blind spot on this issue. Eliminate route two, build the second berth at Duke Point, and the best you can do for Nanaimo is sixteen round trips a day, compared the the current eighteen in summer. You would also have to berth another major vessel at Tsawwassen, and I'm not sure that's even logistically possible. Departure Bay would be too expensive to keep merely as a berth for another ferry to deadhead over to Duke Point. Bottom line: a reduction in service, with no possibility of increase, aside from building behemoth vessels. I could see a major closure of Duke Point while terminal gets major upgrades to handle more major vessels. Tsawwassen use one a single layer berth to tie up a major vessels just like Queen of New Westminster when not in major use. BC Ferries could operate a vessels faster because Coastals are rated at 23 knots and Queen of Alberni is rated for 22 knots which could add more sailing or five boat service too. I have been on Coastal Class that has done route 30 in 1 hours 45 minutes which 5 minutes longer than route 2. There are many ways elimination of route 2 that could be successfully implemented to make up for the loss a major route. Route 1 and 30 could see five boat service in summer to make up and gain capacity for loss of route 2. Route 30 could see four boat service year round with 5 boats on weekends from Easter long weekend to first day of summer while five vessel while be daily than back to weekend after Labour Day to Thanksgiving than daily during Christmas break, weekends on major holidays during the winter.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,289
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Post by Neil on Sept 3, 2024 21:39:06 GMT -8
BBF, I think you've got a real blind spot on this issue. Eliminate route two, build the second berth at Duke Point, and the best you can do for Nanaimo is sixteen round trips a day, compared the the current eighteen in summer. You would also have to berth another major vessel at Tsawwassen, and I'm not sure that's even logistically possible. Departure Bay would be too expensive to keep merely as a berth for another ferry to deadhead over to Duke Point. Bottom line: a reduction in service, with no possibility of increase, aside from building behemoth vessels. I could see a major closure of Duke Point while terminal gets major upgrades to handle more major vessels. Tsawwassen use one a single layer berth to tie up a major vessels just like Queen of New Westminster when not in major use. BC Ferries could operate a vessels faster because Coastals are rated at 23 knots and Queen of Alberni is rated for 22 knots which could add more sailing or five boat service too. I have been on Coastal Class that has done route 30 in 1 hours 45 minutes which 5 minutes longer than route 2. There are many ways elimination of route 2 that could be successfully implemented to make up for the loss a major route. Route 1 and 30 could see five boat service in summer to make up and gain capacity for loss of route 2. Route 30 could see four boat service year round with 5 boats on weekends from Easter long weekend to first day of summer while five vessel while be daily than back to weekend after Labour Day to Thanksgiving than daily during Christmas break, weekends on major holidays during the winter. in the real world, you don't base a schedule on the maximum operating speed of vessels, and you don't pretend that five vessels can fit into fewer berths overnight. That's about it for me on this topic.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 3, 2024 22:00:55 GMT -8
I could see a major closure of Duke Point while terminal gets major upgrades to handle more major vessels. Tsawwassen use one a single layer berth to tie up a major vessels just like Queen of New Westminster when not in major use. BC Ferries could operate a vessels faster because Coastals are rated at 23 knots and Queen of Alberni is rated for 22 knots which could add more sailing or five boat service too. I have been on Coastal Class that has done route 30 in 1 hours 45 minutes which 5 minutes longer than route 2. There are many ways elimination of route 2 that could be successfully implemented to make up for the loss a major route. Route 1 and 30 could see five boat service in summer to make up and gain capacity for loss of route 2. Route 30 could see four boat service year round with 5 boats on weekends from Easter long weekend to first day of summer while five vessel while be daily than back to weekend after Labour Day to Thanksgiving than daily during Christmas break, weekends on major holidays during the winter. I give up. You have no idea what's involved in routinely operating vessels at maximum speed capability, and no practical answer for where five vessels would be berthed on route thirty. Duke Point is and was planned to for two additional berths which mean three vessels could be based out of the terminal. Tsawwassen based second vessel stored in berth 1 or 2. I think BC Ferries is holding Coastal Class because no other vessels can match 23 knots and every other vessels goes a knot slower than listed speed. Fifth vessels of route 1 is planned to be based out of Swartz Bay.
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