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BC Ferries


A. Wong

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BC Ferries is adding a lot of sailing this summer on route 1 which is the first time these sailing are schedule for the whole summer excluding holidays:

http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/tssw-current.php?scheduleSelect=sch06291608.html

6 am from both terminals on Saturdays and Monday's did happen at all excluding certain dates until this summer. 10 pm from Swartz Bay got cut back last summer to certain dates and now it is ever Friday and Sunday including holidays. 

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BC Ferries needs to be more transparent on service because Howe Sound Queen which can 70 cars is getting replace with the 50 car Quinista a net reduction of 20 car per sailing on the Vesuvius Bay to Crofton:

http://www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=965278

Which says:

Quote

The MV Quinitsa has a higher commercial weight capacity than the Howe Sound Queen and will be able to accommodate our commercial customers.

This good thing for truckers but for an ordinary person that does affect them. The reduction of 20 cars per sailing seems more important than this. 

Also BC Ferries needs to be more transparent on vessel capacity on some vessel. 

For example the webpage says 70 car capicity will in today's world it would be 55 cars. 

http://www.bcferries.com/onboard-experiences/fleet/profile-howe_sound_queen.html

http://www.bcfmwu.com/sites/default/files/2012_11_19_Concerning Howe Sound Queen Vehicle Capacity_Prepped.pdf

Where does it say 55 car capicity for the Howe Sound Queen on BC Ferries official website. 

So, a major reason why BC Ferries was privited was better customer service which they are completing failing which this service notice. So this was experiment of privating crown corporations should come to end because nothing good comes out of it.  
 

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  • 4 weeks later...

BC Ferries has release the new schedule for Southern Gulf Island: 

http://www.bcferries.com/about/publicconsultation2/sgi-consultation.html

Two major changes:

1. Dangerous cargo sailing has moved to Sunday morning all year round.

2. The second vessel on Tsawwassen to Southern Gulf Islands from May to Thanksgiving weekend. The second vessel on this routes only operates in peak season due Transport Canada regulations. 

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 Baynes Sound Connector have only two breakdown since entering service which is better good with the conditions she is operating in. She on the longest cable ferry in the world and the only cable ferry operating in salt water:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/denman-island-ferry-breakdown-bc-ferries-1.3664660

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Queen of Burnaby will be removed from service, the Island Sky will be put on Comox to Powell River and Powell River to Blubber Bay:

http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/copr-current.php?scheduleSelect=sch01061602.html

The M/V North Island Princess and M/V Quinista will be provide on the Earls Cove to Saltery Bay: http://www.bcferries.com/bcfservicenotice?id=976449

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
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BC Ferries lacks foresight they had since 1981 to put double decker ramp up both berth at Langdale Ferry Terminal becuase the only berth with double decker berth is going out of service between Jan 19, 2017 to May 20, 2017. As the result the Queen of Surrey, for the whole time, while the Queen of Coquatlam between Jan 19, 2017, to March 19, 2017 will only use main and galley deck with no upper decker. The Island Sky will be making a rare appearance at Horeshoe Bay between March 20, 2017 and April 7, 2017 with service on the Horeshoe Bay to Langdale.

 

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On 2016-11-02 at 1:07 AM, Blue Bus Fan said:

BC Ferries is getting new northern Gulf Island ferries that look ugly:

http://www.bcferries.com/about/projects/bc-ferries-newest-class-of-vessels.html

Hopefully these vessel will look more eye catching when the final design is approved. The vessels will hold between 150-300 passengers and 44 cars. 

One of new vessels is going to retired the North Island Princess on Powell River to Texada Island. 

Quote

We are currently evaluating the responses we received and expect to award a contract in the last quarter of fiscal 2017. When these new vessels are placed into service, it will allow us to retire the 55-year old Howe Sound Queen and the 61-year old North Island Princess, subject to satisfying regulatory requirements.

Read more: http://ferriesbc.proboards.com/thread/9331/minor-class-proposal-design-construction#ixzz4Rpu3Jkfu

I am shocked about this one them may replace Quarda Queen II on the Port McNeill - Alert Bay - Sointula because Quarda Queen II got a major refit in 2011. 

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BC Ferries has update the plan for the New Minor 44-car vessels which will be no LNG operations; but with some battery operations. Also BC Ferries update the routes that we could see the Salish Raven on:

http://www.bcferries.com/files/AboutBCF/foi/Minor_Class_Vessels_-_Rt_18_and_25_Application_to_the_BC_Ferries_Commissioner.pdf

  1.  The first one will replace the North Island Princess on the Powell River - Texada Island.
  2.  Second vessel would put Quadra Queen II on standby moving the Quinitsa.
  3.  Quinitsa would replace the Howe Sound Queen on Crofton - Vesuvius Bay.
  4. Since the Crofton - Vesuvius Bay route would see a schedule change to make up Quinitsa slow speed and capacity. 
  • The schedule would be rewritten to keep the Quinitsa on schedule.
  • Another sailing would be added to the day to make for the lost capacity of Quinitsa.

      5. Salish Raven would provide service on routes 7, 9 and 17 and could possible 4, 5, 6, 19

  • Route Seven was add recently because this first plan that I have seen with the route listed on Salish Raven service guide. 
  • 4, 5, 6, 19 would see an increase in capacity 
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On 2017-01-04 at 10:41 PM, Blue Bus Fan said:

BC Ferries has update the plan for the New Minor 44-car vessels which will be no LNG operations; but with some battery operations. Also BC Ferries update the routes that we could see the Salish Raven on:

http://www.bcferries.com/files/AboutBCF/foi/Minor_Class_Vessels_-_Rt_18_and_25_Application_to_the_BC_Ferries_Commissioner.pdf

  1.  The first one will replace the North Island Princess on the Powell River - Texada Island.
  2.  Second vessel would put Quadra Queen II on standby moving the Quinitsa.
  3.  Quinitsa would replace the Howe Sound Queen on Crofton - Vesuvius Bay.
  4. Since the Crofton - Vesuvius Bay route would see a schedule change to make up Quinitsa slow speed and capacity. 
  • The schedule would be rewritten to keep the Quinitsa on schedule.
  • Another sailing would be added to the day to make for the lost capacity of Quinitsa.

      5. Salish Raven would provide service on routes 7, 9 and 17 and could possible 4, 5, 6, 19

  • Route Seven was add recently because this first plan that I have seen with the route listed on Salish Raven service guide. 
  • 4, 5, 6, 19 would see an increase in capacity 

Moving Quadra Queen II to backup duty over Quinitsa is a good move. Quinitsa is a little large to be a replacement for some of the smaller boats in the fleet, and while it's a bit smaller than HSQ it should have more than enough room to operate route 6. Quadra Queen II is more similar in size to the smaller vessels, so it would be a better replacement.

The 144-car Salish class is a decent fit to replace the 125-car Island Sky. It's also a good idea to have a more solid backup plan than what currently exists - when Island Sky had to fill in on route 17 for Queen of Burnaby last summer, route 7 was run with a tandem of North Island Princess and Quinitsa, definitely not an ideal arrangement.

The Salish class is the start of BC Ferries consolidating its vessel classes. Based on the fleet plan, in the future there will be no boats with a capacity between the 44-car minor vessels and the 144-car Salish class vessels. Taking route 19 (Nanaimo - Gabriola Island) for example, it currently operates the 70-car Quinsam. When the 50-car Quinitsa was assigned decades ago, there were capacity issues, so a 44-car minor vessel would not be sufficient today. While a 144-car Salish vessel on route 19 is definitely overkill, there isn't anything else able to fill the gap. For the short- to medium-term future though, don't expect any Salish vessels on routes other than 7, 9, and 17, until more Salish-type vessels are ordered to replace the current I, Q, Century, and Powell River classes.

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Langdale Terminal will be closing its main berth for upgrades on January 19th, and expected to reopen on April 7th. Since route 3 will only be able to utilize the lower level of any ferries, there will be two vessels providing hourly service on route 3. Queen of Coquitlam and Queen of Surrey will operate from January 19-March 19, with Island Sky replacing Queen of Surrey for the last 2.5 weeks of the closure. More details: http://www.bcferries.com/about/projects/langdale-berth-temporary-closure.html

As an FYI for anyone else, I've added more detail to the Coastal class page on the Wiki, and hope to reorganize the other class pages in a similar fashion to provide more information. I'd also like to add more history to the pages, namely on what vessels were assigned to which routes, and what vessels replaced other vessels on certain routes. If anyone knows of some good resources that I can use for research I'd be appreciative!

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