BC Ferries Coastal Class
The Coastal class, also known as the "Super-C" class, is a series of 3 vessels owned and operated by BC Ferries. They were built between 2007 and 2008 by the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Flensburg, Germany with BC Ferries owning the design.
They are currently the largest double-ended ferries in the world. BC Ferries sometimes operates these vessels with single bridge if the stern propulsion or steering gears are having problems which requires them to turn around near the terminal. All vessels were design with a high degree of standardization, as the first step in BC Ferries' fleet plan to modernize and standardize its vessels.
The Coastal class was ordered to replace the remaining single-hull Victoria class ferries, namely the Queen of Esquimalt, Queen of Saanich, and Queen of Vancouver.
All vessels feature two vehicle decks: the lower deck has a clearance of 14.5m and can fit up to 32 semis, while the upper deck has a clearance of 2.9m and is primarily for cars. The lower deck is built to accommodate a platform deck in the future, if additional capacity for underheight vehicles is required. There are 3 passenger decks, with amenities including a Coastal Café full cafeteria, Coastal Café Express snack bar, Sitka Coffee Place (Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Inspiration), Seawest Lounge, Passages gift shop, Kids Zone play area, and exterior decks. Coastal Celebration contained a Pacific Buffet in the location of Sitka Coffee Place, for its regular assignment on route 1. The livery on all three vessels was chosen to represent the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and feature different Canadian winter athletes on each vessel. When in use on route 30, Coastal vessels typically close passenger deck 5 due to a lower volume of passengers.
As some of the largest capacity ships in the fleet, they operate on the three major routes in the network: routes 1 (Tsawwassen - Swartz Bay), 2 (Horseshoe Bay - Departure Bay), and 30 (Tsawwassen - Duke Point). They also have the ability to operate on route 3 (Horseshoe Bay - Langdale) if necessary.
Coastal Renaissance
| Coastal Renaissance | |
| |
| Built | 2007, Flensburg, Germany |
| IMO number | 9332755 |
| Home base | Tsawwassen |
| Route(s) served | 30 (peak) 1, 30 (off peak) |
Coastal Renaissance is the first of three vessels in the Coastal class of ferries.[1]
The vessel departed from the shipyard on October 27, 2007. It arrived in British Columbia on December 13, with a sail past of Victoria and Vancouver Harbour, before arriving at Departure Bay terminal for acceptance by BC Ferries. After crew training and a series of open houses, it made its official maiden voyage on March 8, 2008.[2]
During the peak periods (summer and late December), Coastal Renaissance was based out of Departure Bay, and provides regular service on route 2. During the off-peak season, it is normally used as a spare vessel, replacing Spirit or other Coastal vessels on routes 1 and 30. Beginning in June 2022, Coastal Renaissance was permanently transferred to route 30 in order to increase overheight vehicle capacity.
| Engines | Max speed | Length | Displacement | Vehicle capacity | Passenger capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four MaK 8M32C 21,444 hp |
23 knots | 160 m | 10,034 tonnes | 370 autos 32 semis |
1,604 |
Coastal Inspiration
| Coastal Inspiration | |
| |
| Built | 2008, Flensburg, Germany |
| IMO number | 9332767 |
| Home base | Duke Point |
| Route(s) served | 30 |
Coastal Inspiration is the second of three vessels in the Coastal class of ferries.[3]
The vessel departed from the shipyard on February 9, 2008, and arrived in Departure Bay on March 25. Its official maiden voyage was from Duke Point on June 16, 2008.[4]
Coastal Inspiration is based out of Duke Point, and provides regular service on the "Mid-Island Express", route 30. This route has a high amount of truck traffic, and the Coastal class ships can accommodate a larger number of overheight vehicles compared to other vessels in the fleet.
| Engines | Max speed | Length | Displacement | Vehicle capacity | Passenger capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four MaK 8M32C 21,444 hp |
23 knots | 160 m | 10,034 tonnes | 370 autos 32 semis |
1,604 |
Coastal Celebration
| Coastal Celebration | |
| |
| Built | 2008, Flensburg, Germany |
| IMO number | 9332779 |
| Home base | Swartz Bay |
| Route(s) served | 1 |
Coastal Celebration is the third of three vessels in the Coastal class of ferries.[5]
The vessel departed from the shipyard on May 3, 2008. It made a promotional stop for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in London, England on May 12, before arriving in Departure Bay on June 17. Its official maiden voyage was from Swartz Bay on November 21, 2008.[6]
Coastal Celebration is normally based out of Swartz Bay, and is used for supplemental sailings on route 1 during peak season, or as the primary vessel when replacing a Spirit Class vessel. Because of its primary assignment to route 1, it was built with a Pacific Buffet, which replaces the Sitka Coffee Place found on the other Coastal class vessels.
| Engines | Max speed | Length | Displacement | Vehicle capacity | Passenger capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four MaK 8M32C 21,444 hp |
23 knots | 160 m | 10,034 tonnes | 370 autos 32 semis |
1,604 |
References
- ↑ Coastal Renaissance, BC Ferries, retrieved 01-07-2017.
- ↑ M.V. Coastal Renaissance, www.westcoastferries.ca, retrieved 01-07-2017.
- ↑ Coastal Inspiration, BC Ferries, retrieved 01-07-2017.
- ↑ M.V. Coastal Inspiration, www.westcoastferries.ca, retrieved 01-07-2017.
- ↑ Coastal Celebration, BC Ferries, retrieved 01-07-2017.
- ↑ M.V. Coastal Celebration, www.westcoastferries.ca, retrieved 01-07-2017.