6319 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

^its not like throwing another bc transit bus onto a route....

Those big 400-car ferries cost about $300 Million each to manufacture. To say nothing of cost of ownership. And the time it takes to get them built. And the politics involved in getting approval to build another big boat...

Ferry traffic has only picked up in the last 2 years. you're basically suggesting BC ferries should have used their crystal ball back in 2014 when traffic was near an all time low, to start building a $300 Million dollar asset that would be completely unneeded at the time it was ordered? The ferry commissioner wouldnt allow that to happen, even if the management of BCF was brazen enough to ask for it.

The ferry business is tough. You absolutely cannot afford to keep more capacity on standby than you need, or you'll be insolvent in no time.

/\....Huh? I think you need re-read the post. Nowhere did I suggest they need to go out and build a $300 million dollar vessel. What post exactly are you reading.....?

 

I did suggest possibly a sub-contract arrangement with Seaspan. Could be Seaspan, could be Aliens. Who cares? The *point* above - as I also quite clearly stated and will do so yet again - was either way that some creative out of the box thinking wouldn't hurt. BTW I just checked again and still don't see where I suggested they go out and 'manufacture' a brand new boat: please be so good as to point that out if you can.....

 

And "yeah" any senior management team worthy of the name *always* needs to look out 6 months, 2 or 5 years down the road - that's what get they paid for in large part.

 

Maybe in the public sector that is a foreign concept but certainly in the private sector failure to so often means the death of the org. In my previous world at a well known and extremely well managed credit union "future" strategy was part of the corporate DNA - which in part is why they are routinely named as one of the best employers in BC. In 2002 that credit union was strategizing how to compete against Walmart in terms of offering competitive financial services - fourteen years before that became a reality. 

[Matt R.]

Fulford was overloaded every single run so far today.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Matt.

[sdwright.vic]

Did they bring the pool noodles out to measure the space between cars?

[Matt R.]

Nah. The crew on the Skeena are total pro at packing them in. At least they had flaggers up the hill today.

Matt.

[LJ]

Raise the fare prices till you get to the point that each ferry is just full, dynamic pricing even. You want to go Friday afternoon it is $200 for car and driver.

You want to go Tuesday morning it's $60.

[vortoozo]

^ This already happens to a degree on the major routes, with early and late sailings costing less this summer on major routes.

BC Ferries has been talking about expanding this with additional dynamic pricing, free reservations, etc.

They upgraded their computer system earlier this year.

Believe plans are on hold as the government didn't like the possibility of certain fares increasing to the extent that they would need to in order to smooth out demand.

[Mike K.]

Seaspan’s terminal improvements might just play into the sort of thing ASE is taking about.

In case you missed it: https://victoria.cit...-to-swartz-bay/

[lanforod]

Are they even using the drop decks on the Spirit class ships? I doubt it...

Have they ever run more than one ship per hour?

[GabriolaGirl]

Nah. The crew on the Skeena are total pro at packing them in. At least they had flaggers up the hill today.

Matt.

Interesting that they have flag people on SSI.  On Gabriola we have been told by BCF that the line up issues aren't their problem, it's MOTI.  MOTI tells us it's BCF.  Round & round it goes...

[Mike K.]

The plan is an eventual 30 minute frequency, which the new Swartz Bay terminal will accommodate.

Currently I doubt if they’d be able to handle that many passengers in the lounges.

[jonny]

I did suggest possibly a sub-contract arrangement with Seaspan. 

 

Seaspan does not have any ships certified to carry passengers. 

 

You cannot carry passengers on a barge, either, as others have suggested in this thread before. 

 

Are they even using the drop decks on the Spirit class ships? I doubt it...

Have they ever run more than one ship per hour?

 

These are gone from the Spirit of British Columbia and are soon to be gone from the Spirit of Vancouver Island. The reason being they are maintenance pigs and it takes too long to load those "platform decks". They would never be able to keep the schedule. 

[vortoozo]

Are they even using the drop decks on the Spirit class ships? I doubt it...

Have they ever run more than one ship per hour?

 

There were a few scheduled sailings earlier this summer on the half hour. But those were quite limited.

[Matt R.]

Interesting that they have flag people on SSI.  On Gabriola we have been told by BCF that the line up issues aren't their problem, it's MOTI.  MOTI tells us it's BCF.  Round & round it goes...

Flaggers are rare and only used when it’s going to be extremely busy. May long weekend, labour day, fall fair, these random weekends where there are 25 weddings on the island ....

Fulford is totally unmanned, no staff. If you phone bc ferries and ask about conditions at the terminal, they have no idea. I guess they could look at the webcam we have on our building to see the terminal

Matt.

[Sparky]

You mean this one?

https://saltspringex...lford-terminal/

[Sparky]

Oh look, I found a restaurant right by the Fulford Ferry Terminal.

https://rocksaltrestaurant.com

[Mike K.]

I just thought I’d say, that knowing how Matt has taken that restaurant to where it is today and how his efforts have materialized into something so positive makes me want to high-five the guy and the team at his side.

Good on you man!

[Matt R.]

^that’s the one!

Currently at 38 staff! It’s getting to be a bit much.

We will drop down to 25 or 27 pretty soon, getting back into shoulder season.

Lots of extra traffic today due to the Malahat closure. Lots.

Matt.

Edited by Matt R., 22 August 2018 - 11:08 PM.

[Sparky]

In order to keep on topic that is a nice touch to post the ferry schedule on your web page. Fantastic work by "Imagine That".

Now all you need is a page for real time ferry traffic updates, a link to the BC Ferrries "where is the boat now" page, and finally "open table".

Oh I almost forgot, you need a page where a guy can go online the night before, place his breakfast of lunch order, and it's ready for him to pick up and eat while he is on the ferry.

Oh I almost forgot, then you need to open the franchise on the other side. Then we can talk when we are in PV about why you don't wanna come home.

[Sparky]

Now back to our regular programming.

[GabriolaGirl]

You mean this one?

https://saltspringex...lford-terminal/

we have this ferry cam which is great.   The problem with the lineup here on Gabe is there is no parking lot,  it's along side an extremely busy road with lots of twists & turns, the lineup only goes so far along the side then there is a big gap where no one can park but people butt into line there blocking the road, do illegal u-turns on a blind corner.  This summer has been the worst I've ever seen it.  Every sailing during the day is an overload.  

 

http://www.ferrycam.clayrose.com/