6319 replies to this topic

[grantpalin]

BC Ferries’ third Island Class ferry making journey across Atlantic to B.C.

The third Island Class ferry to join the BC Ferries fleet is now en route to British Columbia, having departed shipyards in Romania early this morning.

 

The ferry has headed out to make the transatlantic voyage under its own power and is scheduled to arrive on Vancouver Island in approximately 60 days.

 

The journey is approximately 10,700 nautical miles total and the ferry will make two stops for refuelling — first in Tenerife, Canary Islands and then in Balboa, Panama.

 

The yet-to-be-named ferry will be the third in a series of six Island Class ferries. The first two ships — Island Discovery and Island Aurora — completed their transatlantic journey to Vancouver Island in January 2020.

 

The latest ship to depart will be the first of four Island Class ferries to make the transatlantic journey under its own power as the first two were carried on a semi-submersible transport ship.

 

[JohnsonStBridge]

That's a long distance in between charging stations.

[Victoria Watcher]

Search-and-rescue volunteers recovered the body of a man believed to have jumped from a B.C. FErries off Bowen Island on Sunday afternoon.

 

The Queen of Cowichan left Horseshoe Bay at 1 p.m. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre received a call about 1:30 p.m., said public affairs officer Capt. Chelsea Dubeau.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ered-1.24327492

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 June 2021 - 03:01 PM.

[Kilo95]

Search-and-rescue volunteers recovered the body of a man believed to have jumped from a B.C. FErries off Bowen Island on Sunday afternoon.

The Queen of Cowichan left Horseshoe Bay at 1 p.m. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre received a call about 1:30 p.m., said public affairs officer Capt. Chelsea Dubeau.



https://www.timescol...ered-1.24327492

Interesting that the CHEK article is reporting the person was “rescued” - I.e. found alive ? Just a slight discrepancy between the TC and CHEK articles, not sure which one is accurate.

“A spokesperson with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre also confirmed that an individual was rescued from the waters near Bowen Island.“ - From the CHEK article.

[Kilo95]

Search-and-rescue volunteers recovered the body of a man believed to have jumped from a B.C. FErries off Bowen Island on Sunday afternoon.

The Queen of Cowichan left Horseshoe Bay at 1 p.m. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre received a call about 1:30 p.m., said public affairs officer Capt. Chelsea Dubeau.



https://www.timescol...ered-1.24327492

Interesting that the CHEK article is reporting the person was “rescued” - I.e. found alive ? Just a slight discrepancy between the TC and CHEK articles, not sure which one is accurate.

https://www.google.c...bay-813344/?amp

“A spokesperson with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre also confirmed that an individual was rescued from the waters near Bowen Island.“ - From the CHEK article.

Edited by Kilo95, 06 June 2021 - 06:36 PM.

[Rob Randall]

Interesting that the CHEK article is reporting the person was “rescued” - I.e. found alive ? 

 

I'm sure he was unresponsive when pulled from the water but they couldn't know for how long--perhaps he only stopped breathing a few minutes before. So I'm sure as far as first responders were concerned it was a rescue.                      

[Victoria Watcher]

West Vancouver’s “neglected neighbourhood” is now the next in line for change.

 

District of West Vancouver council unanimously approved a local area plan for Horseshoe Bay May 31, which will usher in gradual change and growth in the neighbourhood.

 

The plan enables up to 300 homes to be added over the next 20 years, mostly in the form of duplexes, triplexes and townhouses along the outer streets, and three- to four-storey low-rises closer to the water.

 

The plan contemplates one building of up to six storeys on Nelson Avenue – but only if rental housing is included, and one building of up to five storeys next to the BC Ferries Terminal, but only to incentivize a boutique grocer and/or rental tenure housing.

 

 

https://www.nsnews.c..._medium=twitter

[Rob Randall]

Dragon's Den's Arlene Dickenson:

 

Listening to the @BCFerries announcer: “If you have a BMW license xxx or an Escalade license xxx on level 2, your alarm is going off.  *All* Ford F-150 alarms are going off, so if you have an F-150, please return to your truck because chances are, your alarm is going off”

 

https://twitter.com/...3912523778?s=20

[Matt R.]

From my bc ferries email this morning.

Update as of 6:15 am:

Please be advised that the MV Skeena Queen is currently holding in dock at Fulford Harbour due to a staffing issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause you.

Your safety is important to us, and we require a specific number of crew members on board the vessel to ensure the safety of our passengers in the unlikely event of an emergency and to comply with Transport Canada regulations.


I wonder if someone just slept in or had a flat tire or something. I know ferries is short staffed too. Couple new recruits were looking to find suitable housing here, not sure if they stayed or not.

Not bc ferries, but related. There is a trial water taxi service on weekends in September to gauge demand for the southern gulf islands called Aqualink. Looks like the same idea that has been the Tour Des Iles over the last four or five summers.

https://tourdesiles.ca/

https://aqualink.ca/...x0CCZXY3bTqsuGs

Matt.

[Jackerbie]

The third Island Class vessel arrived in Victoria last week. The fourth is on it's way and recently transited the Panama Canal. First two were barged over, these ones are under their own power.

 

via https://dailyhive.co...a-inner-harbour

Edited by Jackerbie, 27 July 2021 - 12:11 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

As COVID-19 restrictions are eased and summer travel picks up, BC Ferries passengers with a vehicle may find it more difficult than ever to get on the sailing — unless they pay $17 for a reservation.

When BC Ferries introduced reservation fees on the main routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland in 1997, the publicly owned corporation said only 40 per cent of the ferry capacity would be reserved for people willing to pay more.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall said the amount of deck space now available for reservation varies from 45 per cent to as high as 75 per cent, depending on the vessel and the sailing.

https://thetyee.ca/N...eservation-Fee/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 July 2021 - 11:12 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

News 1130:


Today's final sailings to Duke Point and Swartz Bay are completely booked. Sailings on those routes have also started to fill up for the early-morning trips on Friday. BC Ferries says the extra ferry traffic may be due to people avoiding travel to the Central Okanagan. There is an advisory for that region due to COVID-19.

[Mike K.]

Caught the 8AM yesterday at 7:50AM. On the Tsawwassen side it looked pretty gnarly.

[LJ]

If you take the Langdale ferry to Horseshoe bay is there a convenient way to get to the HB to Departure bay ferry?

[Matt in Langford]

Hi LJ,

If you are coming from Langdale and driving off the ferry at Horseshoe Bay and then need to take a ferry to Departure Bay, you would have to follow the clearly marked signs on the Highway that say Ferry U-turn route. This exit off ramp would take you over the highway and back in the direction of the ferry terminal to continue your travel to Departure Bay Nanaimo.

If you were a foot passenger, I believe you would have to exit the ferry terminal building and re-enter to building to buy at ticket from the agent or at a self serve kiosk. I don’t believe there is a through fare ticket machine aboard the Langdale Ferry to go directly to the Nanaimo ferry.

[Mike K.]

Oops. Next time I'm on the mainland, I won't forget there's a long weekend at the end of my trip.

 

I finished up my business in Vancouver yesterday early PM and headed south, only to learn every single ferry out of Tsawwassen to VI was full as of 2PM sailings. But fear not, Horseshoe still showed capacity for Nanaimo, and about an hour or so later I arrived at the terminal with hope. My arrival was 3:45 ish, and I didn't board the boat until 8:30 ish. Got home at 12:30AM.

 

All in all I'm happy to be back on the Island, but man, it was nuts at the terminals.

[vortoozo]

That's a long day, and when Helijet & Harbour Air come in real handy.

Both are offering flights under $200 each way most days this summer. For just over 2x the cost of the ferry, you can save several hours at the best of times. And free parking at the Helijet terminal.

Unless you really need your vehicle in Vancouver.

[Mike K.]

That’s just it, if you need your vehicle you’re hooped. I didn’t even realize it was the long weekend when I left on Thursday. Friday was a gong show but I can’t fault BC Ferries.

It would have been nice if they had had a service vehicle selling bottled water for vehicles lined up way out of the terminal. We were stuck with 36C showing as the temp at the high and 31 as we boarded at sea level.

[Victoria Watcher]

we need a new government service that alerts self-employed people to long weekends.

can we use the existing air raid sirens with a modified sound?

Or maybe the Amber Alert can go off on the Wednesday prior.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 31 July 2021 - 02:29 PM.

[Rob Randall]

Mike was the only person in the Pacific Northwest that didn't know ferry service to the Island that day was a gong show. 

 

It would have been nice if they had had a service vehicle selling bottled water for vehicles lined up way out of the terminal.

 

Years ago they used to have people going up and down the lanes selling the local newspapers. Why not have it like the baseball stadium guys? I bet a good hustler could make decent coin.