Anything................

................for free trips to the sun!

While they are there, do you

While they are there, do you think they're trying to flog those cavitating gas guzzlers too?

BCF-Global?

OMG!! B C Ferries is going global! Ha ha-too funny!
I guess management wants some free foreign trips.

BCF-Global can only mean-
B eing
C ompletely
F oolish

And here in BC Ferries-BCF with their new gas guzzlers has to be-
B eing
C ompletely
F uelish

WASHINGTON MARINE GROUP RESERVATION PRICE

In any potential sale the Washington Marine Group will have a reservation price, and it would have to be a good deal higher than $20 million simply to cover their implicit interest and opportunity costs over the past several years.

I don't see it

A technical study was done for Pricewaterhouse in 2001 to determine the feasability of operating the Cats in tropical conditions.
It concluded, while technically possible extensive modifiactions would have to be carried out to the HVAC systems which would result in an weight increase of 5 tons.
As the Cats were already condidered too heavy the main engines would have to be derated to a lower horsepower. This would actually increae fuel economy, but at the expense of slower speeds.
So, possible? Yes. Likely to happen?
Doubtful I would think. But stranger things have happened.

Getting what you pay for

I guess BC Ferries' strong record of sound fiscal management, on-time preformance, prudent maintenance and customer satisfaction is winning them a reputation worldwide.
All I can say is, awesome.

Not quite accurate Happy.

Here's the quote. Note the summary in the last few sentences

Any type of operation in a tropical climate, however, would necessiate a number of changes to the vessels' existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, according to a report by John J. McMullen Associates, Inc., released in 2001. JJMA determined that "for successful operations in the tropics, very significant and extensive HVAC modifications will be required on the passenger cabin deck, the vehicle decks, and the engine rooms.

Continued JJMA: "On the positive side though, it has been determined that the existing electrical generating capacity aboard is adequate for the estimated 50 kW increase in electrical loads of the necessary HVAC upgrades.

"Additional sound attenuation means may need to be provided throughout the vessel to handle the increased noise due to the increase in ventilation capacity Also, due to the high tropical air and seawater ambient temperatures, the MTU main propulsion engines will need to be derated by 4.5 percent. Although fuel consumption is expected to improve by 3.5 percent, design full load speeds will likely decrease by 1.5 knots. The impacts of tropical operations are significant, but are not impossible to overcome, nor overly onerous for successful tropical operations."

Van Isle:

I hope the three FastCats do get sold. It would be a bonus if the purchasers took David Hahn, Karl Lilgert and Karen Bricker as part of the deal. All I am saying is that those three catarmarans are excellent vessels and we have three perfectly matched officers to go with them. What is wrong with that? The Red Sea is an excellent location. The scuba diving is the best in the world!

You lost me Skywalker

What wasn't accurate? Fuel consumption down, speed down, weight up. I said it was doable, although unlikely.
Unlikely IMO, because of economics and the fact the buyers are looking for higher cargo capacity than these have. How did I mislead you? Please explain

PacifiCats as monuments

I would miss the PacifiCats, should they ever leave Vancouver Harbour. Actually, I don't think they should have been sold by the taxpayers in the first place.

A more suitable use would have been to preserve them as monuments. One could have been permanently moored in Victoria, another in Nanaimo, and the remaining one in a more prominent position in Vancouver Harbour so that future generations would be reminded of the colossal ineptitude that NDP governments are capable of.

Happy

There was nothing about increased weight.

Read the whole report Skywalker

Qoute: "Due to the derated power of the MTU main propulsion engines, combined with the weight increase of approximately 6
tonnes, the three PacifCats will experience a decrease in service speed in all loading conditions in tropical operations."

Monuments to Hubris

"so that future generations would be reminded of the colossal ineptitude that NDP governments are capable of."

Like the Liberal's overrun-arrific Convention Centre? That ain't going anywhere and needs a nice big picture of Gordon Campbell on the side, with the slogan, "I wanted it, but you're paying for it!"

Why not install gas turbine

Why not install gas turbine engines? Lots of ships have such powerplants. They are lighter than the present engines and a small gas turbine air unit should work well. Washinston Marine suggested gas turbines way back when. why the talk of BC Ferries, who have no connection to the fast cats?

DPL

The original design for the Cats had gas turbines for the powerplant system.
After costs started escalating, a poitical decision was made to go with cheaper deisels.
This was totally aginst what the Marine engineers wanted, and which was the main reason for the failure of the program. They ended up too heavy, with four high speed deisels, rather than two more powerful and WAY lighter turbine engines.
They could be converted but the costs are not worth it. If it was, WMG would have done it ten years ago.

Do you agree: those PacifiCats must die?

Some people would rather see the PacifiCats cut up for scrap metal, or used as a monument to some negative notion, rather than use them.

Because why? Because the NDP government built them, that's why.

Buy clunkers from Germany, rather than use them.

Build $1Billion "Olympic Athletes Village" rather than use them.

Rent U.S. cruise ships as Olympics police accommodation rather than use them.

How monumentally stupid is that?

Well, at least It illustrates the lengths some people will go to, trying to destroy what others create.

.

.

No Happy, BC Mary is more accurate.

You said "They could be converted but the costs are not worth it. If it was, WMG would have done it ten years ago." No, they would not have made modifications unless they had a buyer who specified the modifications they wanted. As BC Mary has pointed out there is a negative force at play which WMG will wait out. Currently the BC Liberals will do everything possible to make sure that the ferries or any form of the investment is never salvaged. To do that would be to confirm that it was nothing but partisan politics that prevents their use. For the Campbell, who has never been too concerned with the truth, it is too good an opportunity.

Confessions of an urban explorer.

A few years ago, when there were two FastCats moored in Departure Bay, I paddled my canoe under the hull. I resisted the temptation to tag the hull, or bang on it with my paddle, but I did take a few pictures from underneath. I got the hell out of there and waited a couple of hundred yards away as the patrol boat same looking. Has anyone else done that?

Another time I stole a bathtowel from the Queen of the North. I still have it, and I use it at the gym. If BC Ferries ever come clean on how the boat went down, I will gladly return to to David Hahn in person. I had no idea it would be the only artifact left from the old boat. Who knew?

new targets

All right I will be watching the news carefully to see if some offshoot terror group tries to blow one up while it is in service over there. Then we will see how well they were built!!!

My idea

My idea (which you are welcome to forward up and along the information chain to the Fraser River Port Authority and Translink and the Ministry of Transportation etc) is to snap up some of the unused waterfront at Columbia Street in New Westminster and implement a ferry system as a people mover to get people from all the surrounding areas to about Knight and Marine in Vancouver.

First of all, why would it *not* work?

Using all avenues and modes of transport including the river waterways would be a significant way to reduce traffic congestion and gridlock.

Is it simply too innovative? Cost prohibitive?

Theres already a water taxi service from Horseshoe Bay isnt there? To Bowen Island?

IMO, Translink et al have been far too narrow minded in restricting their thinking methodologies to the tried and true, not considering things like railways.

What a boon for tourism it would be, just for instance, to have San Francisco style cable cars in some parts of Vancouver.

Skywalkers conspiracy

Let me tell you a little about Dennis Wahington. He has more money than God. He doesn't have just a private jet, he has a fleet.
He didn't get that way by taking orders from politicians telling him what he can do with his assets. He doesn't even live here, he's American.
I think we can assume Gordo isn't ordering him around.
If you had bought an asset dirt cheap and were able to modify it and then flip it for a profit, you would, wouldn't you.
So would he. And, as you assert if he's waiting for a buyer before proceeding, well, where are they?
It's not like WMG hasn't been trying to sell.
They've been trying for going on ten years

Washington

Yep! I've always thought all those proudly Canadian logos on all the WMG bumpf were a little over the top.

Kind of like Michael McCain's aw shucks plaid shirt style when he's talking about Maple Leaf Foods’ cleanliness standards and Listeria.

Dissonant! That's the term - and deceptive : But entirely at home in a Campbell/Harper universe.

and Happy's denial.

If Dennis is that wealthy, which he well might be, he didn't get that way by being stupid. Stupid would be to make modifications without a buyer in the wings. He might have to make modifications to the modifications. Since the Province under the Liberals will never be interested in the "modified" ferries for partisan reasons - hang the taxpayers - they will sit there until sold to some other country or aluminum rusts. For Campbell to even hint that they might be useful in some capacity would be an admission that dollars were flushed for political gain.

Last question then Skywalker

Why are there no buyers?
Like you say, Campbell won't buy them. The NDP parked them.
They've been flogged globally for almost ten years.
I've heard plans to convert them to military troop carriers to floating casinos off the US east coast and now the Red Sea option.
Its out of Campbells hands. He doesn't own them. He can't tell the owner what to do with them.
Before I end, to clear up any misconception, I know that they are built to a high standard, as I would expect.
But thanks to Glen, they were set uo for failure before they were ever launched.
You read the Auditor Generals report. Wrong engines. Political decison.
I don't blame the shipyards, I don't blame the unions, I blame Glen.
You should to.
BTW, aluminum doesn't rust. It corrodes.

Fast Ferry problem solved; three options

1. Put them on the Inland Passage route and run them into Gill Island. They could keep the Queen of the North company. No explanation would be needed for at least two years. Everyone involved could stonewall and look dumb on TV. It would be business as usual.

2. Sink them in shallow water as artificial reefs. Divers paradise!

3. Use them as Casinos; a place to lose money legally.

Happy, when aluminum rusts...

...is when "hell freezes over". The political decisions were also not only by the government at the time. Also it is not out of Campbell's hands, just because he has washed them and made BC Ferries into a private company. Buying German "gas guzzlers" was not out of Campbell's hands. Convnetion Center over runs was not out of Campbell's hands. The give-away that was BC Rail was not out of his hand's. Fast Ferries pales when you consider the sum total of Campbell's deeds.

Someone is still driving drunk

Incompetence seems to be the rule at BC Ferries.
Their failures are spectacular.

Travel in BC could be hazardous to your health.
If you go by ferry, the boat could be run aground.
If you go by air, you could get Tasered to death at the airport.
And you ask, "Why is tourism down?"

We are hosting the Olympics in 2010.
Remember, the Polish team will be arriving in a year's time.
Perhaps the airport union could put on a language class.
The ferry officers should learn how to read a radar screen.