Final voyage from B.C. for fast ferries
 

From the Province:

Final voyage from B.C. for fast ferries
By Frank Luba, The Province
August 19, 2009 7:01 PM

Anyone who wants to say farewell to one of B.C.’s infamous fast ferries should head for Deep Cove in North Vancouver Saturday morning.

The first of the three PacifiCats bought by Abu Dhabi Mar, a United Arab Emirates company that builds yachts and remodels vessels, will be brought to Deep Cove for loading onto a heavy-lift vessel for transport across the Pacific Ocean to Abu Dhabi.

John Mears’ Pacific Northwest Ship and Cargo Services is acting as agent for Dockwise Yacht Transport, which arranged to transport the “fast cat” on the cargo ship Swift for Abu Dhabi Mar.

“We’re just loading it,” said Mears, who lives in Deep Cove and has previously used the scenic harbor to load yachts for transport.

“We need flat, flat water because those cats are very buoyant,” Mears explained.

The Swift, which has a dead weight tonnage (or cargo capacity) of 32,600 tonnes, will first take on water and sink deep enough for the 1,500-tonne catamaran to float aboard. Mears said that it’s crucial there be no movement under the vessels as the cat is brought aboard the Swift.

The water will then be pumped out and the PacifiCat secured, much as it would be in a drydock. Mears said there would be two to three metres between the end of the ferry and the Swift’s structure.

The heavy-lift ship has hauled longer vessels, carrying them at an angle, he said.

The process will begin at about 9 a.m. and the ferry should be loaded by about 1 p.m. The move will be visible from shore, but the best view can be had from Quarry Rock, a lookout point on the Baden-Powell Trail about an hour’s hike from Deep Cove.

The fast ferries were built by B.C.’s then-NDP government at a budgeted cost of $210 million and an eventual cost of $450 million. They contributed to the collapse of then-premier Glen Clark’s political career and helped sink the provincial hopes of his his successor, Ujjal Dosanjh.

Gordon Campbell and his Liberals swept to power in the wake of the PacifiCat mess. They mothballed the ships before putting them up for auction, with the Washington Marine Group paying just $19.8 million for the vessels they had been a major partner in building.

The remaining two ferries will be sent to Abu Dhabi in the fall aboard the Swift and its sister vessel.

fluba@theprovince.com

© Copyright (c) The Province

^any idea what time Saturday morning?

That must be one massive ship if it's going to take in a fast cat...any pics of the vessel?

Their website has some pictures.
http://www.yacht-transport.com/

http://www.yacht-transport.com/downl...ith%20text.jpg

http://www.yacht-transport.com/downl...4/07070862.jpg

Thank God. Finally a solution for all of us mega yacht owners that doesn't involve actually having to drive our own ocean going yacht to port ;)

A fast ferry is gonna fit onto that?!!!


What'll be most impressive is seeing our ferry loaded onto it.

Must be a self submerging ship, ferry floats over top and ship drains the ballast tanks.

I wish I had a chance to ride one back in the day.. oh well.

It'll be nice to see these ships put into service, albeit somewhere else in the world.

Distill3d, it will be from 9am to 1PM according to the article.

orange seems to be a very popular colour...

This is a record, 10 posts in and ne'er a mention of politics. Thank goodness. Let's keep it that way, shall we?

Out of curiosity, how many here rode them? I always intended to, but never did. :(

^ many times when I lived in Van in 2000-2001.

Glad to see them go. I always liked the old ferries much better.

Never rode them, heard it was nothing special. Most people I knew described them as "small". They sure looked wicked kicking up that wake though. lol.

I might have to hike up to that spot sometime above Deep Cove Saturday to take a look. If I go, I'll take the 200mm lens and grab some shots.

I never rode them, but went to the public open house before they were put in service.

No... the article states that it will be loaded onto the SWIFT... which is in Vancouver Harbour right now.

Go to this page to see the ship... http://www.dockwise.be/vessels/node/204?tab=photos

Thanks didn't see that at first.

I'll be down there with a camera for sure. :tup:

From 1130:

From the BC Ferries thread:

And in a few years, after an oil-rich prince discovers they are unafforable, we'll be seeing them again
... as several million pop cans.

Was anybody there to see how they loaded the ferry onto the huge ship?