Metro Vancouver & Interregional Passenger Ferry Service Discussion

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by martinishaker

....Maybe you feel like an idiot in Vancouver with no disposable income.

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

....Guess Nanaimo’s a lot less amazing than you say it is.

Can you guys please drop this or take it private so the rest of us don't have to listen to you bicker?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Indeed, I believe this is the ferry thread... of the Vancouver section. Other posters are free to be defensive about their chosen exurb elsewhere on SSP (for example, the currently-inactive Nanaimo thread).

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Indeed, I believe this is the ferry thread... of the Vancouver section. Other posters are free to be defensive about their chosen exurb elsewhere on SSP (for example, the currently-inactive Nanaimo thread).

This started because of WarrenC12 (whom I should have included in my previous post) and their ill-considered "hole" comment.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Other posters have said as much just this afternoon, only politer.

[ilikeredheads]

This needs to set a good first impression if it wants to succeed, but it's already shooting itself in the foot by offering just half the sailings compared to BC ferries. They aren't competing in price, fine, but the reduced frequency is potentially a deal breaker considering the fact their customer base won't be driving, so they are less flexible than those who drive. They should be targeting those who fly harbour air or helijet, but 4 sailings per day is just inadequate and unappealing.

[martinishaker]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

4 vs 8 sailings means 50% less capacity and 87% less flexibility than BC Ferries on opening day (and at the tail end of peak season, no less). That's not a good start for this ferry.
I'm sure there’s a demographic that considers saving half an hour to be worth an extra $13/trip; seeing as many more people were willing to spend twice as much time driving the long way around just to duck a $3.15 bridge toll though, it’s likely to be a very small one. No skin off my teeth, I don’t need Hullo to stick around.

Yet you insist that everybody wants to spend that extra disposable income on... a trip into Vancouver. Guess Nanaimo’s a lot less amazing than you say it is.

Half an hour, plus being a 45 minute bus ride or $50 taxi away from your destination, if that is down town, or to be connected to the sky train or airport. Also, you can not compare sitting in the comfort of one’s car, and going around a toll booth, with being on a ferry seat.

[martinishaker]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

This needs to set a good first impression if it wants to succeed, but it's already shooting itself in the foot by offering just half the sailings compared to BC ferries. They aren't competing in price, fine, but the reduced frequency is potentially a deal breaker considering the fact their customer base won't be driving, so they are less flexible than those who drive. They should be targeting those who fly harbour air or helijet, but 4 sailings per day is just inadequate and unappealing.

They are going to 8 sailings after the original roll out. I think travellers can plan around 4 sailing for the short term
Depart
Arrive
8:00 AM

9:15 AM
10:00 AM
coming soon
11:15 AM
12:00 PM

1:15 PM
3:30 PM
coming soon
4:45 PM
6:30 PM

7:45 PM
7:30 PM
coming soon
8:45 PM
10:30 PM

11:45 PM

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by martinishaker

Half an hour, plus being a 45 minute bus ride or $50 taxi away from your destination, if that is down town, or to be connected to the sky train or airport. Also, you can not compare sitting in the comfort of one’s car, and going around a toll booth, with being on a ferry seat.

No comparison indeed: with the Queen of Cowichan, you can walk around on the deck, grab a bite, browse the gift shop, doodle, set up a game or your laptop; with Hullo’s catamaran, you’re effectively stuck in a taxi all the way there... and you better hope the ocean isn’t rough that day, or you’ll spend the entire hour in the bathroom instead. If I only go to the Island once every month or two, I’m picking the government option.

Probably why HarbourLynx only ever got 75-80 passengers out of a possible 300 despite trying almost the exact same thing for $5 less.

[martinishaker]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

No comparison indeed: with the Queen of Cowichan, you can walk around on the deck, grab a bite, browse the gift shop, doodle, set up a game or your laptop; with Hullo’s catamaran, you’re effectively stuck in a taxi all the way there... and you better hope the ocean isn’t rough that day, or you’ll spend the entire hour in the bathroom instead. If I only go to the Island once every month or two, I’m picking the government option.

Probably why HarbourLynx only ever got 75-80 passengers out of a possible 300 despite trying almost the exact same thing for $5 less.

I highly doubt anyone does any of those things on the BC Ferry, except buy food. Clearly you have a mission to denigrate Hullo, which everyone i know will be using. You still have not addressed the fact that BC Ferry take much longer and doesn't get you close to your destination if it is downtown or the skytrain.

[Migrant_Coconut]

They’re options which balance out having to get to Horseshoe Bay. Ones which you don’t have on a SeaBus-sized vessel.

Clearly you have a mission to make the fifth time the charm, so you and "everyone you know" had better ride it at least twice a week if you don’t want to end up waiting for a sixth attempt. You still haven't addressed the fact that its predecessor was only $25 one-way and $45 for a round trip (i.e. cheaper than Hullo), and yet still only managed to find 240 people a day at most despite being the "better" journey.

[WarrenC12]

Yeah the ability to get up and walk around is underrated I think. Hullo will be like staying in your car (which isn't always bad), but in a vessel more susceptible to rough seas.

Checking the first day Monday Aug 14th Vancouver-Nanaimo route shows plenty of space still.

How long this will last is more about how deep the owner's pockets are.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by martinishaker

I highly doubt anyone does any of those things on the BC Ferry, except buy food. Clearly you have a mission to denigrate Hullo, which everyone i know will be using. You still have not addressed the fact that BC Ferry take much longer and doesn't get you close to your destination if it is downtown or the skytrain.

What odds will you give me on Hullo folding within 1 year of the start of their operations? 2 years?

[whatnext]

Having been on whatever the previous iteration of this was (Royal Sealink or something) I can confirm being able to get up and walk around, go out on deck, get something to eat etc definitely makes the BC Ferries ride more enjoyable. That and this is going to be rough if the water is a bit choppy. I'm honestly surprised someone sank money into something already proven not to work.

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by martinishaker

They are going to 8 sailings after the original roll out. I think travellers can plan around 4 sailing for the short term

I know they will add more sailings later but it makes no sense to start with half the level of service they've been touting prior. it's just bad optics. The need to set a good first impression is important when you are the new player in town. They don't appeal to those who drive, budget conscious travelers, or those who fly.

Let's put it this way, the fact they only offer such few sailings at launch during the peak travel summer season speaks to the their rather low level of confidence.

People remain skeptical of this ferry because previous attempts have all failed. The reality is that the demand just isn't there.

[Migrant_Coconut]

There's actually been four attempted Nanaimo-Vancouver ferries, not just Sealink and HarbourLynx (and not counting V2V to Victoria).

• 1969: Pacific Hovercraft. 4 months.
• 1984: Seaspeed Transport Canada Ltd. 1 year.
• 1991: Royal Sealink Express. 11 months.
• 2004: HarbourLynx. 1 year.

If it works, then great; if it doesn't, add another to the list. The hype from Nanaimo residents is pretty unjustified unless it's still around by 2026.

[LeftCoaster]

Well both Nanaimo and Vancouver are substantially larger than they were when most of those ventures failed, and the advent of hybrid working has changed commuting patterns in a drastic way, so while I'm not certain this will work I would say it has the best chance it ever has of working.

I'd also throw in the current state of the 99 tunnel and lions gate bridge traffic make a downtown-downtown route more appealing. I sat in nearly 40 minutes of LGB traffic last night coming back from Whistler. What a mess.

[WarrenC12]

Turns out running a ferry service is harder than it might look.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hullo-ferries-cancels-inaugural-sailing-1.6935772

The inaugural 6 a.m. sailing of Hullo, the new foot-passenger service between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver, was cancelled due to weather and power issues according to its operator, the Vancouver Island Ferry Company.

Later sailings were also cancelled, with the first available departure now at 4:30 p.m. from Nanaimo, according to a spokesperson for the company.

[ilikeredheads]

funny how the weather didn't affect BC Ferries

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by ilikeredheads

funny how the weather didn't affect BC Ferries

It does sometimes, but bigger ships can handle it better, of course. I imagine Hullo would also have to adjust their speed in certain conditions.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Turns out running a ferry service is harder than it might look.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hullo-ferries-cancels-inaugural-sailing-1.6935772

Like I said further back, its a bump ride if seas aren't nice and smooth.