SQUAMISH

on apil 20 2019 i went to SQUAMISH B.C. to see the railway museum wich is owned and operated by the WEST COAST RAILWAY ASSOCIATION wich i am member. i got to SQUAMISH on a new bus service that goes from YVR to WHISTLER wich is called YVRSKYLYNX. i got the bus in downtown vancouver  acroos the street from the BURRARD SKYTRAIN STATION i left there at 8.40am and arived in SQUAMISH at 9.45am. when i arived in SQUAMISH  i went to newport beach park at the south end of town to photograph the ship GROUSE ARROW. after that i walked back into town and got the transit bus to the railway museum wich only stoped 2 bloxs away from the museum that was great. i was in the muesum for over hour because they lot to see like the #2860 the ROYAL HUDSON and BC RAIL things like one of there CABOSSE and there BUD cars that use to run up and down there line from PRINCE GEORGE to NORTH VANCOUVER. after the railway museum i got the transit bus back to downtown SQUAMISH and got onther transit bus and went allover town wich was great i got to see most of squamish that way and and did not cost me much only $2 for that. when i got back in to downtown i just looked around the waterfront next to town and there was not much there so i had early meal and got the bus back to VANCOUVER at 5pm and arived back in DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER at 6pm overal it was great to go to SQUAMISH by bus you get to see HOWE SOUND all the way up and down wich was great for more info on YVRSKYLYNX go to there web site at yvrskylynx.com and info on the WEST COAST RAILWAY ASSOCIATION is at wcra.org

SEA PRINCE

THE SEA PRINCE was built in 1974 by MCDERMOTT SHIPYARD in MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA as the ROBIN VII  for the ROBIN INTERNATIONAL TOWING COMPANY of HARVEY LOUISIANA. in 1984 the ROBIN VII was acquired by CROWLEY MARINE SERVICES of SAN FRANCISCO CA and was renamed SEA PRINCE. when the tug was originally built she had a raised bow but when CROWLEY acquired her her bow was cut down. the SEA PRINCE is one of the third sea robin class tugs in the CROWLEY fleet. the SEA PRINCE is powered by two CATERPILLAR 3606-3 diesel engines for a rated 5.000 horsepower. her electrical service is provided by two detroit 6-71 generators. the SEA PRINCE gross tonnage is 198 and her net tonnage is 134. her port of regestry is SAN FRANCISCO CA

CCGS SIR WILFRID LAURIER

THE CCGS SIR WILFRID LAURIER is a light icebreaking and buoy tendering vessel for the CANADIAN COAST GUARD. THE SIR WILFRID LAURIER was built at CANADIAN SHIPBUILDING in COLLINGWOOD ONTARIO  in 1986. she was on of six icebreaking and buoy tenders built for the CANADIAN COAST GUARD between 1986-1987. the others that were built were the MARTHA L BLACK ANN HARVEY GEORGE R PEARKES EDWARD CORNWALLIS and the SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER. CCGS SIR WILFRID LAURIER is named after SIR WILFRID LAURIER wich he was PRIME MINSTER OF CANADA from 1896-1911. the CCGS SIR WILFRID LAURIER is based in VICTORIA B.C.  and the other 5 in the fleet are based in HALIFAX NS. the SIR WILFRID LAURIER has crew of 27 10 officers and 17 crew. on MARCH 23 2006 the SIR WILFRID LAURIER was involed in the rescue of the passengers and crew of the BC FERRY QUEEN OF THE NORTH wich ran aground at GILL ISLAND south of PRINCE RUPERT on BRITISH COLUMBIA NORTH COAST. two people died when the QUEEN OF THE NORTH sank at GILL ISLAND but the surviving passengers and crew were taken to PRINCE RUPERT. overal the CCGS WILFRID LAURIER has been a great service to the people of CANADA and to the people who live and work along the coast of BRITISH COLUMBIA

SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND

 on july 13 2018 i went to VICTORIA  to see the biggest cruise ship in the world the NORWEGIAN BLISS  wich came into ogden point wich i  saw her and she was realy big. the other reason i came to VICTORIA was also to see the new JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE that i walked acroos it there and back it was a intresting bridge to see and the best part i was able to get photos of ships in the POINT HOPE SHIPYARD near by wich i got photo of both the fishboat STAR WARS and the BC FERRY TACHEK  the bridge was only two blocks from my hotel  that was great. after i saw the NORWEIAN BLISS wich arived at 3pm i took a transit bus from ogden point to DOWNTOWN VICTORIA and onto ESQUIMALT  to get two cruise ships ariving between 5pm and 6pm wich i went to MACAULY POINT PARK. the ships were the EURODAM and the RUBY PRINCESS and only took me hour to get there wich was great.. after that i left the park in ESQUIMALT and went back to DOWNTOWN VICTORIA and my hotel wich only took 15 min wich i was amazed at. then the next morning i meet my dads friend LORNE CAMPBELL  and we went to CROFTON and ride the BC FERRY HOWE SOUND QUEEN for the last time wich she is beening replaced in 2019 then after that we went into DUNCAN to see the world biggest hockey stick wich is a land mark in DUNCAN. we left DUNCAN at 3,30pm and heaed for SWARTZ BAY wich we got there at 4.45pm and i was able to get the 5pm ferry home. on the way home i got photos of the two new BC FERRIES that serive the GULF ISLANDS from TSAWWASSEN . there were the SALISH RAVEN and the SALISH EAGLE  i was very happy to get photos of both of them on my way home. overal i got to see wanted to see in VICTORIA and SOUHTERN VANCOUVER ISLAND in two days wich was great

USCGC MELLON

THE USCGC MELLON was built at AVONDALE SHIPYARDS near NEW ORLEANS LA in 1966. she was launched on feb 11 1967 and commissioned on jan 9 1968. the USCGC MELLON is named after ANDREW W. MELLON  the 49th U.S. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY from 1921-1932. the MELLON was one of 12 HAMILTON CLASS HIGH ENDURANCE CUTTERS built for the UNITED STATES COAST GUARD between 1967-1972. the other 11  that were built were the HAMILTON DALLAS CHASE BOUTWELL SHERMAN GALLATIN  MORGENTHAU  RUSH MUNRO JARVIS MIDGETT.  in oct 1980 the MELLON assited in the rescue of 400 passengers and crew off the MS PRINSENDAM wich caught fire in the gulf of alaska  on a cruise from VANCOUVER to ASIA unfortunaly the PRINSENDAM sank and everyone surived and were taken to SITKA ALASKA. the USCGC MELLON has personal of 167 and its based in SEATTLE WA. i got onboard the MELLON in VICTORIA B.C. in june 2001 and her sister ship BOUTWELL in PORTLAND OR in june 1995 and found these ships very interesting and neet looking. from 2011 -2016 the US COAST GUARD decommissioned 6 of the 12 HAMILTON CLASS ships in there fleet and transfured them to three navies. the HAMILTON DALLAS BOUTWELL went to the PHILPPINE NAVY. the CHASE GALLATIN went to the NIGERIAN NAVY and the JARVIS went to the BANGLADESH NAVY. since then the US COAST GUARD has built new ships to replace its aging fleet but overal the HAMILTON CLASS ships were a great service to the people of the UNITES STATES

MV KLITSA

THE KLITSA was built in vancouver as the DENMAN QUEEN  in 1972 for the DENMAN ISLAND TO BUCKLEY BAY route on VANCOUVER ISLAND for the MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION and HIGHWAYS of the PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. in 1973 the MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION renamed the DENMAN QUEEN to KLITSA  wich is named after a mountain near SPROAT LAKE on  VANCOUVER ISLAND. in 1985 the KLITSA along with her sister ships KAHLOKE and the KWUNA wich runs from SKIDEGATE to ALLIFORD BAY on HAIDIA GWAII  fromley the QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS were transfured from the MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION and HIGHWAYS  to BC FERRIES . in 2011 the KLITSA replaced the MV MILL BAY on the MILL BAY TO BRENTWOOD BAY route wich is north of VICTORIA  wich goes across SAANICH INLET. when the KLITSA replaced the MV MILL BAY that year BC FERRIES put the MV MILL BAY up for sale and was later sold to a logging company on the BC COAST. the KLITSA carries 26 cars and 195 passengers and the trip from BRENTWOOD BAY to MILL BAY takes 25 min. in july 2011 i rode the KLITSA from BRENTWOOD BAY to MILL BAY and found the ferry a intresting ship and the trip across SAANICH INLET is very senic

OMINECA PRINCESS

THE OMINECA PRINCESS was built in 1976 at allied shipbuilders in NORTH VANCOUVER B.C.  for the PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION and HIGHWAYS. on there FRANCOIS LAKE ROUTE. FRANCOIS LAKE is located in the BULKLEY VALLEY in NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA wich the route runs from the community of FRANCOIS LAKE  across the lake to SOUTHBANK wich takes 15min and gives you great vieus of FRANCOIS LAKE. the OMINECA PRINCESS carries 200 passengers and 39 cars all inland ferries in the PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA  are free because there part of the B.C. highway system under provincal law. in 2004 the OMINECA PRINCESS was replaced by the FRANCOIS FORESTER on the FRANCOIS LAKE ROUTE. in sept 2008 i rode the FRANCOIS FORESTER across FRANCOIS LAKE  and found her a interesting ferry and got onboard the OMINECA PRINCESS wich is now a backup vessel wile i was on the OMINECA PRINCESS i can tell she was showing her age and was a interesting ferry to see . for more info on BRITISH COLUMBIA INLAND FERRIES go to ww2.gov.bc.ca