PITT LAKE

on june 24 2017 my sister ROSEMARY and i took a trip from NEW WESTMINSTER to PITT LAKE on the tour boat BETA STAR. we left NEW WESTMINSTER at 9.50am and headed up river along the way we passed two laid up NOAA ships that came up from SEATTLE WA a month a ago. they were the SURVEYOR and the MILLER FREEMEN wich were both built in 1959 and 1960 wich looked very old. then when we went by the port mann bridge and entred the PITT RIVER we came across the old albion ferries that use to run from FORT LANGLEY to ALBION wich they were the KULLEET and the KLATAWA wich are now up for sale wich now a bridge was built to replace the ferries  in 2009 and make it easier to get across the fraser river. . then around 12.15pm we entred the PITT LAKE  and the lake is very big and had lots of  boaters around wich is a very popular place for boaters wich they come up the PITT RIVER and enter the lake from there. along the tour of PITT LAKE we came past a resort named WILLAMS  LANDING wich is a  place for boaters and passed two islands  wich one is named jail island then  after that we headed down the lake and down the PITT RIVER and back to the FRASER RIVER wich we arived back at NEW WESTMINSTER at 4pm overal the trip to PITT LAKE was worth it and on the boat they servied us lunch and got great vieus of the lake and the PITT RIVER . the PITT LAKE is one of the biggest lakes in the lower mainland and is worth seening.

SALISH ORCA

the SALISH ORCA was built at REMONTOWA SHIPBUILDING in GDNASK POLAND in 2016. on JAN 11 2017 the SALISH ORCA made her madien arival to BRITISH COLUMBIA and delivered to BC FERRIES. on may 16 2017 the SALISH ORCA made her madien voyage from COMOX on VANCOUVER ISLAND to POWELL RIVER on the SUNSHINE COAST. the SALISH ORCA carries 145 vehicles and 600 passengers .on may 23 2017 i rode the SALISH ORCA from COMOX TO POWELL RIVER with retired chief steward LORNE CAMPBELL and formor wss member NEIL ENGLAND and found the ferry intresting wich had two level car decks. the trip on the SALISH ORCA was worth taking and her sister ships the SALISH EAGLE wich starts running on the TSAWWASSEN TO GULF ISLANDS route in july 2017 and the SALISH RAVEN wich wil run on the SWARTZ BAY TO  GULF ISLANDS  route in the fall of 2017 wich both be the new ships in the BC FERRY FLEET

LONGEST CABLE FERRY IN THE WORLD

BC FERRIES newest vessal the BAYNES SOUND CONNECTOR is BC FERRIES only cable ferry in its fleet. the BAYNES SOUND CONNECTOR is the longest cable ferry in the world wich goes from BUCKLEY BAY on VANCOUVER ISLAND to DENMAN ISLAND a distance of 1.9km. the cable ferry went into service in early feb 2016 and was built at vancouver shipyards in NORTH VANCOUVER B.C. the BAYNES SOUND CONNECTOR has a capasity of 50 vehicles and 150 passengers. the BAYNES SOUND CONNECTOR was named after baynes sound wich goes by vancouver island and denman island. the trip on the BAYNES SOUND CONNECTOR to DENMAN ISLAND takes 10min on march 16 2016 i rode the cable ferry to DENMAN ISLAND  and back with retired chief steward lorne campbell.i found the ferry impresive and worth senning since its a first for BC FERRIES to have a cable ferry in there fleet and also benning in the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS as the longest cable ferry in the world

ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY

the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY was founded in 1948 by HAINES residents STEVE HOMER and RAY GELOTTE wich was the chilkoot motorship lines. the copany had one vessal and that was the MV CHILKOOT and operated a weekly service from tea harbour north of JUNEAU to HAINES and SKAGWAY. in 1959 alaska became a state and the alaska marine highway was born. the southern terminal of the AMH was in SEATTLE until oct 1989 when it  moved to the BELLINGHAM cruise terminal in FAIRHAVEN WA. my dad and i went to the opening of the new AMH TERMINAL in fairhaven and saw the MATANUSKA wich was there for its first sailing out of its new southern terminal. i made 3 trips on the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY the first was with my dad in july 1996 we went on the TAKU from PRINCE RUPERT to JUNEAU. then from JUNEAU to PRINCE RUPERT on the MATANUSKA wich i saw a lot of southeast alaska. then in june 1998 i rode the AMH with one of my friends from PRINCE RUPERT to KETCHIKAN, then KETCHIKAN to JUNEAU then JUNEAU TO SKAGWAY onto WHITEHORSE YUKON. in june 1999 my friend and i went southbound on the AMH from SKAGWAY .six months earler i read a article on the new AMH ferry being built in LOUISIANA named KENNICOTT wich was to serve both southeast and southwest alaska. the US CONGRESS subsidiesed the contruction because it was also become a commad centre for nautural disaters for the state of alaska. so in june 1999 we went on it twice from SKAGWAY to juneau and PETERSBURG to KETCHIKAN. wile in SKAGWAY the KENNICOTT was schuled to arive at 11pm but she was late and did not arive until 1am. wile we waited we were on a waiting list for a stateroom on the MV COLUMBIA.the AMH flag ship. we asked the attendant at the terminal in SKAGWAY was the staterooms on the COLUMBIA sold out he said yes, but 10 minutes later he called us and said they had a stateroom calselation so would we want that one was avable we said yes and bokked it there. then when we got to KETCHIKAN wich we stayed 2 days we boared the COLUMBIA at KETCHIKAN bound for BELLINGHAM for the 36 hour journey. when we left KETCHIKAN on a wednesday evening at 6pm the cruise ship MERUCRY left KETCHIKAN  at the same time and was behind us. then the next day we saw her ahead of us north of PORT HARDY and fowwled her all the way to seymour narrows were i saw her last. then on a friday morning at 8am we arived in BELLINGHAM and took the train back to VANCOUVER. the trip on the COLUMBIA was the highlight on my time on the AMH also the places i got to see like WRAGELL  PETERSBURG and JUNEAU the state capital. going on the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY is the best way to see alaska because they serive places that cruise ships dont go to like PETERSBURG and HAINES  WRAGELL

QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT

THE QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT was built in VICTORIA in 1965. on may 20 1966 the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT made her madien voyage from kelsey bay on northern vancouver island to prince rupert. in 1980 she was charted to BC STEAMSHIPS and renamed  VICTORIA PRINCESS on the victoria to seattle wa route. then in sept 1980 she went back to BC FERRIES and was put on the prince rupert to skidgate queen charlotte route. then in 2011 the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT was sold to interest in fiji and renamed  LOMAIVITI PRINCESS. i made 3 trips on the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT all with my dad . the first  trip on her was in oct 1988 from port hardy to tsawwassen on a repostion cruise .wich i did a second time on her in oct 1997.when we arived in tsawwassen i asked a crew member were are you going when you leave tsawwassen he said we are going to vancouver dry dock . so  the day after we arived home i was able to get a photo of the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPET inbound to vancouver harbour wich was worth getting a BC FERRY into vancouver harbour

then in may 2009 my dad got  invited  to the farwel party on the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT at deas dock in richmond . so i went with my dad to this event before she was put up for sale . i got to see alot of the ship i never saw like the bridge and staterooms. then on aug 5 2011 the QUEEN OF PRINCE RUPERT now renamed LOMAIVITI PRINCESS left deas dock bound for fiji it was sad to see her the oringal BC FERRY that served the north coast of bc for over 40 years . but now a new one was taking her place and that was the NORTHERN EXPEDITION

       

2013 CLASSIC BOAT FEST VICTORIA

on sept 1 myself DON BROWN RICK GARCIA went to the 2013 classic boat festival in victoria. on this day we came for the sail past wich starts from the inner harbour to ogden point and back. there were  65 of total 86 boats that took part. but some of them did not come back like the tall ships HMCS ORIALE PACIFIC SWIFT and PACIFIC GRACE. the ones that came back were the ones turned around at ogden point. the boats that were interesting to photograph during the sail past were the MESSENGER III , MIDNIGHT SUN DAVID B and the OLYMPUS. but there was one boat that made this event worth wile was the 1890 built tug ELMORE wich is now  privately owned and based in PORT LUDLOW WA. i use to see this tug at the tugboat races in olympia and seattle many years ago. but it was a suprize to see her there and she looks to be in great shape. the place we go to photograph the boats in the sail past is at laurel point in the inner harbour  wich gives us great vieu of them and they come close by so that gives us great photos of the boats. the event started at 11am lasted to 1pm so we took alot of boats during the sail past and if you like classic boats this event is for you. it happens on the labour day weekend and the sail past happens on the sunday at that time. i have been going to this classic boat fest for the last 3 years or so and there is always something in this event that makes it worth wile

                                                                MESSENGERIII  

                                                                             

                                                                   OLYMPUS

                                                                   ELMORE

       

CRUISE SHIPS IN VICTORIA

During the month of july i made two trips to VICTORIA to photograph the cruise ships docking at ogden point. the first trip was on july 6 with my dad and we went to this point in esquimalt named MACAULAY POINT PARK wich is on macaulay point and the land is leased  from dnd to the city of esquimalt . the park has a great vieu of ogden point and juan de fuca strait. the cruise ships arive bettween 5pm to 7pm. but the on this day the first one was at ogden point by 5.15pm wich was the OOSTERDAM then right behind her was the NORWEGIAN PEARL and the last one was the GOLDEN PRINCESS wich arived at 6.05pm.
all 3 of these ships came close to the park so we had a great vieu of them and see them dock at ogden point

                                                       

                                  OGDEN POINT DOCKS

then on july 21 i made my second trip to VICTORIA i was with world ship society members RICK GARCIA and DON BROWN  to photograph the GRAND PRINCESS wich was ariving at ogden point at 11am so myself rick don went onto the ogden point breakwater to wait for its arival. so wich the GRAND PRINCESS came very close to us and gave us good photos of her ariving from alaska. but there were other cruise ships arived earlier in the day they were the REGATTA and the SLIVER SHADOW . but we were more interested in the GRAND PRINCESS because she starts her alaska cruises from san fransisco. ogden point breakwater is a great place to photograph ships in and out of ogden point and VICTORIA HARBOUR. but its only good from about 8am to 1pm thats the best times to photograph from there and the breakwater has railings alllong the way and benches to sit and see the vieu from the end wich i thought was great. so overal VICTORIA has good places to see the cruise ships in there port doring the season

                                      GRAND PRINCESS

                                    GOLDEN PRINCESS

                                  NORWEGIAN PEARL                    

                                                                     

                                        OOSTERDAM 

                                         

                                                          ROBERT ETCHELL PHOTOS