Queen of Alberni
Encyclopedia
M/V
Queen of Alberni is a ferry
that operates between Tsawwassen
and Duke Point
in British Columbia. It is part of the BC Ferry
fleet.
in 1976. It joined the other two C-class
ferries, the Queen of Coquitlam
and the Queen of Cowichan
, that were also built in that year, with the other two C-class ferries, the Queen of Surrey
and Queen of Oak Bay
, joining later.
The Queen of Alberni was different than the others, as it only had one car deck designed to carry overheight vehicles. Its lack of an upper car deck put its capacity at 145 overheight vehicles. The ferry's high truck capacity made it a natural for the service's Tsawwassen-Duke Point route (Established in 1990 as the Mid-Island Express, running between Tsawwassen and Departure Bay; and later between Tsawwassen and Duke Point), which is intended for a high volume of overheight vehicles. This route is also served by the MV Coastal Inspiration, a Coastal class ferry. In 1984, the ship was stretched and lifted, gaining an upper car deck for non-overheight vehicles, leading to a new vehicle capacity of 292. In 1999, the ship underwent another refit in Victoria
.
The ship has a different system of ship evacuation since it carries fewer passengers. All of the lifejackets are stored in large containers scattered throughout the two passenger decks. The ship has three evacuation stations on each side of the top passenger deck, or sun deck. The combined capacity of these six stations is 1,200.
In 2007, the "Queen of Alberni" completed a 40 million dollar mid-life upgrade which will prepare the 34-year old vessel for another 20 years of service.
. Many cars and trucks were damaged when the ship tilted over, and some flipped over completely. Fortunately, there were no major injuries and the only casualty was a racehorse that was being transported. Misfortune struck again in 1989 when ship smashed into the dock at the Departure Bay terminal in Nanaimo
. Six people were injured.
Another accident would come on March 12, 1992. At around 8:00am the Queen of Alberni left the Tsawwassen terminal with heavy fog and almost zero visibility. The Japanese bulk carrier Shinwa Maru left the Westshore Terminal No. 1
at nearby Roberts Bank, B.C. at 7:40am. At 8:06am the two ships made contact after seeing each other on radar
to arrange a safe passage. At 8:08am the two vessels collided. The Queen of Alberni hit the Shinwa Maru about 25m aft of the bow, 3 meters above the waterline, and at a 70-degree angle. Two people aboard The Queen of Alberni were seriously injured while none aboard the Shinwa Maru were injured. The Queen of Alberni had minor damage to the hull and some of the cafeteria equipment was displaced. The Shinwa Maru, however, was damaged when the ferry penetrated the no. 1 cargo hold and ballast tanks.
On December 15, 2001 the Queen of Alberni got caught in a heavy wind storm which turned a regular 2-hour crossing into a 7½-hour ordeal.
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
Queen of Alberni is a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
that operates between Tsawwassen
Tsawwassen, British Columbia
Tsawwassen is a suburban, mostly residential community located on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the Corporation of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Tsawwassen provides the only road access to the community of Point Roberts, Washington via 56th Street...
and Duke Point
Duke Point, British Columbia
Duke Point is a geographical location in the extreme southeastern part of the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It is located on a thin peninsula to the east of the Nanaimo River estuary, just across the Northumberland Channel from Gabriola Island. Located at Duke Point is a major industrial...
in British Columbia. It is part of the BC Ferry
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
fleet.
History
The Queen of Alberni was built by Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. in North Vancouver, British ColumbiaNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
There are two municipalities in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, that use the name North Vancouver. These are:*The City of North Vancouver...
in 1976. It joined the other two C-class
C class ferry
The C-Class ferries are a class of five double-ended roll-on/roll-off ferries operated by BC Ferries in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia, all constructed between 1976 and 1981. When the vessels were first built, they were the largest ships of their kind in the world...
ferries, the Queen of Coquitlam
Queen of Coquitlam
M/V Queen of Coquitlam is a C class vessel in the BC Ferries fleet, launched in 1976. She first operated on BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route. For most of her life, she has been a replacement/relief vessel on all the major routes serving the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
and the Queen of Cowichan
Queen of Cowichan
M/V Queen of Cowichan is a BC Ferry vessel, built in Victoria, British Columbia in 1976. It joined the other two C-class ferries built that year, the Queen of Alberni and the Queen of Coquitlam, and was followed by the Queen of Surrey and Queen of Oak Bay. The ship, like all C-class ferries, is...
, that were also built in that year, with the other two C-class ferries, the Queen of Surrey
Queen of Surrey
M/V Queen of Surrey is a double-ended C class roll-on/roll-off ferry in the BC Ferries fleet. The long, 6969 ton vessel has a capacity for 362 cars and over 1,500 passengers and crew. She normally operates on BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route...
and Queen of Oak Bay
Queen of Oak Bay
M/V Queen of Oak Bay is a double-ended C class roll-on/roll-off ferry in the BC Ferries fleet, launched in 1981 at Victoria, British Columbia. The long, 6,969-ton vessel has a capacity for 362 cars and over 1,500 passengers and crew. She normally operates on BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay to...
, joining later.
The Queen of Alberni was different than the others, as it only had one car deck designed to carry overheight vehicles. Its lack of an upper car deck put its capacity at 145 overheight vehicles. The ferry's high truck capacity made it a natural for the service's Tsawwassen-Duke Point route (Established in 1990 as the Mid-Island Express, running between Tsawwassen and Departure Bay; and later between Tsawwassen and Duke Point), which is intended for a high volume of overheight vehicles. This route is also served by the MV Coastal Inspiration, a Coastal class ferry. In 1984, the ship was stretched and lifted, gaining an upper car deck for non-overheight vehicles, leading to a new vehicle capacity of 292. In 1999, the ship underwent another refit in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
.
The ship has a different system of ship evacuation since it carries fewer passengers. All of the lifejackets are stored in large containers scattered throughout the two passenger decks. The ship has three evacuation stations on each side of the top passenger deck, or sun deck. The combined capacity of these six stations is 1,200.
In 2007, the "Queen of Alberni" completed a 40 million dollar mid-life upgrade which will prepare the 34-year old vessel for another 20 years of service.
Accidents
The life of the Queen of Alberni has seen quite a few mishaps. Only three years after her launch in 1976, the vessel ran aground in Active PassActive Pass
Active Pass is a narrow passage separating Mayne Island and Galiano Island in British Columbia, Canada's Southern Gulf Islands. It is one of three passes leading from the Gulf Islands into the Strait of Georgia...
. Many cars and trucks were damaged when the ship tilted over, and some flipped over completely. Fortunately, there were no major injuries and the only casualty was a racehorse that was being transported. Misfortune struck again in 1989 when ship smashed into the dock at the Departure Bay terminal in Nanaimo
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
. Six people were injured.
Another accident would come on March 12, 1992. At around 8:00am the Queen of Alberni left the Tsawwassen terminal with heavy fog and almost zero visibility. The Japanese bulk carrier Shinwa Maru left the Westshore Terminal No. 1
Westshore Terminals Income Fund
Westshore Terminals Income Fund is a leading operator of coal export facilities in the Metro Vancouver area, with an export capacity of 29 million tones per year, handing around 200 ships per year....
at nearby Roberts Bank, B.C. at 7:40am. At 8:06am the two ships made contact after seeing each other on radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
to arrange a safe passage. At 8:08am the two vessels collided. The Queen of Alberni hit the Shinwa Maru about 25m aft of the bow, 3 meters above the waterline, and at a 70-degree angle. Two people aboard The Queen of Alberni were seriously injured while none aboard the Shinwa Maru were injured. The Queen of Alberni had minor damage to the hull and some of the cafeteria equipment was displaced. The Shinwa Maru, however, was damaged when the ferry penetrated the no. 1 cargo hold and ballast tanks.
On December 15, 2001 the Queen of Alberni got caught in a heavy wind storm which turned a regular 2-hour crossing into a 7½-hour ordeal.