MV ''Skeena Queen'' is a
ferry built in 1997 and named after the
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose n ...
. She was intended to be part of a class of spartan, utilitarian ferries, in the "Century ferry class", designed by the naval architects McLaren and Sons In 1994 the 10-year plan of
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle fer ...
called for construction of three Century-class ferries, to service the busier
Gulf Island
The Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia.
Etymology
The name "Gulf Islands" comes from " Gulf of Georgia," the original term used by George Vancouver in his ma ...
routes in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
operated by BC Ferries. The name for the class was derived from the capacity, which is approximately 100 cars. However, the only ferry of the class actually built was ''Skeena Queen''. She runs solely on the
Swartz Bay
Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Swartz Bay was named after John Aaron Swart, purchas ...
-
Saltspring Island
Salt Spring Island or Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada, and Vancouver Island.
The island was initially inhabited by various Salishan peoples before being settled b ...
(at
Fulford Harbour
Fulford Harbour is a residential community on the southeast side of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, located near the island's southern end. Fulford Harbour is the site of a BC Ferries terminal with regular ferry service to Swartz Bay on Van ...
) route (except for a brief four-day trial on the
Horseshoe Bay to
Bowen Island
Bowen Island (originally Nex̱wlélex̱m in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), British Columbia, is an island municipality that is part of Metro Vancouver. Bowen Island is within the jurisdiction of the Islands Trust. Located in Howe Sound, it is approximat ...
run from April 23 to April 26, 1998 and providing partial coverage between Swartz Bay and
Pender Island
Pender Island ( Saanich: ) is one of the Southern Gulf Islands located in the Gulf of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Pender Island is approximately in area and is home to about 2,250 permanent residents, as well as a large seasonal populati ...
in Spring of 2018 due to another vessel being removed from service for repairs).
There is some speculation as to why the other two vessels in the class were not built. The obvious reason is that the high speed ferry program consumed all available funds. Others point to the problems with the four owner selected main propulsion engines that plagued ''Skeena Queen'' following commission, including excessively high noise levels and cylinder counterbore cracking in the high-speed engines. On April 15, 2002 ''Skeena Queen'' was removed from service and her four high-speed
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 187 ...
S12R diesel engines were replaced with four Mitsubishi medium-speed engines, model S6U. The new engines were provided by Mitsubishi at a never disclosed price.
''Skeena Queen'' has the following characteristics:
* Overall length: 110.0 m
* Gross tonnage: 2,453
* Vehicle capacity: 100 spaces 17.5 feet long by 8.5 feet wide
* Passenger and crew capacity: 600
* Service Speed: at 3500 bhp
* Installed Power: 5,040 hp (3.8 MW)
''Skeena Queen'' has very little cabin space because the Century ferry class was intended to be used on short commuter runs of less than a half-hour duration where most of the passengers stay in their vehicles. ''Skeena Queen'' operates solely on the route between Swartz Bay and Fulford Harbour, which is a 35-minute crossing.
External links
Design overview from ship-technology.comMitsubishi S12R-MPTK specificationsMitsubishi S6U-MPTK specifications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skeena Queen
Ferry classes