Baynes Sound Connector to begin service on Buckley Bay – Denman Island route this summer
By
Rebecca Gibson |
BC Ferries named its new cable ferry Baynes Sound Connector during a ceremony at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards in Vancouver, Canada, on 8 May.
Named after the geographic area in which it will operate, the 78.5m ferry will join the BC Ferries’ fleet on the Buckley Bay – Denman Island route this summer.
The ferry will be able to accommodate 50 vehicles and 150 passengers and crew, and will use one drive cable and two guide cables to travel a distance of 1,900 metres at a speed of up to 8.5 knots. This will make Baynes Sound Connector one of the longest cable ferries in the world.
“Today marks a special milestone in our vessel replacement programme as we honour maritime tradition with the naming ceremony and thank the workers at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards who have produced a fine vessel for us,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ president and CEO. “As we continue to invest in the long-term sustainability of British Columbia’s ferry system, we celebrate this new ship, which will carry our passengers and their vehicles safely and efficiently for many years to come.”
Baynes Sound Connector will soon be towed to Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island, where it will be connected to the three cables that were laid in April. In June and July, BC Ferries will train crew to operate the ferry, while Transport Canada and classification society Lloyd’s Register will certify the vessel to enable it to enter service in later summer.
“Seaspan has a deep-rooted and established relationship working with BC Ferries to build and repair ships for the people of British Columbia, and we are proud to construct, and officially christen its first-ever Cable Ferry,” said Brian Carter, president, Seaspan Shipyards. “Today’s celebration is an exciting and important step in our longstanding commitment to BC Ferries and its customers, and we look forward to continuing that role and being a key contributor to B.C.’s economy for many years to come.”
Baynes Sound Connector is expected to provide BC Ferries with projected cost savings of over CAD80 million over the 40-year life of the project compared to the current service. This will amount to savings of CAD2 million per year, which will help with fare affordability across the coastal ferry system.
The cable ferry is the first of four newbuilds that are due to join the BC Ferries fleet between 2015 and summer 2017. BC Ferries has also contracted Remontowa Shipyards in Poland to construct three dual-fuel, intermediate-class ferries, which will debut on the Comox – Powell River route and the Tsawwassen – Southern Gulf Islands route in August 2016, October 2016 and February 2017, respectively. Remontowa cut the first piece of steel for the first intermediate-class ferry this January and started work on the second ferry on 10 April.