bc ferries

[alan in alberta]

Wow do they charge a lot. The cost for a 14 foot trailer is more than a 20 foot truck. A trip to island is $300 round trip with truck and trailer.

Is there a cheaper way to get there that doesn't involve swimming???

[Ian-Vicki]

Um, no, there isn't. Welcome to our world.

[Noreen Bradshaw]

Thanks for the info re. the cost of the ferry. I'm not surprised, figured it would be expensive.

I wonder too, about the cost of taking a camper on one of the ferries from Halifax to Nfd? Anyone know?

[Scouter Dave]

You can find the rates for rigs at
www.marineatlantic.ca Just click on the "Rates" in the blue band above Mr. Smiley's head and then follow the links on the right hand side of the page. CALL 1 - 800 - 341 - 7981 for a toll free line.
If you are travelling out our way, MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS, both ways, AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
The trip is listed as 160 KM [100 miles] and at this time of year it takes abt seven (7) hours. Once the summer schedule kicks in the travel time is reduced to about five(5) hours. A four berth room [two(2) lower and two(2) uppers that swing down] will cost you abt $130.00 CAD. Many people take a night boat, get a cabin and then drive all the next day. It may be cheaper to take a day boat and camp or grab a hotel for the night after you hit the island. Cheeseman Park, just off the boat on the island side is blocked when the boat arrives.
You can call 1-800-563-NFLD for tourism info and the new books and maps are now available.

Nat'l Parks have just had major cut backs to staff and services [in the last budget] but hopefully there will be someone to answer if you call
1 - 888 773 - 8888 for information on our Nat'l Parks.

If I can assist with anyone's trip this summer, send me a PM.

".....thank God we're surrounded by water......"

BTW-- today is Battle of the Atlantic Sunday, the longest running campaign of the Second World War..

D.

[RonMayo]

Current ferry fair Car-Driver and 13' Scamp (Under 7'6" tall) from Anacortes (US) to Vancouver Island (BC) is about $112 0n Washington State Ferries. Reservations advised.

Round trip is double.

Over 7'-6" is generally way more.

[Scouter Dave]

I forgot to mention that members of our Armed Forces and retired members do not pay the passenger fare. But you pay for your vehicle and other services. D.

[alan in alberta]

wow good tip i checked it out

Washington state ferries are over $100 cheaper and you can stop in Friday harbour

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by alan in alberta

wow good tip i checked it out

Washington state ferries are over $100 cheaper and you can stop in Friday harbour

Yup having family on the Island and a 16' hurts even more!!!!

If you go via Anacortes there is are a couple of State parks not far from Anacortes for camping - Bay View State Park is pretty well on the way but Deception Pass State Park is about 20 min. off the direct route but IMHO the nicer of the two parks. An even nicer State Park IMHO is Fort Casey but it does not have any power sites and its first come first serve but the sites are all on the water and beside the Keystone ferry that runs over to Port Townsend - you can walk on that ferry and spend the day in Port Townsend. If you want fast & easy there is also a casino (Northern Lights Casino) about 5 miles off the I5 on the road heading to Anacortes. They have a little RV park behind them on the water that I think may be actually cheaper than the State park or you can park the night in their overflow parking for only a few dollars.

[BCDave]

Rumor has it that BC Ferries was ordered to reduce costs. After hiring consultants (at a huge per diem cost) to conduct an extensive study it was determined that using the boats causes wear & tear on them.

A government commission (consisting of 22 defeated members of the party in power, charging $10,000 per person per day) was then established to examine the results of the first study. They met and discussed the study on a daily basis for 5 years, and then presented their findings.

Yet another study was then commissioned with 3 different consulting companies all working on options.

Results were presented to cabinet, who ordered further works to ensure that conclusions were sound.

A further three years and well over $40,000,000 later they determined that "if fares are raised high enough, people will stop taking the boats, thereby reducing usage, and reducing wear & tear, and cutting costs by almost $500.00 per year."

All involved were then appointed to a management board to oversee implementation of the recommendations.

(And if you think this is somehow funny, or exaggerated, you have obviously not worked for government!)

[Carol H]

Dang, Dave did I mention with my marine management background that I have asked to be on the latest board??? ;-))

[Ron in BC]

Aw, comeon, they're not quite that bad Close though.

Great timing for this post. In the next couple of weeks we were going to take the ferry to Victoria and do the West coast, Port Renfrew loop. After seeing the info about the Anacortes ferry and Deception Pass Park I think our route just changed.

I used the Washington State ferries last year on another run and when they quoted me the fare I thought it was for the passenger not the car. Definitely we're getting hosed in BC.

Ron

[BCDave]

But but but but - after all they used the same management approach that Translink (the Lower Mainland Transit folks) uses all the time!

[bomni]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Aw, comeon, they're not quite that bad Close though.

Ron

They ARE that bad!! We live on the Island...it's criminal what they are doing...we are literally stuck here sometimes, because we cannot afford what is basically part of a highway.

Travel to other parts of our province shouldn't be robbery. We don't need fancy ferries that are redecorated year after year & we don't need "on board entertainment"...we just need to affordably get from point A to B with our vehicles!!

Ugh...I could go on and on...it is so sad that Islanders (who were born here, we didn't choose this) are unable to visit our families on the mainland, just so that they can do study after study after study & Hahn and the past & present COOs or CEOs (and their high level employees) or can be paid extravagant salaries to run the service poorly. Our taxes pay for these ridiculous studies that achieve nothing & our pockets emptied each time we need to leave the island or return. We are contemplating moving to the interior & this is a huge factor. I ran a dog rescue and the fees alone almost sunk us.

Grrr....

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by BCDave

But but but but - after all they used the same management approach that Translink (the Lower Mainland Transit folks) uses all the time!

At least your getting a pretty nice new bridge out your way Dave. LOL In the city we get to pay a transit tax at the pump every time we gas up to encourage us to use high speed public transit - oh wait whats that you say? the North Shore doesnt have any high speed public transit ...oh wait the Sea Buses can do 11 knots if there are no ships coming and going in the harbour but they cant run around the clock!

Ron's correct its really not all that bad & I can think of a lot worse places in the world we could be living (oh YES i KNOW a lot cheaper as well) but would you really want to live someplace else?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by bomni

Ugh...I could go on and on...it is so sad that Islanders (who were born here, we didn't choose this) are unable to visit our families on the mainland,
Grrr....

Sorry but I had a little giggle at the above. You may not have choosen to but apparently your parents or there parents did. I grew up on the island (actually 4th generation Islander) and although I loved it and still do I some how managed to escape from it.... my father on the other hand only left the Island a handful of times in the last 60 years of his life. He would only go off the island if we forced him to and only to attend weddings and funerals and it had to be a *very* close family member before he would come off the Island and it had nothing to do with the cost! ))))

[bomni]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Sorry but I had a little giggle at the above. You may not have choosen to but apparently your parents or there parents did. I grew up on the island (actually 4th generation Islander) and although I loved it and still do I some how managed to escape from it.... my father on the other hand only left the Island a handful of times in the last 60 years of his life. He would only go off the island if we forced him to and only to attend weddings and funerals and it had to be a *very* close family member before he would come off the Island and it had nothing to do with the cost! ))))

Lol! Yes...I know we go back to at least 4 (I think 5 maybe more), my grandparents ended up in Manitoba but moved back in the early 60's (thank goodness for that though!!) & my hubby's side was actually one of the first black settling families in Victoria.

Although poorly made, my point was more that we have always lived here & aren't just newbies being whiners...I always hear stories though that ferry fares used to actually be reasonable!!

I actually absolutely love it here. The main temptations to leave are housing prices & my hubby's professional opportunities. But ferry costs can cost us upwards of $400 personally (& for the dog rescue over $2000), so they are definitely a factor that restricts travel for us. It makes living in somewhere like Cranbrook very appealing; ease of travel, 10 acres and a house for the price of a 3 bedroom condo here!

We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place, so I shouldn't complain really!!

[Ian G.]

My son and I are taking a road trip to the Yukon and Alaska in a few months. We are driving up then taking the ferry down the west coast from Haines to Juneau to Prince Rupert. Cost is $1500 but the trip will be worth it.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Yup having family on the Island and a 16' hurts even more!!!! An even nicer State Park IMHO is Fort Casey but it does not have any power sites and its first come first serve but the sites are all on the water and beside the Keystone ferry that runs over to Port Townsend - you can walk on that ferry and spend the day in Port Townsend. I

They added hookups at Fort Casey this past fall but there are still no reservations. And not all sites have hookups.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

They added hookups at Fort Casey this past fall but there are still no reservations. And not all sites have hookups.

Which sites got the hook ups?

[Ron Stanley]

Towing a 13ft Boler with a 4Runner is apprx. $135.00 on BC Ferries between the island and the mainland just did it not long ago. Last year using the Black Ball Ferry Line between Victoria and Port Angeles was about the same. The ferry from Sidney (outside Victoria) to Anacortes has very limited sailings, however, I don't know the cost.