V class ferry
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | V class (Victoria class) |
| Builders: | Vancouver, BC & Victoria, BC |
| Operators: | BC Ferries |
| Preceded by: | Sidney class |
| Succeeded by: | |
| Subclasses: | |
| Built: | 1962–1963 |
| In service: | 1962–2008 |
| Planned: | 7 |
| Completed: | 7 |
| Active: | 1 |
| Lost: | 1 |
| Retired: | 5 |
The V-class ferries, also known as Victoria class, originally included seven BC Ferries built between 1962 and 1963. These vessels were the backbone of service on the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay route prior to the arrival of MV Spirit of British Columbia in 1993. Some of these vessels underwent vehicle capacity increases three times.
Four vessels were slated to be retired and sold in 2008.
The transfer of Queen of Esquimalt was halted and she was broken up in Ensenada, Mexico.
When the Victoria-class ferries were constructed, a total of seven were constructed.
The seven ships constructed were soon modified to increase vehicle capacity twice. The first refit was the installation of ramps and platform car decks, the second refit saw the ships sliced in half vertically across the beam for the insertion of a new 84-foot (25.6 m) midsection, which dramatically increased their capacity.
Later, four of the seven ships were cut horizontally from bow to stern to have a new vehicle deck inserted. These rebuilt ships retained the V-class designation. Queen of Burnaby, and Queen of Nanaimo were two original ships without the new car deck, they received a new designation as Burnaby-class vessels. The Queen of Burnaby retired in May 2017 (Replaced by the MV Salish Orca) and the MV Queen of Nanaimo is set to be retired in September 2017 (to be replaced by the MV Salish Eagle).
The last of the seven ships, Queen of New Westminster was lifted in 1991, she was fit with new engines to travel at speeds comparable to the newer C-class ferries. Queen of New Westminster was also dropped from the V-class designation, and is now officially unclassed. She had a major refit of her passenger areas completed in 2009, preparing her for another ten to fifteen years of service and will be the sole survivor of the original seven ships.
Queen of Vancouver (scrapped)
Former MV City of Vancouver
Built: Vancouver, British Columbia, 1962
Retired: April 15, 2009 - Sold to Coast Marine, moored at Woodfibre until 2012, sent for scrapping to Ensenada, Mexico
Length: 129.9 m (426 ft)
Power: 9,000 hp (6.7 MW)
Propulsion: Two MaK 9MU551AK
Service speed: 18.5 knots (34 km/h)
Gross tons: 9,357.22
Car capacity: 338
Passenger & crew capacity: 1,708
Route: Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay
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Wikipedia