Queen of the Islands
Encyclopedia
M/V Queen of the Islands was a RORO
ferry
operated by BC Ferries
between 1963 and 1991. Although the passenger areas provided for an enjoyable travel experience for the general public, she was much maligned by the crews that worked on her, and the Queen of the Islands quickly garnered a reputation as being one of the most unloved ships ever to have operated with BC Ferries.
in North Vancouver
in 1963.
Queen of the Islands entered service in 1963 on the then new Route 9, which operates between Tsawwassen
, Galiano Island
, Mayne Island
, Pender Island
and Salt Spring Island
. Her career got off to an inauspicious start when she suffered a mechanical failure en route to her inaugural celebrations at Ganges
, Salt Spring Island, and had to be towed into port, far behind schedule. Given the nature of Route 9, with cars getting off and on at multiple ports, and always at opposite ends of the ship, loading the vehicle deck often became a nightmarish jigsaw puzzle for the crew. If vehicles were not loaded in a very precise manner, then a severe list would quickly develop. The list was severe enough that the vessel was not allowed to sail if waves were greater than five feet. The Queen of the Islands was taken off of Route 9 in 1969, as expansion of the fleet had freed up vessels that were much better suited for the demands of the route.
Following her removal from Route 9, she found temporary work with the Ministry of Highways ferry system, providing additional sailings between Comox
and Powell River
during the summer months. This arrangement would stay in place until 1976, when the Sechelt Queen was transferred on a permanent basis from BC Ferries to the Ministry of Highways fleet. While she was on loan she had her funnel repainted in the buff colour of the Ministry of Highways.
After her services were no longer required between Comox and Powell River, the Queen of the Islands once again found a summer home providing additional service between Earls Cove
and Saltery Bay
. During the latter part of her career with BC Ferries, the Queen of the Islands was used as a relief vessel, filling in for other ships while they were in refit. Between 1979 and 1982, she could also be found providing additional service on Route 3 between Horseshoe Bay
and Langdale
during the busy summer months, or when the regular vessels went in for refit. However, by the early 1980s, more and more of her time was spent laid up, and by 1987 she was no longer seeing any sort of service with BC Ferries.
She was sold in October 1991 for $375,000 to St. John's Fishing Lodge Ltd., and was converted in to a floating fishing camp. During this conversion process her engines were removed, thus making her reliant on tugs to be moved around. St. John's Fishing Lodge Ltd. fell in to bankruptcy in November 2008, and the Queen of the Islands was subsequently put up for sale.
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
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...
operated by BC Ferries
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...
between 1963 and 1991. Although the passenger areas provided for an enjoyable travel experience for the general public, she was much maligned by the crews that worked on her, and the Queen of the Islands quickly garnered a reputation as being one of the most unloved ships ever to have operated with BC Ferries.
History
The Queen of the Islands was built by the Burrard Drydock Co. Ltd.Burrard Dry Dock
Burrard Dry Dock Ltd. was a Canadian shipbuilding company headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia . Together with the neighboring North Van Ship Repair yard and the Yarrows Ltd...
in North Vancouver
North Vancouver, British Columbia (city)
The City of North Vancouver is a waterfront municipality on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, directly across from Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the smallest of the three North Shore municipalities, and the most urbanized as well...
in 1963.
Queen of the Islands entered service in 1963 on the then new Route 9, which 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...
, Galiano Island
Galiano Island
Galiano Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the west side of the Strait of Georgia, it is 27.5 km long, 6 km at its widest point, and 1.6 km across at its narrowest point and is separated...
, Mayne Island
Mayne Island
Mayne Island is a rustic 21-km² island in the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia. It is situated midway between the Lower Mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, and has a population of around eleven hundred.-History:...
, Pender Island
Pender Island
Pender Island 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 2,500 permanent residents, as well as a large seasonal population...
and Salt Spring Island
Saltspring Island
Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island. It is the largest, the most populous, and the most frequently visited of the Gulf Islands...
. Her career got off to an inauspicious start when she suffered a mechanical failure en route to her inaugural celebrations at Ganges
Ganges, British Columbia
Ganges, British Columbia is an unincorporated community on Salt Spring Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada.-History:Ganges Harbour, from which Ganges takes its name, was originally called Admiralty Bay but was renamed by Captain Richards in 1859 for the , which was at the Pacific...
, Salt Spring Island, and had to be towed into port, far behind schedule. Given the nature of Route 9, with cars getting off and on at multiple ports, and always at opposite ends of the ship, loading the vehicle deck often became a nightmarish jigsaw puzzle for the crew. If vehicles were not loaded in a very precise manner, then a severe list would quickly develop. The list was severe enough that the vessel was not allowed to sail if waves were greater than five feet. The Queen of the Islands was taken off of Route 9 in 1969, as expansion of the fleet had freed up vessels that were much better suited for the demands of the route.
Following her removal from Route 9, she found temporary work with the Ministry of Highways ferry system, providing additional sailings between Comox
Comox, British Columbia
Comox is a town of 12,000 people located on a small peninsula in the Georgia Strait on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The warm dry summers, mild winters, fertile soil and abundant sea life attracted First Nations thousands of years ago, who called the area kw’umuxws...
and Powell River
Powell River, British Columbia
Powell River is a city on the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Most of its population lives near the eastern shores of Malaspina Strait, that part of the larger Georgia Strait between Texada Island and the Mainland...
during the summer months. This arrangement would stay in place until 1976, when the Sechelt Queen was transferred on a permanent basis from BC Ferries to the Ministry of Highways fleet. While she was on loan she had her funnel repainted in the buff colour of the Ministry of Highways.
After her services were no longer required between Comox and Powell River, the Queen of the Islands once again found a summer home providing additional service between Earls Cove
Earls Cove, British Columbia
Earls Cove is a small settlement located on Jervis Inlet in the Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia. It is a terminal for the BC Ferries route across the inlet to Saltery Bay, linking the Lower Sunshine Coast with the Upper Sunshine Coast of B.C...
and Saltery Bay
Saltery Bay Provincial Park
Saltery Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of the city of Powell River, and on the north side of the entrance to Jervis Inlet in the central area of that province's Sunshine Coast region....
. During the latter part of her career with BC Ferries, the Queen of the Islands was used as a relief vessel, filling in for other ships while they were in refit. Between 1979 and 1982, she could also be found providing additional service on Route 3 between Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, British Columbia
Horseshoe Bay is a West Vancouver community of about 1,000 permanent residents. Situated right on the western tip of West Vancouver, at the entrance to Howe Sound, the village marks the western end of Highway 1 on the British Columbia mainland....
and Langdale
Langdale, British Columbia
Langdale is a small community on the Sunshine Coast of southern British Columbia. It is set in a verdant environment characteristic of many small BC communities. Its main feature is the BC Ferries terminal that links the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver via Horseshoe Bay, with connecting foot-passenger...
during the busy summer months, or when the regular vessels went in for refit. However, by the early 1980s, more and more of her time was spent laid up, and by 1987 she was no longer seeing any sort of service with BC Ferries.
She was sold in October 1991 for $375,000 to St. John's Fishing Lodge Ltd., and was converted in to a floating fishing camp. During this conversion process her engines were removed, thus making her reliant on tugs to be moved around. St. John's Fishing Lodge Ltd. fell in to bankruptcy in November 2008, and the Queen of the Islands was subsequently put up for sale.