Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

If you ever doubt the danger inherent in the waters of the Central and Northern Coast of B.C. (ie. “The Inside Passage”, Hecate Strait, Queen Charlotte Sound and Dixon Entrance) look no further than the experience of BC Ferries. Things happen. They lost a ship 20 years ago including two passengers.

And they just announced that this March they almost ran aground, with barely metres to spare!

Traverse the same dangerous areas enough, and one time, something will happen.

Update: The description of the incident also emphasizes the point that the weather is a major contributing factor to that danger.

“The Northern Adventure… hit bad weather, and deliberately changed course to navigate around the difficult conditions… the ship… sailed into an area of shallower water near Milbanke Sound, travelling "at its shallowest point over a shoal in approximately nine metres of water… the crew took quick "corrective measures" to veer back on course.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-ferries-northern-adventure-milbanke-sound-9.7152608?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

#bcpoli #LNG #NorthCoast #BC

B.C. Ferries details close call with northern ferry weeks after it veered a metre from rocks | CBC News

Details are being shared about a recent incident involving a B.C. Ferries vessel that veered off course near rock shoals off the northern coast on March 8. On Thursday, the company summarized what happened and confirmed an investigation is underway.

CBC
Apr 3 at 5:20amWeb
Show threadThat Old Guy with the Beard22h ago
@chris IIRC, one of those persons two decades ago was never found and was had to be declared dead legally due to lack of physical remains.
Show threadThat Old Guy with the Beard22h ago
@chris Not in any way germane to the point you’re making, I’m just looking for confirmation and thus clarity of my own memory.
Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸22h ago
@IanAMartin both people were determined to be trapped in their (same) car on the car deck :(
Show threadEdwin G. 15h ago

@chris And BC Ferries are experts at navigating in that area.

If it’s too dangerous for them, it’s impossible for Alberta’s tankers!

Show threadJean-François Mezei11h ago
@EdwinG @chris billions of cruise ships use inside passage every summer. Don’t hit rocks. For the Alberta tankers from Prince Rupert, there is an almost straight line out to ses without using inside passage. (Not saying I support such tankers, but that argument is not valid for those ports that have almost direct access to the open sea.
Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸10h ago

@jfmezei @EdwinG billions is a little off :)

There are about 700 cruises to Alaska a year, most will go through the Inside Passage. So that’s 1400 transits.

There are many many more ships of all types.

The charts attached are blurry because they are only previews… full res are not available for free.

Prince Rupert is not a straight line nor a clear shot to the Pacific. There are multiple areas with shoals, rocks, and islands both near Rupert, near the Alaska Panhandle, and near the western Entrance of Haida Gwaii.

Given the traffic, it is obviously rare. But my point was that it does in fact happen, including close calls that we generally don’t hear about.

Show threadJean-François Mezei9h ago

@chris @EdwinG But from Prince Rupert to China, the ships cross the inside passage instead of navigating along it.

I would be curious to see if Alaska state ferries have same satistics on incidents as BC Ferries or if this unique to BC Ferries which would ]point to some policies/staffing that is wrong.