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The SeaBus is a passenger-only
ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
service in
Metro Vancouver The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 28 ...
, British Columbia, Canada. It crosses
Burrard Inlet french: Baie Burrard , image = Burrard Inlet 201807.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Aerial view of Burrard Inlet , image_bathymetry = Burrard-Inlet-map-en.svg , alt_bathymetry ...
to connect the cities of
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
( Waterfront station) and North Vancouver (
Lonsdale Quay Lonsdale Quay is a SeaBus ferry terminal and major transit exchange that serves Metro Vancouver's North Shore municipalities. The quay is located in the City of North Vancouver. The BCIT Marine Campus and Lonsdale Quay Market are located wi ...
). Owned by
TransLink Translink (or TransLink) may refer to: * TransLink (British Columbia), the public transport operator in Vancouver, Canada * Translink (Northern Ireland) Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), a ...
and operated by the
Coast Mountain Bus Company Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) is the contract operator for bus transit services in Metro Vancouver and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, known locally as TransLink, the entity respon ...
, the SeaBus forms an important part of the region's integrated public transportation system.


Service

The SeaBus fleet currently consists of four vessels, with the most recent ship—the MV ''Burrard Chinook''—entering service July 22, 2021. The ferries operate between approximately 6:00am and 1:00am from Monday to Saturday, and between 8:00am and 11:30pm on Sundays and holidays. During the daytime, two ferries are in service, with the two ferries departing simultaneously from opposite termini and passing each other halfway. The crossing takes 10–12 minutes in each direction with a cruising speed of , with a 3–5 minute turnaround and, therefore, operates on a 15-minute turn-around schedule. At these times, over 50 crossings are made a day. During the evenings (after 9:00pm) and early Saturday mornings (until 7:00am), service is reduced to a 30-minute schedule with only one ferry operating. In 2017, the SeaBus carried over 17,000 riders on average per weekday and transported an estimated 5.84 million people between Vancouver and the North Shore of Burrard Inlet. The SeaBus is capable of operating on a 12-minute turnaround (down to 10 minutes with simultaneous loading and unloading). However, at the higher speeds, the wake created disturbs other users of the Burrard Inlet. During overloads, it is sometimes operated at the higher speeds. The ferries operate with four crew members on board (
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
and
first mate A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the shi ...
on the bridge and two attendants on the passenger level) and engineers who stay ashore most of the time, but do regular checks of the engines and are available to come aboard at any time. SeaBus crew members are trained and certified to deal with marine emergencies, and will give directions to passengers in the unlikely event of an emergency. The original emergency procedure involved using the other SeaBus to evacuate passengers from the distressed vessel. Although the viability of this had been demonstrated,
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportati ...
became concerned about this approach during times that the other vessel may not be available and has recently mandated the addition of life rafts. The turnstiles on the entrance into the SeaBus waiting area are used only for counting the number of passengers boarding. If the maximum number is reached, the turnstiles lock and no more passengers are allowed to board the vessel.


Fares

SeaBus is a "Fare Paid Zone", similar to SkyTrain and buses, wherein passengers are required to possess a valid fare. Fare inspections are performed by transit security officers and on occasion by members of the
Metro Vancouver Transit Police The Metro Vancouver Transit Police (MVTP), previously the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service and formally the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (SCBCTAPS), is the police force for Trans ...
. SeaBus attendants may check fares but do not conduct enforcement. SeaBus attendants can call transit security to deal with non-compliant passengers. Failure to pay the correct fare or retain a valid fare may result in being removed from the terminal or fined $173.


Terminals

The SeaBus stops on the Vancouver side at Waterfront Station, near the
Vancouver Convention Centre The Vancouver Convention Centre (formerly known as the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, or VCEC) is a convention centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; it is one of Canada's largest convention centres. With the opening of the ne ...
and the cruise ship terminal at
Canada Place Canada Place is a building situated on the Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, the Vancouver World Trade Centre, and the virtual flight ride Fl ...
. A skywalk connects the SeaBus terminal to the main station building, where passengers can transfer to the
West Coast Express The West Coast Express is a commuter railway serving the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, it provides a link between Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Regional District and is the only commuter railway in ...
and two lines of the SkyTrain system ( Expo Line and
Canada Line The Canada Line is a rapid transit line in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that is part of the SkyTrain system. The line is owned by TransLink and InTransitBC and is operated by ProTrans BC. Coloured turquoise on route maps, it op ...
). In 2018, a seismic and accessibility upgrade of the Waterfront terminal began, which included escalator replacements and the construction of a new staircase to improve foot traffic flow. In North Vancouver, the SeaBus stops at the purpose-built
Lonsdale Quay Lonsdale Quay is a SeaBus ferry terminal and major transit exchange that serves Metro Vancouver's North Shore municipalities. The quay is located in the City of North Vancouver. The BCIT Marine Campus and Lonsdale Quay Market are located wi ...
, which features an adjacent bus loop; together they form a major transit hub for Vancouver's North Shore municipalities. In addition to serving commuters, Lonsdale Quay has become an important tourist destination, with a hotel and public market. In 1989, the North Vancouver terminal was designated the "Charles A. Spratt SeaBus Terminal", in honour of Charles Spratt, Project Manager of the SeaBus project from conception to launch, and Marine Manager of the system until his retirement in 1988. Each terminal consists of two docks surrounded by an "E"-shaped structure: passengers board from the central waiting hall, which is separated into two waiting areas (each serving one dock) by partitions and turnstiles, and disembark onto a side platform (a
Spanish solution In railway and rapid transit parlance, the Spanish solution is a station layout with two railway platforms, one on each side of the track, which allows for separate platforms for boarding and alighting. Description This platform arrangement allo ...
).


Ferries

The current SeaBus fleet consists of the following vessels: The ferries are
catamaran A Formula 16 beachable catamaran Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stab ...
s constructed out of
aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
, which was quite rare when the initial two crafts were constructed in the 1970s. The ferries are double-ended so that they can travel in either direction without turning around. There are four
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s in each vessel, one for each propeller. The propulsion system uses a marine version of the same diesel engine used to power many of the diesel
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es on the transit system. The ferries can operate with only three engines if required. The ferries are equipped with radar, allowing them to operate in dense fog. The third vessel, the ''Burrard Pacific Breeze'', began service in December 2009, and TransLink operated all three ferries during the
2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
. TransLink originally planned to provide regular three-vessel service by 2011 by overhauling and refitting both the ''Burrard Otter'' and the ''Burrard Beaver'' following the games to extend their service life for an additional twenty years. However, citing the lack of funding, the agency announced in 2009 it planned to upgrade only one of the original vessels and retire the other one; another new ferry will be commissioned instead if funding becomes available in the future. TransLink resumed two-vessel service in March 2010, mostly using the ''Burrard Beaver'' and the ''Burrard Pacific Breeze'', with the ''Burrard Otter'' being used as a substitute. At that point the agency announced its intention to keep all three vessels in the expectation that funding becomes available for three-vessel service in the future. In late 2012, TransLink announced it had selected
Damen Group The Damen Group is a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company based in Gorinchem, Netherlands. Though it is a major international group doing business in 120 countries, it remains a private family-owned company. Dame ...
of the Netherlands to build the fourth SeaBus vessel, the MV ''Burrard Chinook''; the project was expected to cost approximately $25million. The new vessel was expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2014, at which point the ''Burrard Beaver'' would become a spare vessel and the ''Burrard Otter'' would be retired. Construction on the fourth SeaBus was delayed until November 2017, at which point the project cost had grown to $32.2million. In September 2019, TransLink announced the ''Chinook'' would not enter service until mid-2020. It ultimately entered service on July 22, 2021. Before the ''Chinook'' entered service, there used to be no spare ferries, and all refits and upgrades were done during a long weekend when the half-hour service could be maintained with one vessel. Engine replacements and minor refits can be done during the system downtime overnight. Despite running for over 35 years, the two original ships were rarely taken out of service for maintenance, boasting a service reliability of over 99.9%.


Fuel efficiency

The Vancouver SeaBus uses 83 kilowatt-hours per vehicle-kilometre, at a speed of 13.5 kilometres per hour. When full (i.e. when seating 400 people), the energy used is 0.21 kilowatt-hours per passenger-kilometre.


Livery

The colour scheme of SeaBus has changed at least three times since opening in 1977. From launch until 1985, both the ''Burrard Otter'' and the ''Burrard Beaver'' were painted a bright orange colour in order to make them highly visible to other ships and tugs using the harbour, since the SeaBus route crosses the path of other traffic. To accommodate Vancouver's
Expo 86 The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...
, the city's then-transit authority
BC Transit BC Transit is a provincial crown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside Greater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. In , the syst ...
changed the design scheme to white with one red and one blue stripe as well as a BC flag label, matching SeaBus with the then newly built SkyTrain system and newly ordered bus fleet. This remained until the 1999/2000 handover of BC Transit to Metro Vancouver's present transportation administration, TransLink. The paint scheme has since been white (or grey) with blue and golden yellow strips across the sides of the ferries. Rather than using the standard livery, the ''Burrard Chinook'' is wrapped in art illustrating the lifecycle of the
Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus '' Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ...
, designed by Indigenous artists from the
Musqueam Indian Band The Musqueam Indian Band ( ; hur, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm ) is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the only First Nations band whose reserve community lies within the boundaries of the City of Vancouv ...
, the
Squamish Nation The Squamish Nation, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw () in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish language), is an Indian Act government originally imposed on the Squamish (''Sḵwx̱wú7mesh'') by the Federal Government of Canada in the late 19th cen ...
, and the
Tsleil-Waututh First Nation The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ( hur, səlilwətaɬ ), formerly known as the Burrard Indian Band or Burrard Inlet Indian Band, is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation ("TWN") are Co ...
.


Ridership


History

The first regular service between the City of North Vancouver and
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
began in 1900 with the craft ''North Vancouver''. Three years later, the North Vancouver Ferry and Power Company was created, took over the existing service, and built a new craft called ''St. George''. These two ferries were later renamed ''North Vancouver Ferry No. 1'' and ''North Vancouver Ferry No. 2''. The City of North Vancouver took over the service in 1908 to provide a more reliable ferry connection with Downtown Vancouver. Soon after, another craft, ''North Vancouver Ferry No. 3'', was built. In 1936, the ''No. 2'' was retired and used as a
logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
camp on the west coast of
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
until it was destroyed by fire. In 1938, the
Lions Gate Bridge The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938 and officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipal ...
was completed, which significantly reduced demand for ferry service. However, there was an increase in demand with the onset of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
because of the
shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befo ...
boom in North Vancouver. This growth in business spurred the creation of a new ferry, the ''North Vancouver Ferry No. 5'', in 1941. The '' MV Crosline'' was also leased from
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
to meet demand. According to James Barr, 1943 was the busiest year that North Vancouver Ferries had, ferrying over 7 million passengers across the
Burrard Inlet french: Baie Burrard , image = Burrard Inlet 201807.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Aerial view of Burrard Inlet , image_bathymetry = Burrard-Inlet-map-en.svg , alt_bathymetry ...
. ''North Vancouver No. 5'' was built in
Coal Harbour Coal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula and the Brockton Point of Stanley Park. It has also now become the name of the neighbourhood adjacent to its southern shoreline. Neighbourhoo ...
by Boeing Shipyards in 1941. It ran faithfully with its Union Diesel until 1958 when it was tied up at the foot of Lonsdale Ave along with ''North Vancouver Ferry No. 4''. Jesse Oliver Kinnie, a North Vancouver Ferry employee, looked into the possibility of purchasing ''North Vancouver Ferry No. 4'' and running it on the same route as it had run all its life. It had a higher height clearance on the car deck than ''Ferry No. 5'' and was faster. The numbers did not add up and the plan was abandoned. ''Ferry No. 4'' also ran on a Union Diesel. The ferries were in major decline by the 1950s. In 1948, the ''No. 3'' was taken off of regular service and was sold in 1953. The cost of operating the ferries was high, and the last sailing by the ''No. 4'' ferry took place on August 30, 1958. The ''No. 4'' was later sold to be used in Prince Rupert. Later, ''No. 4'' returned to Vancouver and was tied up on the Vancouver side of Burrard Inlet. It was in desperate need of a refit and had to be kept afloat with pumps to keep the water out of its hull. When the power failed and the pumps stopped it went to the bottom of the inlet. The ''No. 5'' was converted into the Seven Seas Restaurant at the foot of Lonsdale in North Vancouver. It remained there until 2002 when the City of North Vancouver and the federal courts had it demolished after a long-standing dispute over who would be responsible if it sank and concern that the hull was in danger of imminent collapse. In dry dock it proved to be quite sound, but at that point the decision had already been made to scrap it. There were plans in the 1960s to build a tunnel under
Burrard Inlet french: Baie Burrard , image = Burrard Inlet 201807.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Aerial view of Burrard Inlet , image_bathymetry = Burrard-Inlet-map-en.svg , alt_bathymetry ...
which would have connected to the proposed freeways on the Vancouver side. After the freeway plans in Vancouver were cancelled, the tunnel proposal was also abandoned, and the money originally slated for that project was instead redirected to re-establishing a passenger ferry service between Vancouver and the North Shore. The ferry proposal was included in a 1975 report by the
Greater Vancouver Regional District The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 28 ...
, and the current SeaBus ferries began operating the Waterfront Station–Lonsdale Quay route on June 17, 1977, initially as part of the Transportation Division of
BC Hydro The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, operating as BC Hydro, is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia. It is the main electricity distributor, serving more than 4 million customers in most areas, with the exce ...
. For the first few years of service, the automated fare machines (the first in Vancouver's transit system) at the two SeaBus terminals printed an impression of the rider's coins onto a cash register-style receipt, which could become very long if fares were paid in small-denomination coins such as
pennies A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...
.


Notes


References


History of Metropolitan Vancouver


External links


TransLink - Transit Schedules - SeaBus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seabus Transport in Greater Vancouver