The Aquabus, also known as, Aquabus Ferries Ltd., is a privately owned and operated ferry service that provides commuter and sightseeing servicesParton, Nicole. "Battle of the ferries is a False Creek epic", ''

Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published s ...

'', May 12, 1988, Page B-3. to locations all along

False Creek False Creek (french: Faux ruisseau) is a short narrow inlet in the heart of Vancouver, separating the Downtown and West End neighbourhoods from the rest of the city. It is one of the four main bodies of water bordering Vancouver, along with ...

of central

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 ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The Aquabus started service in 1986."Aquabus Ferries in Vancouver, British Columbia"
''

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

'', Accessed September 14, 2009.

History

The beginning of ferry service throughout False Creek occurred in the summer of 1979 when Brian and Laura Beesley began operating a tour and water taxi service around Granville Island and False Creek.Vancouver Courier, Vol. 74 No. 48. December 1st, 1982 Page 1, 7 The Aquabus Ferry Company was formed in 1986 by Jeff Pratt, the son of George Pratt who was a former partner at competitor Granville Island Ferries division False Creek Ferries. It has since grown along with the population surrounding

. Four Benford designed ferries were in operation by

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 ...

and the additional three plus a bicycle ferry, ''Cyquabus I'', were in service by 1995. The heritage ferry, the ''Rainbow Hunter'' was built in 1950."RAINBOW HUNTER (THE) (O.N. 193303)"
''

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 ...

registration'', Accessed September 30, 2009. As the City of Vancouver grew, Aquabus incorporated two more versatile and spacious bicycle ferries, the ''Cyquabus II'' and the "Cyquabus III" in 2003"CYQUABUS II (O.N. 825486)"
''

registration'', Accessed September 30, 2009. and 2006."CYQUABUS III (O.N. 828831)"
''

registration'', Accessed September 30, 2009. In the summer of 2008 one of the Benford ferries was converted to a fully electric propulsion system, and has been used as a test platform for Aquabus' exploration of alternative energy."Two Vancouver companies team up to play the ‘green’ game"
''

Vancouver Board of Trade The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT) is a non-profit organization. It serves Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in a fashion similar to the Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce. The Board is the largest business association between ...

'', May 2008. In the spring of 2010 Aquabus acquired two new bicycle ferries, "Cyquabus IV" and "Cyquabus V" and sold the heritage vessel the "Rainbow Hunter".

The fleet

The Aquabus Ferry Company fleet is currently composed of fourteen vessels divided into two classes: * Seven Traditional Aquabus vessels, designed specifically for this purpose by naval architect Jay Benford.http://www.benford.us/pdf/FerryYachts.pdf These vessels run year round with a carrying capacity of twelve, plus one skipper. In 2008, "Aquabus IV" was converted to use an electric motor. * Seven Cyquabus Ferries, designed to accommodate those with bicycles, strollers, and wheelchairs, as well as regular passengers. The "Cyquabus I" was designed and assembled in 1995 by owner Jeff Pratt in his backyard from pieces made to his specifications by Aggressive Tube Bending of

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...

, British Columbia.Daniels, Alan. "Bus for bikes barges into False Creek ferry fleet", ''

'', July 26, 1995, Page D-1. "Cyquabus I" was decommissioned in the Fall of 2010 following 15 years of service on False Creek as Aquabus' first bicycle ferry.

Stop list

The Aquabus Ferry Company makes scheduled stops at the following locations: * Hornby Street's south foot *

Granville Island Granville Island is a peninsula and shopping district in the Fairview, Vancouver, Fairview neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located across False Creek from Downtown Vancouver under the south end of the Granville Street ...

next to the Arts Club Theatre * David Lam Park at Homer Street * Stamp's Landing by Mahony’s Tavern False Creek restaurant * Spyglass Place: Near the

Olympic Village An Olympic Village is an accommodation center built for the Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials and athletic trainers. Afte ...

beneath the Cambie Street Bridge on the south shore *

Yaletown Yaletown is an area of Downtown Vancouver, Canada, bordered by False Creek and Robson and Homer Streets. Formerly a heavy industrial area dominated by warehouses and rail yards, since the 1986 World's Fair it has been transformed into one of the ...

at the foot of

Davie Street Davie Village (also known as Davie District or simply Davie Street) is a neighbourhood in the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the home of the city's LGBT subculture, and, as such, is often considered a gay village, or ' ...

Plaza of Nations The Plaza of Nations was an entertainment complex located on the northeast shore of False Creek in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was part of the British Columbia Pavilion during Expo '86, and along with Science World, Canada Place, and the R ...

* Science World, across from the SkyTrain

Main Street – Science World Station Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *" Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aquabus Transport in Greater Vancouver Tourism in Vancouver Ferries of British Columbia

History

The fleet

Stop list

See also

References

External links