Hot tub on the move - phase one
Where once there was a wall...
.... there is no more!
ok, so maybe it will leave the downstairs loo a bit exposed?
While the coffee was brewing ......
....... I decided to take a short walk round the corner
into Hummingbird Park,
met the local wildlife,
sat at the picnic table.....
..... and watched the 7.45 ferry on it's way to Tsawwassen
before heading down to the beach...
to the best seat in the house!
then back home for coffee, all in just 10 minutes!
A transport of delight?
It's not often you buy two cars within a few months of each other. It's even more unusual to buy two cars in different continents. But that's what I've just done. Compare the experience:England, November 2008
Target - a cheap, reliable set of wheels to transport 4+ people in comfort on long journeys or to swallow bulky loads
Outcome - 2005 Citroen Picasso 2.0 litre automatic; 45,000 miles (72,000 kms), aircon, cruise control etc.
Reputation - Gas guzzler - often suffers electrical problems
How did I find it? - On the web. Not precisely what I had in mind, but worth a look.
The deal - Just under £5,000 ($9,000 Canadian) - including 3 year warranty. Had to buy 2 new tyres soon after.
Performance - Top speed 119mph (190 kph); 0-60mph (0-97kph) in 11 seconds;
Average fuel consumption 33 mpg (8.6 litres/100km)
Fuel cost - £0.93 ($1.68 CAD) per litre
Fuel cost per mile - £0.13 ($0.24 CAD)
Tax and Insurance - £475 ($855 CAD) per annum (2 named drivers only) with 7 years NCD.
Insurance Cover - Purchased on web - took 15 minutes. 7 years NCD transferred from previous policy
Running Costs @ 10,000 miles per annum - £1,800 ($3,250 CAD) plus maintenance
Canada, March 2009
Target - a cheap, reliable set of wheels to transport 4+ people in comfort on long journeys or to swallow bulky loads
Outcome - 2003 Ford Windstar 3.8 litre automatic; 57,000 miles (92,000 kms), aircon, cruise control etc
Reputation - Gas guzzler - often suffers electrical problems
How did I find it? - On the web. Not precisely what I had in mind, but worth a look.
The deal - Just under $5,000 CAD (£2,750) - including 6 month warranty and 4 new tyres.
Performance - Top speed 112 mph (180 kph); 0-100kph (0-62mph) in 9.6 seconds
Average fuel consumption 25mpg (11.5 litres/100km)
Fuel cost - £0.51 ($0.93 CAD) per litre
Fuel cost per mile - £0.09 ($0.17 CAD)
Tax and Insurance - £553 ($1,000 CAD) per annum (any driver) with 7 years NCD
Insurance Cover - Had to be purchased through ICBC Agent; took 2 visits and more than 1 hour. 2 proofs of identity required; evidence of NCD has to be obtained from EACH insurance company used over the past 7 years. Until such proof is received, full price of insurance has to be paid - £885 ($1,600 CAD). Ouch!
Running costs @ 10,000 miles per annum - £1,500 ($2,700 CAD) plus maintenance with 7 years NCD proved. Initial cost £1,825 ($3,300) plus maintenance with insurance at full price.
Verdict
Buying a used car in Canada costs a lot less than in the UK; you get more car for your money - and, with fuel at just over half the price charged in the UK, the fact that it drinks a lot more won't worry you too much.... until you start looking at your carbon footprint. Buying insurance - like many other things in Canada - involves levels of bureaucracy long gone in the UK since the explosion of websales. It will come, no doubt, but until it does, at least you get a personal service with a smile from your Canadian insurance broker while she relieves you of your money!
Footnote
So far, I've only taken delivery of the number plates for my Canadian car. I get the rest of the car tomorrow!
Return to the island
Spring came to Gabriola in February this year - then winter returned unexpectedly.
After a smooth crossing from Vancouver in the sunshine, the clouds were hanging low over Nanaimo - a sure sign of a chill in the air. As Gabriola came into view, snow was clinging to the treetops and a smooth white layer coated the ground.
In the garden, it was evident that the lawn was not quite ready for mowing.
I'd had visitors of course - deer across the front garden, basset hounds at the back. But in the centre of the lawn, four footprints together were something of a mystery - the same size as the deer, but in a very different pattern. Something of a giant hare about it, or maybe a small kangaroo! Could this be a raccoon checking out the territory?
After a smooth crossing from Vancouver in the sunshine, the clouds were hanging low over Nanaimo - a sure sign of a chill in the air. As Gabriola came into view, snow was clinging to the treetops and a smooth white layer coated the ground.
In the garden, it was evident that the lawn was not quite ready for mowing.
I'd had visitors of course - deer across the front garden, basset hounds at the back. But in the centre of the lawn, four footprints together were something of a mystery - the same size as the deer, but in a very different pattern. Something of a giant hare about it, or maybe a small kangaroo! Could this be a raccoon checking out the territory?
All packed and ready to go.....
It seems an age since I was last in Gabriola - taking possession of our new home. Back in the fall, the Canadian Dollar was at $2.03 to the £ when we completed the purchase - which was great, as our offer had been based on an exchange rate of $1.89 - se we were very pleased when the time came to transfer the money from the UK.
Since then the bubble has burst worldwide - nowhere more so than in Canada, so the folks out west tell me. As the weeks ticked by, Christmas came and went, and by mid January the Canadian dollar had strengthened against the £ - and at one point we could only buy $1.69 to the £! And you think the Canadian economy is in a mess.....
Right now, with renovations to be started, we have watched the exchange rate daily - waiting for that golden moment to transfer more of our savings to our Canadian account. For one day - just one day, mind you, the rate was at $1.80 to the £ so, of course, we had to decide whether it had peaked .... or if it would continue to rise (or is that fall?)
It's all guesswork of course, so we moved some money that day..... and more a couple of days later as the rate started to slip once more. Right now? It's still at $1.78 to the £, so maybe we got in just in time!
So, with British Airways' co-operation, it's almost time to go. Next update will be from Gabriola.
Since then the bubble has burst worldwide - nowhere more so than in Canada, so the folks out west tell me. As the weeks ticked by, Christmas came and went, and by mid January the Canadian dollar had strengthened against the £ - and at one point we could only buy $1.69 to the £! And you think the Canadian economy is in a mess.....
Right now, with renovations to be started, we have watched the exchange rate daily - waiting for that golden moment to transfer more of our savings to our Canadian account. For one day - just one day, mind you, the rate was at $1.80 to the £ so, of course, we had to decide whether it had peaked .... or if it would continue to rise (or is that fall?)
It's all guesswork of course, so we moved some money that day..... and more a couple of days later as the rate started to slip once more. Right now? It's still at $1.78 to the £, so maybe we got in just in time!
So, with British Airways' co-operation, it's almost time to go. Next update will be from Gabriola.
Ferry conundrum
We're all keen to criticise BC Ferries when things go wrong.
Sure, when it's a failure on the part of their organisation then they should be held to account. But when the problem is outside BC Ferries' control, they still seem to get the blame!
Take Transport Canada's new regulations on marine staffing levels. The government has imposed restrictions that mean fewer passengers can be carried on many of BCF's smaller vessels unless crew numbers are increased - and that, we're told, would cost BC Ferries another $3 million a year. That's $3 million that they don't currently have, so what should they do?
BC Ferries are quoted as saying: "Our traffic department is analyzing historical traffic patterns so we can identify those times when we think it's going to be busier and we can add an extra person. We've also asked the ferry advisory committees and residents of the community (to) let us know if there's going to be a festival or something like that going on, where they expect to have more traffic. Then we can plan for that. But just to add that extra crew member all the time, when you don't need it for your licence, is a waste of money."
That's perfectly true, of course. An extra member of crew on every ferry would be a waste of money - because it would be our money that would be used to pay for it, through higher fares on every route, all of the time. And that would just lead to more criticism of BC Ferries - so no-one wins.
So North Island MLA Claire Trevena has experienced at first hand the impact of the new restrictions on the Powell River Queen, whose passenger capacity has been slashed from 402 to 193. Slashed by Transport Canada - not by BC Ferries of course. Yet Trevena chooses to point the finger at BC Ferries, not Transport Canada...
"The whole way that BC Ferries is operating is an argument for confusion and ferry rage" she told the Courier-Islander. when she arrived in time for the 5:25 p.m. ferry only to find that a number of young people were heading over to Camp Homewood, helping to push the passenger count to its new limit. It's BC Ferries to blame, of course, for their policy of allowing foot passengers to board before cars are loaded.
Why do they do that? Well, from what I can see it's the safest thing to do. On the minor ferry routes there's only one boarding ramp and foot passengers are loaded first so that they can get to the seating area before vehicles start to board. And yes, this could mean that if an exceptional number of foot passengers are on board, then it's the car drivers that may have to wait the next ferry. In their car, in the dry, listening to the radio. Probably with a good book.
The most likely time ferries will reach capacity is time when students are travelling to and from school. Maybe the School Board should fund the extra crew member at these times? But where does the money come from if the school boards are already cash starved? We won't blame the school board of course, because we can blame BC Ferries!
Maybe it's time for the Ferry Advisory Committees to work with BC Ferries and Transport Canada to reach a sensible solution that won't result in BC Ferries wasting our money, and won't push the fares up. Transport Canada requires extra crew to be available if the number of passengers exceeds the new limit for each vessel. What for? Not to operate the vessel - just to ensure that passengers are safe in the event of an incident. So maybe, just maybe, this is an opportunity for the community to play it's part, and for each FAC to arrange for volunteers to be trained in marine safety procedures so that there's less likelihood of a sudden surge in passengers resulting in drivers being left behind.
It should be the responsibility of any organisation that requires large numbers of people (maybe more than 20?) to travel on the ferry at one time to ensure that they have someone who has been trained in marine safety procedures to meet and travel with the group - whether that's the School Board, Camp Homewood, or any community organisation. If they don't have a trained volunteer available, then they should pay BC Ferries to provide the extra crew member.
As a transport operator for many years, I can sympathise with BC Ferries' reluctance to fund the whole cost themselves. If the regulators change the rules, then a choice has to be made - but that choice has to be sustainable. At the end of the day, the operator's responsibility is to ensure the safety of passengers - and if that means limiting the supply to an affordable level, then that's what has to be done.
If Transport Canada decided that every taxi needed a second driver on board (just in case of an incident) then we'd soon lose all of our island taxis. We wouldn't blame the taxi owners of course, because we know that they couldn't afford to employ all those extra drivers. We'd probably blame BC Ferries!
Sure, when it's a failure on the part of their organisation then they should be held to account. But when the problem is outside BC Ferries' control, they still seem to get the blame!
Take Transport Canada's new regulations on marine staffing levels. The government has imposed restrictions that mean fewer passengers can be carried on many of BCF's smaller vessels unless crew numbers are increased - and that, we're told, would cost BC Ferries another $3 million a year. That's $3 million that they don't currently have, so what should they do?
BC Ferries are quoted as saying: "Our traffic department is analyzing historical traffic patterns so we can identify those times when we think it's going to be busier and we can add an extra person. We've also asked the ferry advisory committees and residents of the community (to) let us know if there's going to be a festival or something like that going on, where they expect to have more traffic. Then we can plan for that. But just to add that extra crew member all the time, when you don't need it for your licence, is a waste of money."
That's perfectly true, of course. An extra member of crew on every ferry would be a waste of money - because it would be our money that would be used to pay for it, through higher fares on every route, all of the time. And that would just lead to more criticism of BC Ferries - so no-one wins.
So North Island MLA Claire Trevena has experienced at first hand the impact of the new restrictions on the Powell River Queen, whose passenger capacity has been slashed from 402 to 193. Slashed by Transport Canada - not by BC Ferries of course. Yet Trevena chooses to point the finger at BC Ferries, not Transport Canada...
"The whole way that BC Ferries is operating is an argument for confusion and ferry rage" she told the Courier-Islander. when she arrived in time for the 5:25 p.m. ferry only to find that a number of young people were heading over to Camp Homewood, helping to push the passenger count to its new limit. It's BC Ferries to blame, of course, for their policy of allowing foot passengers to board before cars are loaded.
Why do they do that? Well, from what I can see it's the safest thing to do. On the minor ferry routes there's only one boarding ramp and foot passengers are loaded first so that they can get to the seating area before vehicles start to board. And yes, this could mean that if an exceptional number of foot passengers are on board, then it's the car drivers that may have to wait the next ferry. In their car, in the dry, listening to the radio. Probably with a good book.
The most likely time ferries will reach capacity is time when students are travelling to and from school. Maybe the School Board should fund the extra crew member at these times? But where does the money come from if the school boards are already cash starved? We won't blame the school board of course, because we can blame BC Ferries!
Maybe it's time for the Ferry Advisory Committees to work with BC Ferries and Transport Canada to reach a sensible solution that won't result in BC Ferries wasting our money, and won't push the fares up. Transport Canada requires extra crew to be available if the number of passengers exceeds the new limit for each vessel. What for? Not to operate the vessel - just to ensure that passengers are safe in the event of an incident. So maybe, just maybe, this is an opportunity for the community to play it's part, and for each FAC to arrange for volunteers to be trained in marine safety procedures so that there's less likelihood of a sudden surge in passengers resulting in drivers being left behind.
It should be the responsibility of any organisation that requires large numbers of people (maybe more than 20?) to travel on the ferry at one time to ensure that they have someone who has been trained in marine safety procedures to meet and travel with the group - whether that's the School Board, Camp Homewood, or any community organisation. If they don't have a trained volunteer available, then they should pay BC Ferries to provide the extra crew member.
As a transport operator for many years, I can sympathise with BC Ferries' reluctance to fund the whole cost themselves. If the regulators change the rules, then a choice has to be made - but that choice has to be sustainable. At the end of the day, the operator's responsibility is to ensure the safety of passengers - and if that means limiting the supply to an affordable level, then that's what has to be done.
If Transport Canada decided that every taxi needed a second driver on board (just in case of an incident) then we'd soon lose all of our island taxis. We wouldn't blame the taxi owners of course, because we know that they couldn't afford to employ all those extra drivers. We'd probably blame BC Ferries!
Quinsam returns to Gabriola
The MV Quinsam will return to service on Wednesday, February 18 with the 5:45 a.m. sailing from Descanso Bay.
The vessel returns to service following the first phase of its midlife upgrade that included painting of the vessel, steel replacement and sewage treatment plant improvements. The second phase of the upgrade, which will include passenger amenity improvements, is scheduled to begin in October 2009.
BC Ferries thanks its customers for their patience - but some of us came to enjoy the relative comfort of the Bowen Queen's lounges!
The vessel returns to service following the first phase of its midlife upgrade that included painting of the vessel, steel replacement and sewage treatment plant improvements. The second phase of the upgrade, which will include passenger amenity improvements, is scheduled to begin in October 2009.
BC Ferries thanks its customers for their patience - but some of us came to enjoy the relative comfort of the Bowen Queen's lounges!
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