M/V Northern Adventure |
|
| Career (Bahamas) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | M/V Sonia (Adamantios Korais during construction) |
| Owner: | Tomasos Transporto & Tourism (TTT Lines) Naples, Italy |
| Operator: | International Shipping Partners |
| Port of registry: | Nassau |
| Route: | Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Scarborough, Tobago |
| Builder: | Atsalakis Yards Perama, Greece |
| Launched: | June 2004 |
| Acquired: | 26 July 2004 |
| Fate: | Sold to BC Ferries for €35.7 million, or $50.6 million CAD. |
| Career (Canada) | |
| Name: | M/V Northern Adventure |
| Owner: | BC Ferries |
| Port of registry: | Victoria |
| Route: | Inside Passage route between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, British Columbia |
| Acquired: | 2006 |
| In service: | March 31, 2007 to the present |
| Out of service: | December 18, 2006 to March 2007 ($18-million refit and interior upgrade) |
| General characteristics [1][2] | |
| Class and type: | RORO ferry |
| Tonnage: | 9,925 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Displacement: | 5,983 |
| Length: | 117 m |
| Beam: | 20.0 m |
| Draft: | 4.7 m |
| Propulsion: | Two MaK 16M32C |
| Speed: | 20.3 knots |
| Capacity: |
Passengers:
Vehicles
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M/V Northern Adventure is a RORO ferry operated by BC Ferries. It sails two routes: the scenic Inside Passage route between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Island crossing between Prince Rupert and Skidegate.
Contents |
Construction on the ship began in Greece in 2001. Due to unspecified delays during construction of the hull, work was delayed, and construction was not completed until June 2004. The ship was first chartered by the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to run the route between Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Scarborough, Tobago. Ship operations were managed by International Shipping Partners.[3] The ferry then operated out of Barcelona before being purchased by BC Ferries in a deal worth €35.7 million, or $50.6 million CAD
The ship was painted in BC Ferries livery and sailed from Greece to Victoria, BC via the Panama Canal.[4] The vessel arrived at the Victoria shipyards on December 18, 2006, where it underwent an $18-million refit and interior upgrade that finished in March 2007.[5][6]
Upon entering service the Northern Adventure initially replaced the Queen of the North, which sank in March 2006, on the Inside Passage route. However, when the Northern Expedition entered service in early 2009 the Queen of Prince Rupert was decommissioned and the Northern Adventure was reassigned to replace the QPR and its Queen Charlotte Island duties.[7]
The Northern Adventure's maiden voyage was on March 31, 2007,[8] leaving Port Hardy for Prince Rupert three hours late. According to news reports quoting Mark Stefanson, executive director of public affairs, the delay was “due to the crew checking things out.” After a short ribbon-cutting ceremony, 144 passengers and 39 vehicles boarded, only to be told the departure was delayed. Some passengers were disappointed that not all the staterooms were ready, and had to sleep sitting up or on the floor. However, many seemed to be impressed with the vessel.
The vessel had further troubles less than a week later when the April 6, 2007 departure from Prince Rupert was delayed more than 30 hours. Problems included a dry chemical leak from a fire extinguisher which set off fire alarms, a grey water tank overflowed, sending water into the galley, and a faulty public address system. [9][10]
The use of non-union GMI labour (in contravention of the LIUNA collective agreement) in the Victoria Shipyards refit is currently a matter of arbitration.
There was also some controversy over the name of the ship - some believed that BC Ferries should have named the ship after the community of Hartley Bay, British Columbia, whose residents helped the passengers of the Queen of the North after the sinking.[11][12]
| Preceded by MV Queen of the North |
BC Ferries Northern Flagship along with MV Northern Expedition 2007-present |
Succeeded by |
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