MV Queen of Chilliwack

MV Queen of Chilliwack was a ferry owned by BC Ferries, built in Norway in 1978, then known as Bastø I. The ferry route she was assigned to was the Moss–Horten Ferry in the Oslofjord.

Queen of Chilliwack at Departure Bay on June 3, 2011
History
NorwayNorway
NameBastø I
OwnerAS Alpha, Gokstad AS
OperatorAS Alpha, Gokstad AS
RouteMoss–Horten Ferry
BuilderFramnæs Mekaniske Værksted
Yard number190
Completed1978
IdentificationIMO number7700415
Fatesold to BC Ferries in 1991
CanadaCanada
NameQueen of Chilliwack
NamesakeChilliwack, British Columbia
OwnerBritish Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
OperatorBritish Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
Acquired1991
IdentificationIMO number7700415
Fatesold to Goundar Shipping in 2015
FijiFiji
NameLomaiviti Princess III
OwnerGoundar Shipping Ltd.
OperatorGoundar Shipping
Acquired2015
Identification
General characteristics
Class and typeunclassified
Typeferry
Displacement3447
Length114.58 m
Installed power5,880 hp (4,380 kW)
Speed12.5 knots (23.2 km/h)
Capacity
  • 400 passengers and crew
  • 115 cars

In 1991 Bastø I was bought by BC Ferries. She had to travel 35 days on the trip to British Columbia from Norway, via the Panama Canal. When the vessel arrived she first went to Point Hope Shipyard for a major overhaul for the Tsawwassen - Southern Gulf Islands ferry route in the Gulf of Georgia. She was then named Queen of Chilliwack. She later changed to the Earls Cove - Saltery Bay route.

In 1996 Queen of Chilliwack was taken out of service for another overhaul, this time the ferry was assigned to the new mid-coast route called the Discovery Coast Passage which goes through Queen Charlotte Sound. Queen of Chilliwack would first start from Port Hardy and begin her journey up to the small First Nations communities of Namu, Bella Bella, Shearwater, Ocean Falls, and Bella Coola. In the winter prior to 2009, Queen of Chilliwack maintained the Earls Cove - Saltery Bay route. While the MV Northern Expedition handles the Port Hardy to Prince Rupert route. As of 2009 she has been replaced by the MV Malaspina Sky on the Earls Cove - Saltery Bay route.

In 2015 "Queen of Chilliwack" was sold to Goundar Shipping of Fiji reportedly for $1.8 million.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Off to Fiji: B.C. Ferries mum on Queen of Chilliwack sale price". Retrieved 2016-09-12.
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Queen of Chilliwack plied route 40 in summer