Anyone have any experience with the Black Ball Ferry (http://markholtz.info/cohoferry)?
I took the M.V. Coho back in 2000, and it was about a 75-minute journey. The middle 30 minutes on each ride featured lots of tilting back and forth along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
We didn't take a car, as we have family in Port Angeles, so we walked on.
The last time I checked, Victoria Island was located in the Arctic. Are you referring to the city of Victoria located on Vancouver Island?
According to the link, I assume so.
Quote from: formulanone on August 01, 2013, 04:01:16 PM
According to the link, I assume so.
According to the link, I-101.
Took it northbound about four weeks ago. Nothing really much to write about. But if you're going at anything even close to a popular time, you'll probably want to pay extra to reserve a spot in advance at their website. A Tuesday 8 a.m. sailing was close to -- but not quite -- full.
When you enter the ferry complex, you drive up to a payment window, where you also have to show passports (etc.) for all passengers. Everyone also has to complete a yellow card with your full name, and the card is collected before you drive onboard, for the Coast Guard.
There's free wi-fi in the auto waiting area, although you need a password. To get it, walk into the ferry office and ask.
No access to vehicles is allowed after you drive on until just before arriving in Victoria. BRING YOUR JACKET. It's cold and windy. Always.
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking. This dumps you directly into downtown Victoria traffic, which can be heavy. The traffic lanes are somewhat narrow, too. Plan where you're going in Victoria before you get there, and count on plenty of time to get through the downtown area to any of the outbound highways.
The ferry is booked for both directions. I am having fun about taking a boat to Canada.
Quote from: Kniwt on August 02, 2013, 01:47:11 AM
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking.
I've never heard of U.S. citizens getting their passports stamped entering Canada.
Quote from: kkt on August 18, 2013, 07:53:55 PM
Quote from: Kniwt on August 02, 2013, 01:47:11 AM
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking.
I've never heard of U.S. citizens getting their passports stamped entering Canada.
I got my passport stamped because I changed flights in YYZ from USA to Canada.
Quote from: kkt on August 18, 2013, 07:53:55 PM
Quote from: Kniwt on August 02, 2013, 01:47:11 AM
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking.
I've never heard of U.S. citizens getting their passports stamped entering Canada.
My old passport (expired last year) has a Canadian stamp from 2007 from the ferry terminal in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. That's the only time Canada Customs ever stamped it. I've never gotten a US stamp when returning from Canada (including at the other end of the ferry in Portland), not even on my lone air trip (which would have been a pre-clearance stamp from the facility at YVR–no corresponding air entry to Canada because we took a one-way cruise from Seward to Vancouver). I have US stamps from all my other air trips abroad, but none for any travel coming from Canada.
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2013, 12:42:19 PM
Quote from: kkt on August 18, 2013, 07:53:55 PM
Quote from: Kniwt on August 02, 2013, 01:47:11 AM
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking.
I've never heard of U.S. citizens getting their passports stamped entering Canada.
My old passport (expired last year) has a Canadian stamp from 2007 from the ferry terminal in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. That's the only time Canada Customs ever stamped it. I've never gotten a US stamp when returning from Canada (including at the other end of the ferry in Portland), not even on my lone air trip (which would have been a pre-clearance stamp from the facility at YVR–no corresponding air entry to Canada because we took a one-way cruise from Seward to Vancouver). I have US stamps from all my other air trips abroad, but none for any travel coming from Canada.
Maybe it's entering by sea vs. entering by land or air?
Quote from: kkt on August 21, 2013, 12:44:52 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2013, 12:42:19 PM
Quote from: kkt on August 18, 2013, 07:53:55 PM
Quote from: Kniwt on August 02, 2013, 01:47:11 AM
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking.
I've never heard of U.S. citizens getting their passports stamped entering Canada.
My old passport (expired last year) has a Canadian stamp from 2007 from the ferry terminal in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. That's the only time Canada Customs ever stamped it. I've never gotten a US stamp when returning from Canada (including at the other end of the ferry in Portland), not even on my lone air trip (which would have been a pre-clearance stamp from the facility at YVR–no corresponding air entry to Canada because we took a one-way cruise from Seward to Vancouver). I have US stamps from all my other air trips abroad, but none for any travel coming from Canada.
Maybe it's entering by sea vs. entering by land or air?
Perhaps, but if that were so, I wonder why I didn't get a Canadian stamp when I entered by sea in Vancouver at the end of the cruise.
Is there any way the Mods can change the thread title to "Port Angeles <==> Vancouver Island Ferry"? Victoria, BC is on Vancouver Island and Victoria Island is in the Artic Ocean.
Quote from: dmuzika on September 15, 2013, 03:28:16 AM
Is there any way the Mods can change the thread title to "Port Angeles <==> Vancouver Island Ferry"? Victoria, BC is on Vancouver Island and Victoria Island is in the Artic Ocean.
;)
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2013, 12:42:19 PM
Quote from: kkt on August 18, 2013, 07:53:55 PM
Quote from: Kniwt on August 02, 2013, 01:47:11 AM
Upon arriving in Victoria, follow the agents' directions to drive into Canadian Customs. The crossing was friendly enough, and I even got a completely unnecessary passport stamp without asking.
I've never heard of U.S. citizens getting their passports stamped entering Canada.
My old passport (expired last year) has a Canadian stamp from 2007 from the ferry terminal in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. That's the only time Canada Customs ever stamped it. I've never gotten a US stamp when returning from Canada (including at the other end of the ferry in Portland), not even on my lone air trip (which would have been a pre-clearance stamp from the facility at YVR–no corresponding air entry to Canada because we took a one-way cruise from Seward to Vancouver). I have US stamps from all my other air trips abroad, but none for any travel coming from Canada.
My passport has a Canadian stamp from entering the county via ferry in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia as well, from a visit on International Talk Like a Pirate Day in 2008 (I had a lot of fun with that tidbit). Perhaps this was because the Yarmouth port of entry was utilized more as a tourist destination of sorts while the CAT ferry was making trips between there and Maine. That would be my lone Canadian stamp in my passport.
Speaking of the Maine/Nova Scotia ferry, the rumor I'm reading is that slow ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth may be returning in 2014.
Quote from: Dougtone on October 19, 2013, 06:35:28 AM
Speaking of the Maine/Nova Scotia ferry, the rumor I'm reading is that slow ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth may be returning in 2014.
I'd say your rumors are correct - Maine awarded a contract for the service back in August http://www.wmtw.com/news/maine/portland/ferry-service-returning-between-portland-and-yarmouth-nova-scotia/-/8865266/21451714/-/rite05z/-/index.html
The article mentions that Nova Scotia is still negotiating, but implies that the service is definitely happening next summer.
I don't know if I'd want to take the slow ferry from Portland to Yarmouth. I believe the old Scotia Prince took 18 hours. Seems to me a better use of that time might be just to drive to Saint John and take the ferry to Digby. I just had Google Maps plot me a route between the Portland and Yarmouth ferry terminals. It used the Saint John-to-Digby ferry and it says it's 409 miles and takes 9:41 (it routes you across Route 9 from Bangor to Calais; going up I-95 to Houlton adds about another 90 miles). That's a lot faster than a slow ferry, though I suppose if you could go overnight and sleep on the boat it might be productive in the sense of sparing you a night in a motel somewhere.
Bar Harbor is a different story. I remember taking the old Bluenose back in 1982 and it took about seven hours. Assuming a new slow ferry were comparable, that's a time savings over the drive because Google Maps quoted 296 miles taking 8:16 to go from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth by driving (from Ellsworth it sends you up to Route 9, then across to Saint John and via the ferry). Of course you still have to deal with clearing Customs in Yarmouth, but you'd have to do that near Calais as well.
I read somewhere that one thing that hurt the Cat Ferry was that it didn't carry tractor-trailers. For truck operators, the fare for the ferry might be a decent savings over the fuel and distance involved in going all the way around by land.
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 21, 2013, 11:33:15 AM
I don't know if I'd want to take the slow ferry from Portland to Yarmouth. I believe the old Scotia Prince took 18 hours........
The Scotia Prince did the Portland — Yarmouth crossing in about 11 hours each way which gave it about an hour in each port to unload and load.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7gt_VEylfBQ/Ugvw8UDhLyI/AAAAAAAAKVU/W8QMmgAxwP8/s800/Image%2520%25283%2529.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WvmEBJngwQw/UgvxBMzYxSI/AAAAAAAAKVc/BscgrPBPBrY/s800/Image%2520%25282%2529.jpg)
The new Nova Star ferry is supposed to do the crossing in about 9 hours.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1148092-video-a-closer-look-at-the-ferry-planned-for-yarmouth#novaphotos
......it's not a done-deal yet but most are optimistic:
http://www.pressherald.com/news/localstate/Deal_for_Nova_Scotia_ferry_to_Maine_not_final_.html
Quote from: ghYHZ on October 21, 2013, 06:08:17 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 21, 2013, 11:33:15 AM
I don't know if I'd want to take the slow ferry from Portland to Yarmouth. I believe the old Scotia Prince took 18 hours........
The Scotia Prince did the Portland — Yarmouth crossing in about 11 hours each way which gave it about an hour in each port to unload and load.
I've clinched that ferry. Lost the lunch, got the hat.