Feature TheReview Wednesday, August 7, 1991 — Al4 Ferry crew Splifs shifis as Chilliwack crosses sed by Valorie Lennox The Review There’s a seafaring vessel hid- den under the sedate hull of the newly commissioned Queen of Chilliwack — and a seasoned crew of seafaring sailors disguised by B:C. Ferries’ uniforms. Both the ship and the sailors were part of an unusual adventure last spring, sailing the recently purchased Basto I from Norway to Victoria where the ship joined the B.C Ferries fleet. A sea-going ferry was so unu- sual that the ship drew the atten- tion of English and American naval forces when the sound of the ship’s four diesel-powered propel- lers showed up on sonar naval buoys. Captain Ian McKinnon reported overflights by a British navy heli- copter, a U.S. Navy helicopter and a U.S. Onion aircraft, plus a visit from a U.S. destroyer during the ship’s 35-day voyage. A former Sidney resident who now lives in Gibsons, McKinnon is a 25-year veteran of B.C. Ferries who usually sails between Lang- - dale and Horseshoe Bay. Now 53, he first went to sea as a 16-year-old from Scotland. Before joining B.C. Ferries, he worked with the British merchant navy. That background gave him the required foreign going master’s certificate and the experience to bring the new ferry 10,000 nauti- cal miles; crossing the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific coast to B.C “It’s pretty hard for a Canadian to get a foreign-going certificate because of the lack of a foreign- going fleet,” McKinnon said. But B.C. Ferries had no shortage of applicants to serve on the ship during the voyage. About 400 employees applied for less than 40 positions, McKinnon said. To give as many employees as possible a share in the adventure, B.C. Ferries divided the tip into two sections. One crew sailed the ship from Norway to Panama and the second crew took over from Panama to Victoria. Only a few of the senior officers, including McKinnon, and the Nor- wegian chief engineer stayed with the ship during the entire voyage. Originally two captains, McKin- non and Andy Logan, were to oversee the trip and started plan- ning in January. Unfortunately, Logan fell ill a few days before the mid-April departure for Norway, leaving the entire project to McKinnon. Meanwhile, the Basto I had been undergoing renovations for the sea voyage. Built in 1978, the ferry had been sailing an eight mile route across the Oslo fjord. The ship had a reinforced hull, enabling it to break through the ice CZ All Done on Location #12 - 2510 Bevan Ave. (Corner of 2nd & Bevan, Sidney) HOURS: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. ON THE BRIDGE of the newly-commissioned Queen of Chilliwack is B.C. Ferries’ Captain lan McKinnon, who brought the crew. which sometimes filmed the fjord, but was not designed for a sea voyage. “Tt is designed to operate in sheltered waters. We looked at it pretty closely before we took the project on,” McKinnon said. The car deck doors were welded shut and a collision bulkhead con- structed to further seal the deck. Steel plates were bolted over the windows. In high seas, the impact of waves could break the glass, McKinnon noted. Extra electronic navigation equipment, radio equipment and satellite communication equip- ment was installed. Renamed the Queen of Chilliw- ack, the ship set sail May 5. The route was planned to avoid storms and keep winds and high waves aster of the ship, McKin- non said. Manned by an 18- member crew, the Queen of Chil- liwack sailed through the North Sea to the English Channel, south to Tenerife in the Canary Islands and then through the West Indies to the Panama Canal. Although ferries are designed with fine hulls for increased fuel efficiency, they also have a low centre of gravity and an increased tendency to roll quickly in high seas, McKinnon explained. “The ship is not likely to roll over but it is extremely uncomfort- able, to the point of being danger- ous,” he said. The ship was limited to a top speed of 12.5 knots for the voyage, although the Queen of Chilliwack can reach 15 knots. The ship arrived in Cristobel, Panama, on May 27 and both crews sailed the Queen of Chilliw- * UPHOLSTERY * ANTIQUES FuRN Es an’ 652-9454 6655 TRUDEAU TERRACE BRENTWOOD BAY, B.C. ship from Norway fo B.C. using a B.C. Ferries ack through the canal. For many crew members the voyage was a new experience: working 12 hour shifts and then trying to sleep aboard ship, despite tropical heat and no air condition- ing. “A lot of them were pretty thrashed by the time it was over,” McKinnon said. Engine room crew had to adapt to a ship which was running 24- hours-a-day while deck crew had to learn new navigation techni- ques. Living on a ship creates a sense of relationship between crew and vessel, McKinnon noted. “In bad weather you think she’s out to kill you and in good weather she’s like a yacht.” The crew was divided between the most experienced and rela- tively inexperienced B.C. Ferries’ employees, McKinnon said. As many terminals as possible were Tepresented. Local people on board included chief engineer Chris Clack of Sid- ney, who stayed with the ship for the entire trip and oiler Lindsay Mandryk of Saanichton, who served on the Atlantic crew. On the Pacific crew were chief officer Lewis Glentworth of Sidney, sea- man Al Scott of Saanichton and seaman Peter Favelle of Saani- chton. The ship docked in Victoria harbor June and, after renovations, was formally commissioned for the Swartz Bay - Southem Gulf Islands run on July 22. “She’s a great little ship,” McKinnon said. “You always have a certain affection for something that delivers you safely from one side of the ocean to the other.” * ETC. Service Above Self Sidney Committed to preserving the quality of life in Saanich Communities. It’s time for a change. Elsie | McMurphy NEW DEMOCRAT Saanich North & The Islands Policy papers and proposed legislation “ available free at the office. 9803 3rd St., Sidney, V8L 3A6 655-4144 Open Monday to Friday, 12 - 4 p.m. MUFLET G LOUISN OPEN TIL Snakes 8 PM Src INENSGSS FRIDAYS! 2385 Beacon Ave. 656-0022 Sd McKIMM & LOTT BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS & NOTARIES GEORGE F. McKIMM — Retired NICHOLAS W. LOTT CHRISTOPHER S. LOTT R.G. WITT LAPPER TIMOTHY F. LOTT D. MAYLAND McKIMM GRANT S. WARRINGTON Personal Injury/ Real Estate Criminal Law/ Wills & Estates Family Law/ Commercial & Co. Law Municipal Law FIRST l/ 2 HOUR CONSULTATION FREE GANGES CENTRE BLDG. GANGES, B.C.~ 537-9951 9830 FOURTH ST. SIDNEY, B.C. 656-3961 * DRAPERIES | NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS Our new menu includes Greek, ltallan & Western cuisine. Specially prepared with the finest ingredients to satisfy your tastes. We trust that you will find our newly decorated establishment to be a wonderful dining experience. You'll find us at 9819 5th St. Sidney We are eager and ready to serve | you now. Theo Macris