Post by ferryfast admin on Feb 5, 2006 0:56:51 GMT -5
Three BC Ferries lack flooding control feature, need to be replaced
Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun; with files from Associated Press
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2006
Three BC Ferries vessels that service routes north of Port Hardy lack a key modern safety feature and should be replaced as soon as possible, company president David Hahn said Friday.
"They probably should have been done 10 years ago, but we're in the process of doing it now," Hahn said in an interview.
"It's important to do," he added. "It's a big deal."
The three vessels -- the Queen of the North, the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack -- service areas around Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, where they face potentially high winds and waves, Hahn said.
He explained the ships, which were built between 1966 and 1978, are outdated because they have what is called a "single compartment" design.
He said single compartment ships could potentially fill entirely with water if the hull were breached in a major incident such as a collision or grounding.
He said newer designs, such as that employed on the BC Ferries Spirit vessels, have multiple compartments to keep water from spreading throughout the entire ship in case of such disaster.
BC Ferries spokesman Mark Stefanson added that international standards are being brought in to mandate all deep-sea going vessels to adopt such multi-compartment designs.
On Friday, authorities were seeking clues in the Red Sea after an Egyptian passenger ferry sank with nearly 1,500 people aboard. The cause was unknown, but experts said the vessel's design may have been a key factor.
Early clues were pointing to outdated door construction on the ferry's car deck, which differs from the issue identified in vessels here in B.C.
Still, experts were quick to tout the importance of new designs.
Swedish and international experts have come up with safety improvements aimed at drastically decreasing the risk of flooding.
"If water was to enter the deck on the new model, it would spread equally over the entire deck to stabilize the ship, instead of weighing down one side," said Claes Kallstrom, a Swedish safety expert.
Hahn stressed Friday that BC Ferries has one of the best safety records in the world, and that the company works in conjunction with federal regulators to ensure it keeps pace with emerging standards.
"This is the safest ferry system in the world, bar none," he said. "This is a first class ferry system."
But to maintain that standard, Hahn said, it will be necessary to replace the three northern vessels so they meet emerging standards.
Stefanson said the company is moving ahead with that replacement -- a project expected to cost about $350 million -- and that it hopes to have a new ship phased in each year between 2009 and 2011.
Although the three vessels need to be replaced, Hahn said he does not believe passengers are currently in any danger.
"No BC Ferries ship is going anywhere if Transport Canada is not satisfied," he said. "They are satisfied with all the ships everywhere."
Stefanson said Transport Canada has approved the three northern ferries for use, but has mandated they be replaced by 2012.
jfowlie@png.canwest.com
Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun; with files from Associated Press
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2006
Three BC Ferries vessels that service routes north of Port Hardy lack a key modern safety feature and should be replaced as soon as possible, company president David Hahn said Friday.
"They probably should have been done 10 years ago, but we're in the process of doing it now," Hahn said in an interview.
"It's important to do," he added. "It's a big deal."
The three vessels -- the Queen of the North, the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack -- service areas around Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, where they face potentially high winds and waves, Hahn said.
He explained the ships, which were built between 1966 and 1978, are outdated because they have what is called a "single compartment" design.
He said single compartment ships could potentially fill entirely with water if the hull were breached in a major incident such as a collision or grounding.
He said newer designs, such as that employed on the BC Ferries Spirit vessels, have multiple compartments to keep water from spreading throughout the entire ship in case of such disaster.
BC Ferries spokesman Mark Stefanson added that international standards are being brought in to mandate all deep-sea going vessels to adopt such multi-compartment designs.
On Friday, authorities were seeking clues in the Red Sea after an Egyptian passenger ferry sank with nearly 1,500 people aboard. The cause was unknown, but experts said the vessel's design may have been a key factor.
Early clues were pointing to outdated door construction on the ferry's car deck, which differs from the issue identified in vessels here in B.C.
Still, experts were quick to tout the importance of new designs.
Swedish and international experts have come up with safety improvements aimed at drastically decreasing the risk of flooding.
"If water was to enter the deck on the new model, it would spread equally over the entire deck to stabilize the ship, instead of weighing down one side," said Claes Kallstrom, a Swedish safety expert.
Hahn stressed Friday that BC Ferries has one of the best safety records in the world, and that the company works in conjunction with federal regulators to ensure it keeps pace with emerging standards.
"This is the safest ferry system in the world, bar none," he said. "This is a first class ferry system."
But to maintain that standard, Hahn said, it will be necessary to replace the three northern vessels so they meet emerging standards.
Stefanson said the company is moving ahead with that replacement -- a project expected to cost about $350 million -- and that it hopes to have a new ship phased in each year between 2009 and 2011.
Although the three vessels need to be replaced, Hahn said he does not believe passengers are currently in any danger.
"No BC Ferries ship is going anywhere if Transport Canada is not satisfied," he said. "They are satisfied with all the ships everywhere."
Stefanson said Transport Canada has approved the three northern ferries for use, but has mandated they be replaced by 2012.
jfowlie@png.canwest.com