Wednesday March 11, 2009

 

 

Tuesday, February 24

Heading Back to Abbotsford

Victoria, BC, to Abbotsford, BC

 

 

 After enjoying the Butterfly Gardens, we drove to Swartz Bay to board the ferry and head back to Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – marked in red.  You will remember that the green (ferry) and blue (road) marked our travels the day before.

 

 

 We parked our trusty rental car (white Kia) in line, then went into the restaurant/waiting area to await the call to board the ferry.

 

 

 Darlene, Don, and Cerwin enjoying a Starbucks drink.

 

 

 I like this photo of Don and Cerwin.

 

 

 We were excited to get a ride on Coastal Celebration, one of BCFerries largest vehicles.  It hauls 370 cars and 32 semis, plus 1,650 crew and passengers.  Maximum speed is 23 knots and it has 21,444 horsepower.  

However, we should have noticed that the line of cars was headed to the left of the ferry toward another ferry we did not see.

 

 

 

Internet photo 

Our ferry for the evening was Queen of Vancouver, a much smaller vessel, but it got us to the other shore quite safely.

Stats on Queen of Vancouver

Carries 338 cars and 1,708 crew and passengers

Service speed is 18.5 knots and it has 9,000 horsepower.

 

 

 

 

 

As we were driving into the ferry, we noticed these cormorants.

 

 

As soon as I could, I went to an outside deck to get a closer photo.

 

 

Our forward view.

 

 

After settling into front row seats, and visiting with Darlene and a friendly passenger, I decided to go for a walk around the outside deck.

 

 

As the sun settled into the western horizon, the tiny lighthouse on the east faithfully displayed its warning light.

 

 

 

 

I took this photo of Darlene and the friendly passenger through a window – from the outside deck.  Notice Cerwin and Don behind our passenger friend.  Also, notice my shadow in the lower, center of the window.

 

 

Don took this picture of me, just after I took the previous shot.

 

 

I continued around the deck and took this shot from behind where they were sitting.

 

 Before long we were approaching Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver), then made our way back to Don and Darlene’s home.