Building Of Chinook News

British Columbia's fast ferries may be too fast for their own good, according to CANOE columnist Jim Hume. The British Columbia Ferry Corporation first sailed The Explorer on June 17, 1999, with regular service from Vancouver Island (Nanaimo) to Mainland (Horseshoe Bay) starting July 1. While the fast-cats can operate faster than traditional ferries, they are currently only shaving off 14 minutes of their scheduled run, not the 25 minutes promised. It turns out when the fast boat operates at top speeds in the confined waters of its scheduled route, it raises six-ft. waves along the shore. Additionally, high-speed fast ferry Snohomish, built by Dakota Creek Industries, Inc.

The two-year budget for the Washington State Ferries system approved in the spring by the state Legislature will create a modern fleet of passenger-only ferries and terminals to help move more people across Puget Sound. But the new spending plan also represents a significant investment in two other key areas: renovating older terminals and expanding safety programs throughout the fleet. The budget is broken down into two areas: the $303 million operating budget, which covers the day-to-day operations at WSF, and the $287 million capital budget, which addresses construction needs. In the capital budget, $116 million came from voter-approved Referendum 49 funds.