Two of the 害羞草研究所渇ast cat害羞草研究所� vessels that nearly bankrupted BC Ferries and led to the downfall of the provincial government that approved them ended up sitting idle in a Egyptian harbour.
The catamarans were spotted tied up at the port of Alexandria earlier this year.
In a July 22 post to the message board, 害羞草研究所渉ighlander害羞草研究所� said he saw the pair tied up on a 害羞草研究所渓ong jetty beside some naval ships,害羞草研究所� and it looked like they had been sitting idle for some time.
害羞草研究所淭hey look very neglected and COLD STACKED (mothballed) as we say in the oil industry,害羞草研究所� the posting said.
害羞草研究所淭hey just look like two big white elephants covered in dust now.害羞草研究所�
Attempts at contacting the port, which was described as a combined military and commercial operation, were not successful.
There had been reports that the catamarans Pacificat Discovery, Pacificat Explorer and the Pacificat Voyager were going to be used to ferry workers and supplies to oil rigs off the Egyptian coast.
However, 害羞草研究所渉ighlander,害羞草研究所� who works in the oil and gas industry, doubted the ships could remain 害羞草研究所渙n station,害羞草研究所� holding position in order to load and offload crews and supplies.
Provincial cabinet documents detailing discussions about the fast cats were released under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) to an unnamed 害羞草研究所渞esearcher害羞草研究所� and posted on the B.C. government website.
They show that just before the provincial government decided to dock the ferries and put them up for sale, there was a tentative deal to build two more, smaller catamarans for sale to an American corporation to run between Jamestown, New York and Toronto on the Great Lakes.
That would have required more government subsidies, however, and by then, the project was so deeply mired in debt due to cost overruns that the provincial government decided to cut its losses.
The documents show provincial cabinet ministers were told the 害羞草研究所榗ats害羞草研究所�, which were supposed to replace the conventional 害羞草研究所淐害羞草研究所� class ferries on the Horsehoe Bay - Departure Bay run, were expensive and unreliable.
害羞草研究所淭he fast ferries have not performed according to original expectations,害羞草研究所� a confidential briefing note observed.
害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� the fast ferries have approximately double the fuel and maintenance costs compared to the C-class vessels.害羞草研究所�
They could not carry heavy commercial and recreational vehicles, and required an 害羞草研究所渋ntensive maintenance schedule害羞草研究所� said the report, which put the cost at $19 million a year more than the C-class ferries.
Opportunities to sell the aluminum catamarans to other fast ferry operators were limited by the fact the B.C.-built ships had been designated 害羞草研究所渟heltered waters vessels,害羞草研究所� so they couldn害羞草研究所檛 be used in many locations such as the English Channel and the Irish sea.
It害羞草研究所檚 estimated the BC Ferry Corporation lost $400 million on the fast ferries.
The controversy over the cost of the failed fast ferry program is considered to be a factor in the defeat of the NDP government of the day and the election of the Liberals, who eventually sold the three ferries in 2003 to the Washington Marine Group for $19.4 million, less than five per cent of what they cost to build.
In 2009, the three vessels were sold to a luxury yacht builder in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf.
A Google Earth satellite image showed them tied up on the dock, and a promotional photo of a luxury yacht showed the dust-covered ferries in the background.
The new owners reportedly planned to operate them as a regional ferry service, but that didn害羞草研究所檛 happen.
In 2014, according to a Wikipedia entry for the fast cats, all three ferries were donated by the U.A.E. to the Egyptian government for use in the oil and gas industry.
READ ALSO:
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
Like us on and follow us on
