PHOTO BY ROB MORRIS

ISLAND SKY
BURRARD HEAVY DUTY DECK MACHINERY

BY ROB MORRIS

The 328 loa (322 lwl) x 88.5 (breadth extreme) x 15.75 (summer load draft) ISLAND SKY approaches the BC Ferries terminal at Earls Cove, December 2009. The ferry is a double-ender with 3400 tonnes displacement, 4313 grt and 1100 dwt at the summer load draft.

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3681 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5M 1C2 Telephone: 604-293-2900 (24 Hours) www.radioholland.ca
Burrard Model H7 Anchor Windlass

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Congratulations to BC Ferries on the Island Sky

BURRARD IRON WORKS LIMITED
220 Alexander Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1C1 Phone: (604) 684-2491 Fax: (604) 684-0458 E-Mail: sales@burrardironworks.com 10
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Thrane & Thrane

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PHOTO BY ROB MORRIS

n their new intermediate ro-ro ferry ISLAND SKY BC Ferries Services (BCFS) has a ship designed for short voyages on multiple routes within the BCFS system. Initially the ISLAND SKY went into service in the spring of 2009 on the Earls Cove/Saltery Bay route on the Sunshine Coast where it replaced the QUEEN OF TSAWWASSEN, retired by BCFS after 48 Each side of the main car deck has four car lanes or two truck lanes with one car lane years of service. The ISLAND SKY is the (under the gallery deck). BCFS also required port and starboard fixed-ramp single-lane first vessel in BCFSs new Island class. In 2005, after a world-wide competitive gallery decks which are suspended from the passenger deck above to keep the main car deck clear of supporting pillars. Total lane length is 2034 ft (620 m). The gallery decks tendering process, BCFS pre-qualified 14 can be widened from single to double lane to increase vehicle capacity in the future. shipyards and ultimately three of them were short-listed Allied Shipbuilders of Vancouver Shipyards design for Hull #167 was modelNorth Vancouver, Washington Marine Group (WMG; tested by FORCE Technology in Denmark. The shipowner of Vancouver Shipyards and Victoria Shipyards), yards designers developed a unit assembly building and Remontowa S.A. of Poland. The $45.5 million contract process whereby the entire vessel was divided into 124 to design, build and guarantee performance of the intermeseparate units, or blocks, which were assembled in a diate ferry was signed with Vancouver Shipyards on July 6 sequence. This maximised the pre-outfitting of units 2006. BCFS had specific requirements for the ferry. It before they were incorporated into the vessel assembly. would be an all-steel double-ended ro-ro vehicle/passenger Assembly took place in the WMGs W building in North ferry with capacity for 125 autos and a design complement Vancouver (see Unit Assembly at Vancouver Shipyards: of 600 passengers. Fuel efficiency at service speed was a top BC Ferries New Intermediate-class Ferry in WM, March requirement. Other BCFS requirements are described with 2007). Victoria Shipyards in Esquimalt BC was subconthe photos and general arrangement, following. tracted to build the ferrys 480-tonne superstructure and

Congratulations to BC Ferries on your new ship Island Sky

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January 2010 WESTERN MARINER

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PHOTOS BY ROB MORRIS

Being a double-ender the ISLAND SKYs forward and aft wheelhouse control stations mirror each other. Mechtronics Technology of Richmond BC installed their Megalever integrated control sticks in which the main engine governor and azimuth thruster controls are combined (the Mechtronics subsidiary IMPEG supplied the main engines and Z-drive thrusters; see photos on page 14). The port Megalever controls the forward pair of thrusters (which operate in unison) the starboard lever controls the aft pair. Both pairs are engaged for free-running and manoeuvring into berths. Turned 180 degrees, the forward thrusters provide braking power; all four drives reversed with full throttle will provide emergency crash stop capability in just over one ship length. Sperry Marine Canada supplied and integrated the navigation electronics and there is a Transas chart plotter and Raytheon Anschutz autopilot.
PHOTO BY ROB MORRIS

The design of the single passenger lounge (it surrounds the snack bar) as one fire zone with two life-raft muster stations was required by BCFS, thus allowing crew size to be the minimum required by Transport Canada. On the Passenger Deck there is general seating for 319 and seating at tables for 64 with outside seating for 120 on the Crew Deck above.

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Proud Supplier to the Island Sky WESTCOR SERVICES LIMITED

590 Ebury Place, Unit 102, Annacis Business Park Delta, BC V3M 6K7 Telephone: 604-519-6789 Fax: 604-519-6788

YOUNG & CUNNINGHAM CANADA INC.

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Representing across Canada and the USA Authorized and exclusive distributors for: NRF: Boxcoolers for cooling systems Winteb: Seawater resistant aluminum ventheads WW Eurovalve: B/fly valves, flanged, wafer, lugged and High performance PresVac: Marine High Velocity tank vents; Kronios: Supplier of potable water management systems The Concept PV valves Econosto: Marine valves and systems for the Marine Industry (DIN) Teekay: Teekay pipe couplings #4, 35 Seapark Drive, St. Catharines, ON, L2M 6S5 Tel 905 688 6605 Fax 905 688 3401 Email ycc@vaxxine.com Vancouver Branch Nigel Passmore: Tel./Fax.: 604 946 6018 Cell: 604 551 3559 Email : npassmore@dccnet.com 12
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WESTERN MARINER January 2010 www.eagleharbour.com

ISLAND SKY
in November 2007 in the Esquimalt Graving Dock it was mated to the 1320-tonne hull which had been towed from Vancouver Shipyards (see ISLAND SKY: Island-class Ferry Roll-out & Load-out in WM, January 2008).
COURTESY VANCOUVER SHIPYARDS

The ISLAND SKY is designed to meet Lloyds Register +100 A1 passenger & vehicle ferry in Strait of Georgia service + LMC, CCS; Transport Canada MB/CSA regulations for Near Coastal 2 operation including SOLAS and IMO rules. The ferry is currently licensed for 450 passengers.

The Island-class hull form is different from the similarly-sized classes in the BCFS fleet. The V section hull and the hydrodynamically shaped thruster pods combine to reduce resistance. The thrusters were refined after the model tests to have less extension below the pod and, as the Section Looking to Midship illustrates, this gives the thrusters less draft than the hull. Also the thrusters support cans, normally round, were modified to both move the pods/thrusters closer to the centreline (where the thrusters are more efficient) and to make the thrusters interchangeable. The thrusters can also be removed while the vessel is afloat. To bottom right in the GA one of the two Liferaft Systems Australia LSA 14M marine evacuation systems (MES) is shown deployed. Each MES has a 14-metre twin-path slide to evacuate passengers into two 100-person self-righting SOLAS B life-rafts.
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PHOTOS BY ROB MORRIS

ISLAND SKY

The combination of the hull form (see the GA on page 13) and the propulsion system provide fuel efficiency that exceeds BCFS original requirements. BCFS required a service speed of 14.5 knots @ <85% MCR and this speed is being achieved at ~67% MCR. BCFS also required the 100% redundancy of two separate and independent propulsion systems in two separate engine rooms, one at each end of the vessel with an installation of two six-cylinder, in-line, four-stroke Niigata 6L25HX diesels each delivering 1140 kW (1530 hp) @ 770 rpm to a Niigata ZP-21 Z-Peller azimuthing thruster with 2.265:1 reduction gearboxes for a maximum output speed of 331 rpm (top photos). The Niigata 1900 mm NiBrAl four-blade Kaplan-style propellers turn in Kort-type speed nozzles fitted with full-width inside surface stainless steel inserts. There are three Caterpillar 3406C diesels driving Caterpillar SR4 alternators. In the photo (bottom) is the main console in the engine control room from which the ships systems and its operation are monitored. In an emergency two of the ships thrusters can be controlled from the console and the ferry would be operated using two thrusters at opposing ends of the ship.

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www.eagleharbour.com

PHOTO BY ROB MORRIS

ISLAND SKY
PHOTO BY ROB MORRIS

ABOVE:

Approaching the BCFS Saltery Bay terminal, the view from the starboard gallery deck.

LEFT:

The ISLAND SKY has a breadth overall of 88.5 ft (27 m) at the main car deck and a 60.5-ft (18.5 m) breadth at load waterline. The ferry was designed for operations on BC Ferries short routes on most of which the passengers embark/disembark via the vehicle ramps, however passenger accesses for both the Horseshoe Bay terminal and the Snug Cove, Bowen Island terminal have been installed on upper decks.
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20 Brooksbank Avenue, North Vancouver, BC Tel: 604-984-4635 Fax: 604-983-2713 info@manly.com www.manly.com
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