Katherine Bickford

BC Ferries Baynes cable ferry Sound Connector undergoing trials

You can see the pre-tension load on the south guide cable

Being a cable ferry, the Baynes Sound Connector has a centerline drive cable, and port and starboard (north and south) guide cables.

The guide cables are supported along the sides of the ferry using a system of sheaves at each end and amidships – in other words they are run on a series of fairleads (idler rollers) mounted on reinforced struts supported along the outside of the hull.

The central drive cable leads into the machinery compartment using a set of bi-directional fairleads at each end of the ferry, through a central trough under the main car deck, and to bull wheels on the diesel driven drive assembly

• Builder: Seaspan Marine
• Material: Grade ‘A’ Steel
• Length: 78.5 metres
• Beam: 16.0 metres
• Molded Depth: 2.1 metres
• Draft Maximum: 1.078 metres
• Draft Light Operating: 0.612 metres
• Maximum Displacement: 589 Tonnes
• Freeboard: 1.09 metres min, 1.49m max
• Engines: 2x Cat diesel, 450 HP
• Drive: 2X Single sheave drives
• Cables: 1.625″ (41.275 mm) 6 by 19 Plastic Valley Filled
• Cable Tensioner: Manufactured by Timberland Equipment Ltd
• Design Maximum Speed: 8.5 knots
• Design Service Speed: 7.5 knots
• Fuel Oil Capacity (90%): 10.00 m3
• Lube Oil Capacity (100%): 2.75 m3
• Potable Water Capacity: Bottled Water Station
• Non-Potable Water Capacity: 2.75 m3
• Sewage Holding Tank Capacity: 9.0 m3
• Vehicles: 50 AEQ – *AEQ = “Automobile Equivalent” (i.e. 1 space at 5.34 m long x 2.6 m wide x 1.8 tonnes)
• Passengers and crew: 150 (tbd)
• Crossing Length: Approximately 1900 metres

Baynes Sound Connector approaching the Buckley Bay terminal