Commuters on the 7:30 ferry had reason to be happy this Wednesday, January 17, and so did the crew of the Bowen Queen: all cars were loaded onto the boat by 7:11am, with no overloads.
The Captain kindly invited The Undercurrent visit to the Bowen Queen’s cockpit for a chat, alongside Mate Mark and Quarter Master Marc. The majority of the staff of this boat, they say, is the regular crew for the Queen of Capilano.
“We get retrained for this boat every time it is in use here,” says Captain Ed, who says that before starting work for BC Ferries nine years ago he drove large tankers all over the world. “I don’t have a preference for bigger boats or smaller ones, it’s the art of driving and every boat is different. The technology on this boat dates back to 1965 when it was built, but the boat itself is faster than the Queen of Capilano, and very maneuverable. That said, it is not as good for the passengers so there is some stress there.”
For any young people looking to follow Captain Ed’s footsteps and go into the ferry-driving business, he says the quickest wait to get a job driving a ferry probably starts with joining a cadet program.
“If you want to work your way up with BC Ferries, it could take you 20 years,” he says. “It takes a long time to get the necessary sea-hours.”
