MV Northern Sea Wolf

M/V Northern Sea Wolf is a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry operated by BC Ferries in British Columbia, Canada. Her normal sailing schedule is five days a week during the peak summer season on the Inside Passage route connecting Bella Coola and Port Hardy. The route normally takes about ten hours to complete. Her schedule calls for one trip per day during daylight hours to maximize passenger enjoyment of the scenery.

M/V Northern Sea Wolf
History
Greece
Name: Agios Andreas II
Owner: Agios Andreas Shipping
Operator:
  • Agios Andreas Shipping (2000-2004)
  • Kefalonia Line (2004-2005)
Builder: Panagiotakis Brothers, Salamis, Greece
Launched: 2000
Greece
Name: Andreas II
Owner: Atlas V Shipping
Acquired: 2005
Sweden
Name: Mr Shoppy One
Owner: Orvelin Group
Acquired: 2007
Greece
Name: Aqua Spirit
Owner: Orveline Hellenic Shipping Company
Operator:
Canada
Name: Northern Sea Wolf
Owner: British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
Operator: BC Ferries
Port of registry: Victoria, BC
Route: Bella Coola to Port Hardy
Cost:
  • CAD$12.6 million purchase price
  • $62.4 million refit cost
Acquired: August 30, 2017
In service: June 3, 2019
Identification:
Status: in service
General characteristics
Tonnage:
  • 2,695 GT
  • 1,090 NT
Length: 76.38 metres (250.6 ft)
Beam: 15 metres (49 ft)
Draft: 4.2 metres (14 ft)
Ramps: One on transom
Installed power: 2 x 2,399 KW Cummins Diesel engines
Propulsion: 2 propellers
Speed: 15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity:
  • Passengers: 150
  • Vehicles: 35 cars
  • 353 DWT

Construction

The ship was built at the Ambelaki Shipyard at Ambelaki, Salamis, Greece by the Panagiotakis Brothers company. She was launched in 2000. Her hull is built of welded steel plates. She is 76.38 metres (250.6 ft) long, with a beam of 15 metres (49 ft). She has a large vehicle loading ramp that comprises most of her transom.

She cruises at 15 knots, driven by two propellers. Propulsion power is provided by two 2,399 KW Cummins diesel engines.[1]

European service
Aqua Spirit at Naxos, Greece in 2013, showing vehicle loading ramp

The ship was christened Agios Andreas II. She began her life as a ferry on the Piraeus to Aegina route in Greece. In 2004 she was chartered to the Kefalonia Line and sailed between islands in the Ionian Sea.

In July 2005 she was sold to Atlas V Shipping and renamed Andreas II. Under this new ownership, she sailed between Kythira Island and Neapoli Voion in Greece.[2]

In October 2007 she was acquired by a Swedish company, Orvelin Group, and renamed Mr. Shoppy One. During this period she shuttled across the Skagerrak, between Strömstad, Sweden and Tønsberg, Norway, and on Mondays between Strömstad and Skagen, Denmark. The motivation of her Norwegian passengers was to buy liquor and other goods in Sweden, where taxes were lower, and then sail home. Norwegian customs authorities resisted the loss of tax revenue and fined Overlin Group SEK9 million. Overlin's countersuit failed and the ship was laid-up in Gothenburg in 2009.[2][3]

On April 28, 2011 the ship was sold to Orveline Hellenic Shipping Company of Piraeus. The company executed a five-year bareboat charter agreement with NEL Lines which renamed the ship Aqua Spirit. She departed Gothenburg on June 14, 2014 for her new assignment. She returned to Greece and served as a ferry in the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. She was idled when NEL Lines went bankrupt in 2015.[2]

In February 2016 she was chartered to Seajets and continued her service among the Cyclades.

British Columbia Service

BC Ferries provided direct Bella Coola - Port Hardy service using Queen of Chilliwack until 2013 when it was cancelled by the provincial government due to steep financial losses on the route. The minister of transportation at the time reported that British Columbia taxpayers paid a $2,500 subsidy for each vehicle on the ferry. Tourism operators were hurt by the cancellation and put pressure on the government to restore service. During the 2017 provincial election campaign, Premier Christy Clark promised to restore the service in 2018.[4]

The premier's short timeframe ruled out building a new ship. After a global search, BC Ferries identified Aqua Spirit, then 17 years old, as its best choice. On August 30, 2017, she was acquired for CAD$12.6 million.[5][6][7] BC Ferries renamed the ship Northern Sea Wolf after a process of community engagement. The name honors a First Nations legend that the sea wolf is a manifestation of the orca.[8] After dry-docking in Malta, the ship sailed to Esquimalt, British Columbia via the Panama Canal. The voyage took 35 days with fuel stops in the Canary Islands, Antigua, Panama, and Manzanillo.[9]

On arrival in British Columbia, in January 2018, Northern Sea Wolf was sent to Esquimault Drydock Company for a major refit. The main propulsion engines and gearboxes were overhauled. New electrical generators were installed and electrical switchboards upgraded. Navigation and safety systems were upgraded. A full galley was added. Passenger accommodations and crew spaces were reconfigured and refurbished.[10] When work began, however, a number of deficiencies that had been missed by both the classification societies and BC Ferries' own surveyors became apparent. These included problems with the fire safety systems, corrosion, propeller shafts, and HVAC systems.[4] BC Ferries was unable to meet the premier's goal of having the ship in service during the 2018 season. It was a year late. Similarly, while the budget for the acquisition and refit of the ship was $55.7 million, the final cost was $75 million, 30% over budget.[11] The Canadian federal government contributed $15.1 million to the project.[12]

Northern Sea Wolf made her maiden commercial voyage on her Bella Coola - Port Hardy route on June 3, 2019.[13] During the course of the 2019 season, the ship made 130 trips. She carried more than 5,750 passengers and 2,265 vehicles.[14] In 2019 adult fares started at $199.25, and standard cars were carried for $403.[15]

On November 22, 2019, Northern Sea Wolf hit a log while underway. The log strike damaged both propellers, necessitating dry-docking the vessel for repairs. She was replaced by the smaller ferry Nimpkish.[16] In April 2020, BC Ferries announced that Northern Sea Wolf would not run during the 2020 season due to decreased travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The off-season schedule would continue to be run by the Nimpkish.[17]

Amenities

Northern Sea Wolf features these passenger amenities:

  • Coastal Cafe
  • Outdoor observation deck
  • First Nations art. The ship is decorated with Kwakiutl and Nuxalk art on both the interior and exterior of the ship.[8]
  • Car decks have been arranged to accept over-height vehicles

References
  1. "Details for registered vessel NORTHERN SEA WOLF (O.N. 841406)". Transport Canada.
  2. "M/S AGIOS ANDREAS II (2000)". www.faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  3. Blomgren, Ulf (November 16, 2019). "Historien um "Mr. Shoppy"". Stromstads Tidning (in Swedish).
  4. Shaw, Rob (June 5, 2019). "$76-million ship a big fat Greek lemon for B.C. taxpayers". The Province.
  5. Wilson, Carla. "Costs for Northern Sea Wolf ferry still uncertain, millions over budget". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  6. "Aqua Spirit". greekpassengerships. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  7. "Northern Sea Wolf Handed Over to BC Ferries". Offshore Energy. 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  8. "BC FERRIES AND FIRST PEOPLES' CULTURAL COUNCIL REVEAL INDIGENOUS ARTWORK FOR NORTHERN SEA WOLF VESSEL". November 23, 2018.
  9. Elena (2018-01-12). "Northern Sea Wolf – Ship of the Week Jan 12, 2017 | West Pacific Marine". West Pacific Marine. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  10. "BC Ferries Awards Northern Sea Wolf Upgrade To Esquimalt Drydock | Supply Post - Canada's #1 Heavy Construction Equipment & Commercial Truck Newspaper". www.supplypost.com. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  11. Wilson, Carla (May 8, 2019). "Former Greek ferry to Ply B.C. waters this month after renovation". The Province.
  12. Thompson, Caitlin (May 23, 2019). "Sailings filling up on Northern Sea Wolf". Coast Mountain News.
  13. Duffy, Andrew. "Northern Sea Wolf ferry completed 130 voyages, helped with major rescue". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  14. "Industry News - October, 2019 | Supply Post - Canada's #1 Heavy Construction Equipment & Commercial Truck Newspaper". www.supplypost.com. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  15. "BC Ferries launches new vessel for Great Bear Rainforest route (PHOTOS) | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  16. "North Coast Review: Damage to propellors puts BC Ferry Northern Seawolf into drydock for repairs". North Coast Review. 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  17. "Northern Sea Wolf service suspended for 2020; Nimpkish to serve route". Coast Mountain News. 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2020-05-03.


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