My first trip aboard the Pacificat Explorer was on June 28th, 1999, which was, I believe, only a couple weeks after it began service on the Horseshoe Bay - Departure Bay route. The very first purchase I made on board a Pacificat seemed to typify in a small way, the whole "Fastcat" experience; a $1.75 cup of water that had enough root beer in it to make it slightly brown and taste worse than water.
There are some people who have enjoyed their experience on the Fastcats. The majority that I have spoken with and heard speaking about the Pacificats, prefer the older C-class ferries. I am not sure what the general feeling towards the Pacificats is among BC Ferries employees, but the only ones I've heard have been negative as well. One crew member was talking to a group of us before the ferry unloaded made the comment that the Pacificats would be more aptly named "Queen of McDonalds" because of their cheapness.
Especially to those who have traveled a lot on the older C-class (ex. Queen of Cowichan) and V-class (ex. Queen of Vancouver) ferries and the newer Superferries (ex. Spirit of British Columbia), a voyage on the Pacificat is a rather cramped and uncomfortable experience. The inside does, in fact, have a resemblance to McDonalds with its small hard seats, tiny tables, fake hardwood floor, and stairs barely wide enough for two people to pass by each other going sideways. For passengers travelling alone, it is very hard to find a seat where you wouldn't be taking up a table where 3 others could sit as well. This often results in long searches for a seat to yourself, especially during busy periods. The inside is modern looking and there are some good views of the outside, but because designers had to make everything as light as possible to increase service speed, everything is very cramped, crowded, and cheap. If you're fortunate enough to go on a trip when the ferry is only half full (they are usually only used during peak traffic times now) it is a better experience for passengers.
No matter how full the ferry is and no matter how slow they actually do go, the Pacificats are still "fast ferries" and passengers have to endure some hardships because of this. For all drive-on passengers, there is no more driving onto the ferry, getting a spot by one of the windows on the car deck, rolling down your window, leaning back your seat, and having a nice 1 1/2 hour nap. Everyone must go upstairs. A motorcyclist who had been injured (incidentally as he was boarding a Pacificat a couple days earlier when his motorcycle slipped on the ferry's slippery aluminum deck) was being transferred to Vancouver by ambulance was ordered with the paramedics to leave the car deck and go to the passenger deck (Vancouver Sun, Nov. 2 1999, pA1). They were eventually allowed to remain on the car deck but this is just one example of the problems associated with the Fastcats. Another hardship that passengers have to endure is the 15-minute introduction on the PA system and on the TV screens located around the ship about ship safety. This is probably required by maritime regulations, but it does not make the trip any more pleasant, especially with the corny music they play along with it.
One of the favorite summertime activities on board a BC Ferry is to go on the outside deck and lie out under the sun on top of a lifejacket container. Not only can you not do this on the Pacificats but you can't even walk around the ship. The outside deck is about the size of a small tennis court and only faces the rear of the vessel. This, in my opinion, is one of the worst features of the ship. Every other ferry has ample space on the outside decks but the Pacificat's is very small and very crowded in the summer.
The one thing I liked about the Pacificat was the little carrels where passengers could plug in their laptops or just do homework. This little area was tucked in the corner near the front of the ferry and was a quiet little place to escape the bustle and crowds on the rest of the ship. However, for most of my 10 or so trips on the Pacificat Explorer and Pacificat Discovery, I was glad to get off. Thankfully the conventional C-class vessels are back on the route and even if they take 5 minutes longer, they're much more comfortable and have better root beer.
John Hammersmark
Back to the Ferry Terminal.
Page/Images by John Hammersmark.
This webpage was last updated May 6, 2002.