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Queen of Cumberland
Overview
Official No:
0815254
Place Built:
Vancouver
Builder:
Vancouver Shipyards
Year Built:
1991
Vehicle Capacity:
127
Passenger Capacity:
450
Crew:
10-14
Overall Length:
96.0 m
Breadth:
21.18 m
Gross Tons:
2,884.42
Service Speed:
14 knots
Horsepower:
7,305
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The
Queen of Cumberland
is the main year-round ferry providing service to the Southern Gulf Islands (Except Salt Spring) from Swartz Bay (Victoria), alongside the
Mayne Queen
. She is "Intermediate Class", and the second of two ferries built in the early 1990's for minor routes with relatively heavy traffic. The most notable difference between the two sister ships is the additional car deck on the
Queen of Cumberland
that can be lowered to hold additional vehicle traffic. The
Cumberland
has almost exclusively served on the Southern Gulf Island route since she began operating and provides a comfortable trip to the islands. On board there is plenty of seating with excellent views of the passing scenery. There is a snack bar on the passenger level which is accessible by stairway and elevator. The
Cumberland
also has a sizeable open outside deck.
History
On April 25, 1991, the
Queen of Cumberland
was launched at Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver. The launching took place in the shadow of her sister ship, the
Queen of Capilano
, which had been problem-plagued since her launching six months earlier. These issues, however, were largely resolved by the time the
Cumberland
was launched and she quickly entered service on the Swartz Bay to Southern Gulf Islands route. Like the
Capilano
the
Cumberland
had ongoing problems with her RADs (Right Angle Drive) engines. In 2007 the
Queen of Capilano's
RADs were replaced with different drives so there are now spare RADs for the
Cumberland
when needed.
Timeline
1991
- April 25 -
Queen of Cumberland
launched from Vancouver Shipyards.
1992
- November 21 - Crew from the
Queen of Cumberland
responded to a small vessel floundering near Sturdies Bay and towed it to safety.
Origin of Name
Queen of Cumberland
- One of a few ferries named after a "landlocked" town. Cumberland is located on Vancouver Island south of Courtenay, about 10 kilometers from the shores of Georgia Strait. Established as a coal mining town in the late 19th century, Cumberland's current population of just over 2,500 is less than a quarter of it's boom-time population. The name is taken from a region by the same name in England. ("Cumberland" -
Encyclopedia of British Columbia
)
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