On May 02, 2004, at 6:20 PM, Jeff Kennedy wrote:
> can anyone tell me about experiences they've had with they're vans
> on the ferry? Mine sits a little higher than the average westfalia.

On the mainland-Vancouver Island runs, overheight is 7' and above.  On
smaller runs elsewhere in the BC Ferry system, it can be as low as
6'8", which a stock height westy sneaks under.  On the Tsawwassen -
Swartz Bay run (the southern mainland to Island route, witch is the
most direct to Victoria) on a July weekend for example, you'll pay
$35.75 each way for the car and driver (passengers are extra) if you're
under 7', and $58.25 if you're over 7'.  Unless your westy has a *very*
serious lift to it, you won't be overheight.

If you're traveling on a weekend, or near a Canadian statutory holiday,
or just simply *need* to get on a particular sailing and can't wait a
few hours if there are overloads, then make a reservation for the
sailing you want.  The reservation for assured loading will cost you
$15 each way, and you must get to the terminal toll booth within a
half-hour window (not more than 60 minutes before and not less than 30
minutes before the scheduled sailing time).  If you miss the window,
you're SOL and out 15 bucks to boot.  You can book reservations over
the internet off the BC Ferries web site.

T.
(ex-Bowen Islander, over 1,800 ferry trips in the five years I lived
there.  Glad the word "overload" is not part of my everyday vocabulary
anymore.)

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Tobin Copley        Vancouver, BC, Canada      49deg 23'N-123deg 19'W

'82 Westfalia 1.6L NA diesel ("Stinky")
'97 son Russell                               =============
'99 daughter Margaret                        /_| |_L| |__|:| clatter
                          SPEED KILLS!       [.      =     .| clatter!
                     Drive a Vanagon diesel   ~-()-==----()-~ ~  ~