The recently retired North Island Princess is on the market for $159,000, after carrying cars and passengers since 1958 — the year the B.C. Ferry Authority was founded.
Now owned by the ferry authority’s successor, British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., the ferry was used until early last month to transport passengers and vehicles between Blubber Bay on Texada Island and Powell River.
The new Island Discovery ferry now serves that route.
Pacific Boat Brokers of Parksville has listed the North Island Princess on its website and on Craigslist.
The 200-foot-long vessel was constructed in Vancouver by Allied Builders and launched in 1958. On July 8 of that year, then-Premier W.A.C. Bennett announced the formation of the ferry authority.
The vessel is powered by twin MTU V12 2000 engines with twin disc gears. It can carry 38 cars and up to 150 crew and passengers and has a maximum speed of 13 knots, B.C. Ferries said.
Also listed by Pacific Boat Brokers is the smaller 110-foot Nimpkish, built in Vancouver in 1973, with a top speed of 11 knots.
Pacific Boat Brokers’ website says a deal is pending for Nimpkish, which was used on B.C.’s central coast prior to its retirement and can carry a dozen vehicles and up to 95 passengers and crew members. The asking price was not posted.
The broker has also listed the eye-catching V2V Empress ferry for $6 million US.
The 1994 aluminum catamaran was a regular sight in Victoria Harbour, carrying foot passengers on what was billed as a luxury trip between downtown Victoria and downtown Vancouver.
The service set sail in May 2017, but early this year, Riverside Marine of Australia, V2V Vacations’ parent company, announced that it was winding up operations. The 126-foot vessel has two decks.
