Canoe Cove Former Passenger vessel

The first photo is from 1970's and how she could look when cleaned up. The 2nd &  3rd exterior photos are what she looks today.....BC Ferries purchased Dogwood Princess II which was built by Canoe Cove Yachts, to Transport Canada Passenger Vessel construction standards in Sidney BC. (now named Ava Marie) in 1979 to replace the original vessel and to expand capacity on its route. Dogwood Princess II only operated on route 13 (Langdale - Gambier Island - Keats Island, BC). The vessel had its original Twin engines replaced with 2 more powerful Volvo engines to increase operating speed. Along with the new main engines, BC Ferries spent a fortune on new wiring, HDPE tankage, plumbing and batteries, etc , etc.

Route 13 was an outlier in the BC Ferries system, being a passenger-only route with no replacement vessel readily available should Dogwood Princess II need maintenance. On May 1st 2003, operations were contracted out to Kona Winds Yacht Charters, who operated the route with their own vessel Stormaway. BC Ferries then put Dogwood Princess II up for sale asking CAD 85,000, and was eventually sold to the current owners father, a few years later for CAD 66,000. The owners father then installed all the NEW equipment currently onboard that has hardly been used, if at all.

Potential vessel use options:

a) A liv-aboard vessel, ready now with all the new equipment, nothing to add.

b) A liv-aboard combo of ship's crew or general personnel transport vessel, by adding one Port side row of double seating for 10 - 12 or more.

c) Floating office and liv-aboard combo: Yacht brokerage office...kayak..small power & row boat...rental offices...etc etc etc..

d) Remove and sell all of the galley equipment and counters plus the couch. Install Port & Stb'd seating for a larger personnel capacity.

e) Return to CDN ferry service, or investigate USCG small passenger service and / or commuter vessel standards. This vessel is still registered as a PASSENGER vessel with Transport Canada Ship Registry. (see registry certificate scan). The changes from the original passenger vessel standards are the life raft removal, and galley installations. See BC Ferries passenger vessel exterior brochure photo in this listing.

f) Mobile marine retail supply vessel: I started on Great Lakes bulk freighters at age 18 in 1965. We hauled bulk grain from the head of Lake Superior, then named Fort William to Lake Michigan, and up the Calumet river to unload in South Chicago. Retail supply boats, then called "Bum Boats" came along side so the freighter crews could buy a huge variety of personal supplies, instead of going up town in a taxi $$$, or couldn't get off watch in time. Technology today makes this even simpler.

English Bay in Vancouver BC, always has at least 15-18 freighters at anchor waiting to load and unload in Burrard Inlet, along with 7 additional anchorages there. There is a serious retail opportunity in many Ports for a new and creative Ava Marie owner, to "think outside the box".

I am sure Seattle and many other US anchorages on the West coast have even more vessels waiting to load and unload. 

 Current used retail value of the onboard equipment:

• Furuno Radar Display & Dome…. 4500  (all items sales tax extra)
  

• Dickinson Caribbean propane stove - 2200 (like new) 

• Dickinson Adriatic diesel flat top stove - 3800 (like new)

• Drolet Wood stove…. 1200

• Charge Master 12/50 battery charger….1200 (like new)

• 100 watt Solar Panel kit ….400.00 (like new)

• Flat screen TV….200 

• Batteries… 3000

• Eccotemp on demand propane water heater… CTC 400.00 (like new)

• Main Engine x 2….15,000 each (conservative estimate)

• Twin Disc gears x 2…. 15,000 each (conservative estimate)

• 2” shafts x 2 ….1500 each (like new)

• 2 x bronze props….1000 each

• 10 ft Boston Whaler centre council dinghy….5000 with 20 hp Johnson O/B

• Helm chair…..500 (like new) 

   THE LIST GOES ON

  ****ALL SHOWINGS BY PRIOR APPOINTMENT ONLY****

Accommodations

The interior is a long open space ready for return to seating for passenger ferry, commuter or crew boat service if you so desire, or your creativity at partitioning off your preferences. The head and stand up FG stall shower is in the aft port corner at the transom.

On center line to port of the helm station is door access to the potential vee berth area and forward chain locker. The large couch to port is an Ikea product and folds out to make a king sized bed.

The starboard galley is complete with propane stove and oven. Long galley counter with stainless steel sink, hot and cold on demand pressure water system. Fold out leaves double the size of the solid wood dining table.

Reasonable galley drawer and cupboard storage space is under the galley counter. Heating systems are Dickinson Adriatic diesel flat top stove / heater, solid fuel heater in aft starboard corner, 110v baseboard fixed fan heater forward. 

Machinery

• Twin Volvo Penta TAMD 63L-A 318 hp D6 1998 Diesel engines with a reported only 3000 hours running time.
• With Twin Disc gear(s) model MG507 ratio 1.98:1.
• Cast Bronze rudders.
• 24-1/2 x 23" props.
• Dripless shaft logs.
• Capilano hydraulic steering.
• Both engines are in like new condition and start instantly, confirming compression is excellent.
• The current stainless steel exterior mounted exhaust piping, could possibly be removed, to stream line the exterior of the vessel, and be re-routed inside to discharge at the transom.
• Replacement value of (one) engine alone, along with the Twin Disc gear is worth much more than the CAD 52,000 asking price, and that doesn't include the prop or 2" Monel prop shaft.  

Electrical

• Approved marine grade wiring throughout.
• 100 watt solar panel with controls.
• 4 alternators 65/105 & 2 @ 90 amps.
• Two 8D start and 2 6 volt golf batteries.
• All new 12v overhead interior lighting.
• Electric base board fixed fan heater.
• 3 windscreen wipers.

Electronics

• Furuno Nav Net radar chart plotter.
• Furuno radome mounted on vessel roof.
• Depth sounder.
• Transducer.
• Wide screen swivel mounted TV with remote control.

Galley

• Caribbean propane stove with oven.
• Stainless steel sink.
• Pressure water system.
• Eccotemp on demand propane fired water heater.

Deck

• 11'-6" Boston Whaler centre console dinghy w/cover.
• 20 hp Johnson outboard with power tilt & fuel tank.
• Mooring lines & fenders.
• Heavy commercial rub rail.
• Walk-around deck with roof top hand rails.
• Heavy Aluminium swim grid with skookum ladder to roof.
• Skookum Aluminium escape hatch from vee berth space, with high combing on bow deck.
• 12v electric anchor windlass with a Navy anchor on the bow roller.
• 300 ft of 5/16" galvanized anchor chain.
• 2 Anchors 65 and 45 lb.
• 1 access door to starboard of hem seat and 2nd door just aft of midships.
• Overhead escape hatch with ladder. Port side aft of midships.  

Navigation & systems monitoring equipment

• Control panel for vessel systems well layout and labelled.
• Spot light on roof.
• Aluminium radar mast.
• Running lights. 

Safety equipment

• Multiple bilge pumps in all spaces with float switches.
• Several Transport Canada approved life jackets onboard.
• High water bilge alarms installed.
• CO alarm.
• Several fire extinguishers onboard.

Disclaimer

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.