Getting to Saltspring
Saturday, August 25th, 1:00pm throughfare* ferry from Tsawwassen to Fulford Harbour.
*Throughfare: You are taking two ferries to Saltspring: first the 1pm from Tsawwassen - Swartz Bay (Victoria), and second the 3pm from Swartz Bay - Fulford Harbour (Saltspring). Details below. Getting to the ferry - Get to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal BEFORE 12:45pm. 12:30pm is ideal, so you beat the bus lineups. I cannot stress this enough. The ferries will deny access to foot passengers arriving within 10 minutes of departure. They are notoriously cranky about this. Do not miss the ferry. - Option 1: Carpool to the terminal (south on Hwy 17) and split the cost of parking. The farthest back lot is cheapest. Email the list if you are planning to drive and can offer rides. - Option 2: http://www.translink.ca. (If your route asks you to get on the #620 at Ladner Exchange, please for the love of pogies check that it is the #620 Tsawwassen ferry and not the #620 bridgeport station bus that you are getting on). At Tsawwassen - In Tsawwassen, when you ask for "a throughfare to Fulford Harbour, Saltspring Island", they will give you three things: 1) a boarding pass for the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry, 2) a "throughfare" pass, and 3) a receipt. You will use the first boarding pass right away for the first ferry, and you need the throughfare pass to get a boarding pass for the second ferry. - Please don't "check" any luggage. With the transfer, this just adds to the madness. First ferry - Try to identify everyone else in the group (Kristin will be doing the rounds, possibly with a sign or something else interesting, to help everybody group up). This will make the ferry transfer easier. They will be carrying oversized backpacks and smiling shyly in your direction. Say hello and ask if they are from the SFUOC. *Throughfare - Arriving in Swartz Bay, you should disembark by the lower car deck with all your luggage. The second, smaller ferry to Saltspring is normally at a berth to your left. Ask a ferry worker. - The throughfare passes must be changed for boarding passes at a ticket booth up top. This will work most efficiently if most people stay below with the baggage while one or two people take ALL of the throughfare passes and go change them. These two courageous souls should follow the throngs/signs upstairs in the building, find the main ticket booth, stand in line, ask to change all throughfare passes to Fulford Harbour boarding passes, and find their way back through the labryinthine halls outside to the group. They must be fairly quick about it, and should be greeted with thunderous applause upon their triumphant return. Second ferry - Nothing to worry about once you're on the second ferry. - Not sure why I even put this section in, really. On Saltspring - We will pick you up at 3:35pm at Fulford Harbour on Saltspring Island. |