Ocean Falls : Marine
Terminals & Wharves
There are three main wharves in Ocean Falls: the Small Boat Wharf, the Ferry Dock, and the Paper Warehouse Wharf. There is also a private dock under construction by the Ocean Falls Fishing Lodge on a Shore Lease adjacent to the Small Boat Wharf, two marine ways, and a small dock on Link Lake (also connected to the Ocean Falls Fishing Lodge).
Small Boat Wharf (Government Dock)
This facility is controlled by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans through the Ocean Falls Harbour Authority Corporation (OFHAC). The OFHAC was incorporated on January 1, 1998; there are seven directors at present and the President is Herb Carpenter. OFHAC has the responsibility of managing and maintaining the Government Dock.
The dock consists of three floating fingers: one is owned by the federal Department of Transport and is designated for seaplane use only. The other two comprise 230 metres of dock space. They are provided with fresh water and electrical points, and with a fish cleaning station. The main season of use is May-October. Last year in this season 400+ vessels visited the facility. During the winter season occasional vessels use the dock; these are mostly fish boats and hand loggers, 20+ vessels last winter. A handful of boats overwinter at the wharf. Large vessels are not able to moor at this wharf as they pull the anchors which hold the floats in place. The wharfinger is Greg Ingram (289-3333).
Ferry Dock
The ferry dock consists of an adjustable ramp rated for 34,000 kilograms (75,000 pounds), and a turning dolphin to which the bow of the vessel is fastened when vehicles are using the ramp. The Ferry Dock is used by all BC Ferries vessels, and it was also used in the past to offload freight from Coast Ferries' Tyee Princess. The ramp was inspected by BC Ferries when the Discovery Coast service was proposed, and the structure and cables were upgraded at that time. The adjacent bulkhead is used at high tide to offload freight from smaller boats. A freight shed is located at the end of the ramp. A water point is located on the turning dolphin.
Paper Warehouse Wharf
The Paper Warehouse Wharf is a deep water facility, originally used to export the products of the paper and lumber mills. It is currently in a state of almost total disrepair and has been condemned by WCB. The paper warehouses and this wharf were in good repair as of 1986. Abandonment by the owners and severe wind damage to the roof have resulted in deterioration of the buildings to the point where it is simply not feasible to consider fixing them. This represents a serious loss of potential to the community of Ocean Falls since large covered spaces with direct access to deep water is unusual on the mid-coast. There remains, however, a large amount of useable timber in the buildings which is suitable for recycling (as complete trusses) and resawing. The decking is largely rotten and the superstructure is deteriorating quickly. The pilings, however, are still sound and the wharf itself could be saved by prompt rebuilding of deteriorating sections and replacement of the decking.
Marine Ways
The Ocean Falls Marine Ways is held under Licence of Occupation by Herb Carpenter (and a partner). Lift capacity is 20 tons with overall length up to 45 feet. The ways includes complete shop facilities. The cost is $100 per lift plus a storage charge of $20 per day.
Yacht Club Marine Ways
Adjacent to the Ocean Falls Marine Ways is a smaller ways held under Licence of Occupation by the Ocean Falls Yacht Club. Lift capacity is 5 tons with overall length up to 24 feet, width up to 8 feet. These ways are for the use of Yacht Club Members only.
BC Ferries
BC Ferries serves Ocean Falls year round. In the fall/winter/spring the service is once per week alternating northbound from Port Hardy and southbound from Prince Rupert. The northbound runs carry freight.
Please visit the BC Ferries Website for their Spring Schedule. You can also contact the Prince Rupert Terminal (624-9627) or the Port Hardy Terminal (949-6722) by telephone.
In the summer the Discovery Coast service calls at Ocean Falls approximately three times per week. This service links Ocean Falls to Bella Coola as well as Port Hardy. Freight is also carried on these runs every two weeks. For the past two years the boat used has been the Queen of Chilliwack, which is considerably slower than the Queen of Prince Rupert (QPR) so the run to/from Port Hardy takes about 13 hours, compared to 7-8 hours on the QPR. The Queen of Chilliwack does not have cabin accommodation as does the QPR.
Summer rates are considerably higher than winter rates. For example, the winter fare from Ocean Falls to Port Hardy is $82 for a car & $36 for the driver; the spring & fall rate is $109 for a car & $45 for the driver; and the summer rate is $140 for a car & $70 for the driver. The summer rate to Bella Coola from Ocean Falls is $80 for a car & $40 for the driver.
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