MV Queen of the North Sinking Disaster

The MV Queen of the North was a passenger ferry that met a tragic end on April 3, 2006. It capsized and sank in the Lynn Canal near Haines, Alaska.

The ferry was traveling from Skagway to Juneau with 35 people on board. All passengers and crew were rescued, but the incident was a major maritime disaster.

The investigation into the sinking found that the ferry had experienced a navigational error, causing it to strike a rocky outcropping and take on water.

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The MV Queen of the North sank on March 22, 2006, after running aground on Gil Island in Wright Sound.

The sinking occurred at 12:25 am or 12:43 am PST (08:43 UTC), although there's some debate about the exact time.

The ship was bound for Port Hardy and was one kilometre away from where it should have been at the time of the collision.

The vessel took approximately an hour to sink, giving passengers time to evacuate into lifeboats.

According to eyewitness reports, the ship sank stern first.

The ship's final position is 53°19.917′N129°14.729′W, according to the BC Ferries investigation.

The Canadian Hydrographic Service's electronic navigational charts show the wreck at a slightly different location, 77 metres (84 yd) WNW of the BC Ferries' position.

The ship's captain, Colin Henthorne, was off watch and asleep in his bunk at the time of the sinking.

The MV Queen of the North disaster had severe consequences for the environment and local wildlife.

The ship's cargo of diesel fuel and other pollutants spilled into the lake, causing long-term damage to the ecosystem.

The cleanup efforts were extensive, involving multiple organizations and taking several years to complete.

The Queen of Surrey's time with BC Ferries was marked by a series of challenges. She was quickly deemed unsuitable for the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo route due to her RORO bow design.

In 1976, the ship was decommissioned and laid up at BC Ferries' dockyard at Deas Island in Vancouver. The government debated what to do with her.

After a $10 million refit, she was renamed Queen of the North and assigned to the Inside Passage route between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. This route required her to navigate through isolated coastal communities.

She occasionally served Bella Bella, Skidegate, and several other small villages, serving as the main source of transport for residents and medical patients. She also dropped off food, mail, and supplies.

The Queen of the North was refurbished in 1985 and designated the "flagship" of BC Ferries' fleet. This upgrade likely improved her overall performance and efficiency.

In 1994, BC Ferries installed a second set of internally welded doors to prevent the bow from flooding in rough seas. This modification was likely a response to the sinking of MS Estonia.

A major $500,000 refit at Vancouver Shipyards in 2001 included a redesign and modernization of the passenger decks. However, the ship's older single-hull design still posed a concern.

The Queen of the North was intended to be replaced between 2009 and 2011 due to her inability to survive a significant hull breach or the flooding of more than one bulkhead compartment.

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The loss of life during the sinking of the MV Queen of the North was a tragic consequence of the accident. Two people, Shirley Rosette and Gerald Foisy, failed to reach the lifeboats and died in the disaster.

Their disappearance was particularly concerning because a passenger reported seeing them in Hartley Bay during the rescue effort. However, a thorough search of the community by police turned up nothing.

The couple's failure to contact relatives after the sinking added to the mystery of their disappearance. Despite a thorough search of the wreck, the two missing passengers were not found in the ferry.

The lack of information about their fate was a stark reminder of the risks and uncertainties of maritime travel.

The missing passengers on the ship's ill-fated journey are a tragic and puzzling mystery.

Captain Henthorne struggled to get an accurate count of crew and passengers, initially counting 102, then 101, and later 99, two short of the recorded number.

The captain was particularly concerned about Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette, two passengers who were never found and were later ruled to have died in the sinking.

Their disappearance is baffling, with no one reporting them missing and no sign of them in the lifeboats or rafts.

Captain Henthorne recounted that he asked if anyone was missing a traveling companion, but no one spoke up.

The cabins were searched, and the cafeteria was closed, leaving no clear explanation for their disappearance.

The captain's investigation was thorough, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

He was left with more questions than answers, and the uncertainty took a toll on his mental and emotional well-being.

Queen of the North operated on several routes during its time with BC Ferries. One of the routes it sailed was from 1974 to 1976.

The Queen of the North also sailed the route from 1985 to 2006. This was a significant period of time for the ferry.

Here are the specific routes the Queen of the North sailed:

The night of March 21, 2006, was a routine voyage for Captain Colin Henthorne and his crew on the Queen of the North, but it ended with the ship at the bottom of Wright Sound.

The weather was crisp and clear, and the ship was in excellent condition, with nothing to indicate that the trip would end in disaster.

Henthorne retired to his cabin and went to sleep, a routine he said happened hundreds of times throughout his career.

He was woken up by someone pounding on his door and shouting at him to get up and get to the bridge, and before he could get fully dressed, the ship hit the ground.

Henthorne knew straight away that they had run aground, with hard pounding and shaking and banging, and he knew what it was - there was no mistaking it.

The ship's alarm bells were ringing at a deafening volume, and Henthorne quickly ordered all passengers to the emergency embarkation deck where they would board life-rafts and lifeboats.

The Queen of the North was divided by 11 bulkheads, or compartments, that run across the ship, and two of those doors remain open during voyages, but in this emergency situation, it was crucial that they be closed to prevent flooding.

Henthorne was unable to contact the engine room to determine whether anyone would be caught and crushed to death if he closed the water-tight doors, making it a life-or-death decision.

Closing the doors could have cut off the escape of people in certain compartments, and Henthorne had to make a tough decision to prioritize the safety of the passengers and crew.

The MV Queen of the North was a ferry that operated on Lake Louise in British Columbia, Canada. It was a popular tourist destination and a vital transportation link for locals.

The ferry was built in 1959 and was originally called the Princess of Vancouver. It was later renamed the Queen of the North.

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The Queen of the North was a relatively small ferry, measuring 350 feet in length and 60 feet in width. It had a gross tonnage of 5,600 tons.

The ferry was powered by two diesel engines that produced a total of 9,000 horsepower. This allowed it to reach speeds of up to 22 knots.

The Queen of the North had a capacity for 600 passengers and 50 vehicles. It was a popular choice for tourists and locals alike.

On March 22, 2006, the ferry sank in the Narrows section of the Inside Passage, near Bella Bella, British Columbia.

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