New Vancouver-Victoria passenger ferry service proposed by Clipper

Another company has announced plans to launch a new passenger ferry service between downtown Vancouver and Victoria, thanks to an international merger of aGerman and Seattle-basedferry company.

Seattle'sClipper,which currently operates the Victoria Clipper to and fromSeattle,announced it will expand service to a new hub in downtown Vancouver.

A controlling share of Clipper was recently bought by Fast Reliable Seaways, a German companywith a large ferry network in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

"Clipper has an impressive track record in the Pacific Northwestand Canada, and will now serve even more of the Canadian market with a new Vancouverservice, said FRS CEO Gtz Becker.

Details of the three-hour Vancouver toVictoria servicewill be released in the coming weeks.A new vessel is expected to make the round trip once a day, and willdock at a yet to be announced locationnear Canada Place.

As part of the expansion FRSalso announced it will begin a new ferry service between Florida and Cuba pending government approval.

Earlier this year an Australian company also announced it was moving ahead with plans for a Vancouver-Victoria ferry. The 300-person vessel would take up to 3.5 hours and will likelycost about $80 oneway,catering to tourists hoping to have a close-up look at West Coast wildlife.

While many companies have attempted to establish passenger ferry service between Vancouver and the Vancouver Island over the years, it has often proven difficult. Plans by a third company to launch a similar service between downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo by 2015 have yet to come to fruition.