Former Fintry Queen captain eager to see ferry set sail again

Andy Schwab joined AM 1150’s Early Edition to comment on the recent sale of the iconic ferry.

“I think it is a new beginning for this vessel,” he told Phil Johnson.  “The ship is now 78 years old, and it’s good for another 78, in my opinion."

Schwab has spent the last 25 years trying to breathe new life into the fledging vessel.

He said restoration is already underway on the ferry, which is currently tucked away in Traders Cove. He said the new owner’s share his vision of what it can be – a place for excursions and hospitality.

The owners plan to make it lake worthy by as early as next summer, with Schwab predicting that if everything comes together, potentially 60,000+ tourists could cruise up and down the lake each year.

When it last operated in 1999, Schwab said the Queen carried 30,000 people in the summer – just 20 per cent of the boats capacity.

The vessel, he said, holds a special place in the hearts of many in the Okanagan.

“The best experience for me is when people nudge me in the grocery store and say, ‘I remember I had my wedding on there and it was fabulous,’” he explained. “And that was 40 years go, but people remember it like it was yesterday.”

Schwab said he is eager to see the first cruise under the William R. Bennet Bridge, as it was specifically designed to accommodate the Fintry Queen, citing the massive hump in the middle.

“That’s not for the sailboats, it’s for the Fintry Queen.”