We visited the small communities of Harrop and Proctor across the western arm of Kootenay Lake from Balfour including the ferry ride across the western arm of Kootenay Lake on the Harrop Ferry then boarding the Kootenay Lake Ferry at Balfour for the 45-minute ferry ride across the northern end of Kootenay Lake to the Ferry Landing in Kootenay Bay and finishing off with a quick stop at one of the Artisan Shops in Crawford Bay.

July 5, 2007.

We are staying in Pair-A-Dice RV-Park, in Creston, British Columbia. $26.71 gravel interior roads, FHU including cable. This is an OK RV Park.

We are on a sightseeing excursion that loops around Kootenay Lake. We are traveling in our Saturn and located between Nelson and Balfour where we are traveling on PH 3A. We have temporarily turned off PH 3A to take the Harrop Ferry to the south side of the western arm of Kootenay Lake. It is just a short distance across the western arm of Kootenay Lake where a unique ferry is utilized to transport vehicles across the waterway to the very small communities of Harrop and Proctor.

Free Harrop cable ferry British Columbia

Free Harrop cable ferry British Columbia

This is looking down the small road leading to the Harrop Ferry. Although the ferry landing here looks like a normal boat ramp I can assure you that the ferry pulls up to the ramp and drops a ramp that allows vehicles to drive onto the ferry.

Free Harrop cable ferry to Harrop & Proctor British Columbia

The unique thing about this small ferry is the cable system employed. It took me a bit but I finally understood the mechanics of it as you will see later.

At this time note that you can see two cables coming out the side of the ferry. The outside cable is a guide while the inside cable is used to pull the ferry from one side of the waterway to the other. I will show you how it does that later.

Free Kootney Lake ferry dock as seen from Proctor, British Columbia

Once on the other side of the western arm of Kootenay Lake we drove east on the only road toward the community of Proctor. Actually, Proctor is only a few houses, possibly 25 to 35 located where the western arm of Kootenay Lake joins Kootenay Lake. When we looked across the western arm of Kootenay Lake while in the community of Proctor we can see the Ferry Terminal where we will be boarding one of the big ferries that will transport us across Kootenay Lake. To get there we first have to return to the Harrop Ferry about 7-miles west of here.

Free Harrop cable ferry

When we arrived at the Harrop Ferry landing the Harrop Ferry was headed our way with a load of automobiles.

From here you can see three cables on this ferry. Guide cables are located on both sides of the ferry while the "drive" cable is located about 4-feet from the left side cable. You will be better able to see the cables in another picture.

Free Harrop cable ferry British Columbia

I am following this little red truck onto the ferry. Like I said the ferry ramp looks like a boat ramp to me. The ferry arrives and drops that ramp and cars move on and off. Unlike most ferries, we are familiar with, there are no personnel to tell you what to do. Everyone just seems to know what to do. We just followed the leader and did what they did.

Free Harrop cable ferry British Columbia

From this view you can clearly see the drive cable. It is the tight one!

Cables on the Free Harrp cable Ferry British Columbia

The guide cable is on the right while the "DRIVE" cable is on the left in this picture.

Drive train on the Free Harrop cable Ferry

This is a view of the "drive-train". Inside that cage is the large "drive wheel". Look closely and you can see the brown cable wrapped around the large pulley. The cable only went around that drive wheel one time.

As you can tell I am fascinated with the mechanical set up on the Free Harrop Ferry.

Cables on the Free Harrop cable Ferry

I took this picture to show one of the guide cables and the drive cable on the free Harrop Ferry.