First conceived in 1979, the little electric ferries in False Creek experienced a precarious launching as the early owners struggled to get the idea of a waterborne jitney service to catch on. When young ferry operator Jeff Pratt came aboard in 1982, he shivered his way back and forth across False Creek all winter in an open, rain-sodden ferry, most days reaping less than $10 in fares. He didn't dream that one day he would skipper a squadron of twelve boats which is the Aquabus fleet today. The Aquabus was formed in 1983 and has grown in lockstep with the population around False Creek ever since. Four Benford-designed ferries were on-stream by EXPO 86; three more plus a bicycle ferry (called the Cyquabus) by 1995; the restored historic vessels 'Rainbow Hunter' and 'Olympic Rainbow' by 2001 and a second Cyquabus in 2004. Cyquabus III was launched in the spring of 2006 and Cyquabus IV will be online in the spring of 2009 as Aquabus casts a contemplative eye on the 2010 Olympics looming over the horizon.