Ferries across waterways - whether by vehicle, foot or both (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[stuving]

Here's something that explains how the magic is done - from electrive.com:

The Swedish HH Ferries Group has launched two fully electric ferries named Aurora and Tycho Brahe on the stretch between Helsingborg (Sweden) and Heldingör (Denmark). Furthermore, they renamed themselves ForSea Ferries.

The ocean straight between Helsingborg and Helsingör can be crossed in about 20 minutes with the ferries. The route is run every fifteen minutes, 24 hours a day. At each of the docks on either side of the Öresund a fully automated robot arm helps charge the ferries during loading and unloading times; a process that is supposed to take between five and nine minutes.

On board of each of the electric ferries are a total of 640 batteries, weighing about 90 kg each. They are placed in four containers between the smoke stacks on the upper decks, and yield a total capacity of 4,160 kWh, which adds a considerable 280 tonnes the ship’s weight. Each crossing takes about 1,175 kWh, according to the operators, which means that there is a comfortable buffer between battery capacity and energy requirements. As the ferries will also keep the “old” diesel engines on board, the ships would be able to switch to combustion or hybrid propulsion in an emergency. The batteries can also be charged from the on-board diesel motors.

The budget for the project has cost HH Ferries, or ForSea, as they are now named, a total of 300 million Swedish crowns, or about 29 million euros. The EU^» (European Union - about) contributed about 11.5 million euros for the project. According to the operators, the new ferries will allow them to cut emissions down by about 65%. This will help Sweden’s long term goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045, meaning they plan to be mathematically emissions-free.

So this may - perhaps - be the near future of 4 km crossings, but longer may take a bit longer.

[CyclingSid]

Don't think they will be suitable replacements for our unreliable chain ferries.

[broadgage]

Excellent news IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), electric power is the future and should be used wherever suitable.

I suspect that we will see an electric cross channel ferry within 10 years. Electricity is often used very wastefully on board ship and a limited supply from a battery might lead to more prudent use.

One caveat with electric ferries is the very substantial electrical input required to charge them in a reasonable time, more so if fast charging is contemplated.
With a ferry that runs between say England and France, fast charging at either end of the route should be easily achieved. If however a ferry runs between a small island and a mainland, then the island might not have sufficient electricity available for charging the ferry.
A larger battery that can complete the round trip is then required.

[Surrey 455]

Having previously been out of action over the new year, the ferry has broken down again.

A few days ago I posted that it had broken again but was to start again on Tuesday. That date has now slipped to 12th August at the earliest.

From Dorset Echo - Sandbanks Ferry withdrawal a 'nightmare' for business and residents

TRAFFIC chaos could put thousands of people off visiting Studland and Purbeck due to the withdrawal of the Sandbanks Ferry for most of the summer, it has been claimed.

Businesses will suffer and residents will be forced to spend hours getting to work and back every day, according to Studland parish council vice-chairman Nick Boulter.

Now he has called for more investment in the ferry and has urged the operators to be more open with the public.

The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company has announced the service will be out of action until at least August 12.

It will be towed to Southampton for “costly” repairs.

The announcement comes just days before the start of the school summer holiday.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists descend on Dorset throughout the summer holiday, many heading for popular spots such as Sandbanks and Purbeck.

The withdrawal of the service is the latest in a series of problems.

The ferry was not working for three months in the winter and there were further problems in June.

Mr Boulter told the Daily Echo: “We are very disappointed that the ferry is out of action again. It has a major impact on people coming here on holiday or for day trips but also for the local businesses. It has a very serious knock-on effect – it is a nightmare for people trying to get here so sometimes they just don’t come.”

When the ferry is not operating, motorists face a 25-mile trip by road via Poole and Wareham.

Mr Boulter added: “We are concerned as to whether the company is investing adequately in the ferry. They are also very poor at communication. They make no effort to reach out to the public and explain what is actually happening.”

The ferry was withdrawn on Friday and the operators simply said there would be a further announcement on Wednesday.

It said: “The Sandbanks Ferry was withdrawn from service on Friday July 12 following a fracture of one of the main drive shafts.”

“The ferry has two independent drive systems which consists of diesel engines driving a hydraulic pump.

“This provides the hydraulic pressure to turn a hydraulic motor which is connected to the drive wheel via a drive shaft. It is one of these drive shafts which has broken. In order to remove the drive wheel to change the broken shaft requires specialist repairers.

“In order to speed up the whole repair process we have taken the costly decision to have the ferry towed to a suitably equipped repair facility in Southampton to have the work undertaken.”

“It is difficult to put a timescale on how long this work will take but we estimate that we will be out of service until at least August 12. We sincerely apologise to all our valued customers.”

Previously discussed here..

[Timmer]

What an awful time of year for it to break down just before the school summer holidays.

[CyclingSid]

There is an unemployed chain ferry sat at Gosport.

[grahame]

There is an unemployed chain ferry sat at Gosport.

Do they run on one or two chains?   And if two, is the Gosport one of Stevenson or Brunel gauge?

[Surrey 455]

Unfortunately, the ferry is now out of service for the whole summer. Now expected to resume by the end of October.

From Dorset Echo

Backlash after Sandbanks ferry cancels services until autumn
NEWS that the Sandbanks Ferry will be out of action until October has been greeted with a barrage of criticism from residents, businesses and visitors.

The troubled Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company revealed the latest setback in a statement released yesterday.

Now Studland parish council is calling on the company to organise alternative crossings.

Ferry services were withdrawn on July 12 with users told urgent repairs were needed and that the ferry would not operate until August 12.

But now the company has delivered the blow that it will not operate until the autumn, meaning people will have to drive 25 miles instead.

Parish council vice-chairman Nick Boulter said residents are suffering during the busy school summer holiday due to traffic congestion and he said businesses in the area are losing customers.

“We are obviously shocked about the latest delay but what really concerns us is that there is no alternative provision” he said.

“The parish council is requesting that a shuttle service is operated on the route, which could be served by buses on either side. It would be very simple to do

“We have already noticed that the beach empties earlier than usual because people have a long journey home and for people who live here the traffic in Wareham, Corfe and Sandford is a lot heavier.”

He added: “It is more than an inconvenience.”

Local residents have taken to social media with Sarah Brookes saying: “This is crazy - I rely on this for work” and Anna Waymouth adding: “It is time the contract for this journey was put up for tender.”

Visitor Ann Wright added: “We are holiday makers but feel really sorry for the residents and visitors who are so badly affected.”

The ferry company statement said: “The Sandbanks Ferry was withdrawn from service on Friday, July 12 following an unexpected fracture of one of the main drive shafts and is currently at a repair facility in Southampton.

“We are working very closely with the MCA (Marine & Coastguard Agency) and Lloyds Register of Shipping (our Class Surveyors for Insurers) to ensure all repairs are conducted to Class standards and specification.”

It says a broken shaft and drive wheel have been removed and that a specialist part has been ordered from Sweden.

It added: “We are in constant communication with the manufacturers to speed this process up, as well as researching alternatives. We do not anticipate being able to resume service until sometime in October. We hope to have a much clearer picture of the return to service date next week.”

The company apologised to customers.

The announcements is the latest in a series of setbacks. The ferry was not working for three months in the winter and there were further problems in June.

[MVR S&T]

Is there a rail, sorry ferry replacement service running, able to carry, cars and buses?

[martyjon]

Is there a rail, sorry ferry replacement service running, able to carry, cars and buses?

Get the Army to build a temporary pontoon bridge with a swinging section to allow shipping to pass just like the swing bridge on Bristols Prince Street.

 

[ellendune]

Is there a rail, sorry ferry replacement service running, able to carry, cars and buses?

Yes for the cars and buses its called a road. Unfortunately like so many replacement services, it's a very long way round!

[Surrey 455]

Well they said it would resume in October and on the 31st it did.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-50237292

A chain ferry which helps motorists avoid a 25-mile (40km) drive has returned to service 16 weeks after being removed for repair work.

The Sandbanks Ferry, which provides a connection between Poole and the Isle of Purbeck, was taken out of service on 12 July after its drive shaft broke.

The operator said it wanted to apologise to residents and businesses who had experienced "a difficult and frustrating summer".

It resumed crossings at 07:00 GMT.

[Surrey 455]

And it's out of action again, albeit temporarily.

 From Sandbanks Ferry on Twitter

SERVICE SUSPENDED DUE TO WEATHER - We've had to suspend service for a while due to the stormy weather making it too dangerous to run

[CyclingSid]

I am wondering how small local ferry services are going to survive Covid-19.

Hayling ferry – Suspended      https://www.haylingferry.net/
Itchenor ferry – season starts April   https://www.itchenorferry.co.uk/
Hamble ferry – Suspended      https://www.hambleferry.co.uk/
Keyhaven – Hurst Castle ferry – Closed   https://www.hurstcastle.co.uk/ferry-ride/
Mudeford ferry – Closed      http://www.mudefordferry.co.uk/
Shepperton ferry         https://www.nauticalia-marine-services.co.uk/shepperton-weybridge-pedestrian-ferry/
Hammertons ferry – Suspended      http://www.hammertonsferry.com/
Hampton ferry – Suspended      http://www.hamptonferryboathouse.co.uk/

Which are the ferries in the area I normally travel round. Most tend to be small family-type businesses (Hayling ferry now owned by a slightly larger marine services company) which provide useful links for the local community and help the local tourist trade (which will reappear eventually). Possibly fall in the gaps between the Chancellor's schemes.

If you are interested in other ferries I believe a comprehensive listing can be found at:
   https://charlesclosesociety.org/ferries
I think some of these were probably collated when the Hayling Ferry was insolvent.

[grahame]

Perhaps some of these are slightly larger ... but in our area, I also think of

Dartmouth to Kingswear
Southampton to Hythe
Portsmouth Harbour to Gosport
Falmouth to St Mawes
Padstow to Rock
Bristol Harbour
Weymouth Harbour
Sandbanks
Cremyll Ferry
Torpoint Ferry
Penzance to Scillies
Ferry to Lundy