81-679: Hoverspeed was a ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005. It was formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd . Its last owners were Sea Containers ; the company ran a small fleet of two high-speed SeaCat catamaran ferries in its final year. Hoverspeed played a part in developing the hovercraft , and ran six SR.N4 Mountbatten class hovercraft and one SEDAM N500 Naviplane . Hoverspeed last operated hovercraft on its Dover to Calais service. They were withdrawn on 1 October 2000 and Hoverspeed continued to use Seacat catamarans built by Incat . During
162-529: A 21% market share, with 35% fewer flights and 250 staff made redundant, the new entity continued to register losses with £5.5 million for the year 1982, £3.5 million in 1983. The new French hovercraft, the N500 , achieved only 60% reliability and did not meet ride comfort or control standards. It was eventually broken up for spares and scraps. The SR.N4 craft, moreover, could not accommodate the recently introduced double-deck and one-and-a-half deck coaches and this part of
243-433: A car ferry still departs from each harbor every 15 minutes during daytime. The route is around 2.2 nautical miles (4.1 km; 2.5 mi) and the crossing takes 22 minutes. Today, all ferries on this route are constructed so that they do not need to turn around in the harbors. This also means that the ferries lack stems and sterns, since the vessels sail in both directions. Starboard and port-side are dynamic, depending on
324-444: A consortium were quickly abandoned. In late 1981, when the two companies eventually merged, the situation was dire. Despite a valuation at £110 million, combined losses were £8 million with ticket prices 25 to 30% higher than the ferries. Under the terms of the merger, Hoverspeed was also under obligation to accept the two French hovercraft in exchange for a 10% participation in share capital by French state-owned SNCF . The new company
405-888: A network of smaller ferries, or water taxis , that shuttle commuters along the Hudson River from locations in New Jersey and Northern Manhattan down to the midtown, downtown and Wall Street business centers. Several ferry companies also offer service linking midtown and lower Manhattan with locations in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn , crossing the city's East River . New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in February 2015 that city would begin an expanded Citywide Ferry Service, and launched as NYC Ferry in 2017, linking heretofore relatively isolated communities such as Manhattan 's Lower East Side , Soundview in The Bronx , Astoria and
486-414: A new division – British Rail Shipping and International Services Division. With the advent of car ferry services, the old passenger-only ferries were gradually replaced by roll-on/roll-off ships, catering for motorists and rail passengers as well as road freight. However, given that there was now competition in the form of other ferry companies offering crossings to motorists, it became necessary to market
567-585: A number which may be higher due to the prevalence of unregistered vessels. In 2014, the launch Pinak 6 sank in the Padma River with more than 200 passengers aboard near Munshiganj's Louhajang Upazila . Due to the geographical features of Russia, it has a large number of both sea and river ferry crossings. Car ferries operate from the continental part of Russia to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Japan. The Ust-Luga – Kaliningrad ferry also runs, until February 2022 ferries also ran from St. Petersburg to different cities of
648-491: A pre-tax profit of £194,000 for 1985 with an increase in US passengers. This figure rose to £625,000 in 1986. Ripe for sale, in February 1986, Hoverspeed was sold by the management consortium to British Ferries ( Sealink UK's holding company) owned by Sea Containers , a transport group engaged in marine container leasing, manufacturing, depot and logistics operations, railways operator, ferry operator and leisure industry investor for
729-646: A pre-tax profit) it was clear, by the early 2000s, Hoverspeed could no longer continue operating business-as-usual. Despite the introduction of the Super SeaCats, Hoverspeed could not match EuroTunnel both in terms of economies of scale and pricing. This became apparent in the company's pre-tax profits immediately following the opening of the Channel Tunnel in May 1994. Lucrative duty-free sales came to an end in July 1999 when
810-469: A sum of £5 million, each syndicate making a profit of £600,000. Large financial gains made by former managers of British Rail was to become a feature of rail privatization. In 1987, Hoverspeed returned a profit of £1.6 million with a turnover of £42.3 million per year and £4.7 million in 1988 and a turnover of £44 million per year. Being part of a larger shipping company allowed fresh re-capitalization, cheaper fuel as well as access to legal services. With
891-431: A symmetrical entry and exit for horse carriages, along with a dual system of hatchways. The ferry operated on the Üsküdar-Kabataş route, which is still serviced by modern ferries today. In Hong Kong , Star Ferry carries passengers across Victoria Harbour . Other carriers ferry travelers between Hong Kong Island and outlying islands like Cheung Chau , Lantau Island and Lamma Island . The Malaysian state of Penang
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#1733085792321972-433: Is SeaBus . Canada's east coast has been home to numerous inter- and intra-provincial ferry and coastal services, including a large network operated by the federal government under CN Marine and later Marine Atlantic . Private and publicly owned ferry operations in eastern Canada include Marine Atlantic, serving the island of Newfoundland , as well as Bay , NFL , CTMA , Coastal Transport , and STQ . Canadian waters in
1053-568: Is a boat that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice , Italy , is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus . Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels . Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like
1134-618: Is a part of the larger Sagar Mala project . Water transport in Mumbai consists of ferries, hovercraft, and catamarans, operated by various government agencies as well as private entities. The Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD), operating under the Ministry of Transport, Government of Kerala , India regulates the inland navigation systems in the Indian state of Kerala and provides inland water transport facilities. It stands for catering to
1215-1052: Is also operated from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs during the summer and fall. As there are no bridges or tunnels connecting the islands to the mainland, The Steamship Authority ferries in addition to being the only method for transporting private cars to or from the islands, also ferry heavy freight and supplies, such as construction materials and fuel, competing with tug and barge companies. Additionally, Hy-Line Cruises operates high-speed catamaran service from Hyannis to both islands, and several smaller operations run seasonal passenger-only service primarily geared towards tourist day-trippers from other mainland ports, including New Bedford , (New Bedford Fast Ferry) Falmouth , (Island Queen ferry and Falmouth Ferry) and Harwich (Freedom Cruise Line). Ferries also bring riders and vehicles across Long Island Sound to such Connecticut cities as Bridgeport and New London , and to Block Island in Rhode Island from points on Long Island . Transbay commuting in
1296-637: Is essential in the region. The state operates twelve routes, eight of which are under the oversight of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division , three of which are under the direct oversight of the North Carolina Department of Transportation , and one of which is under the oversight of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation . Three of the Ferry Division routes are tolled, and all ferry routes operated by
1377-711: Is hand powered. Due to the numbers of large freshwater lakes and length of shoreline in Canada, various provinces and territories have ferry services. BC Ferries operates the third largest ferry service in the world which carries travellers between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland on the country's west coast. This ferry service operates to other islands including the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii . In 2015, BC Ferries carried more than 8 million vehicles and 20 million passengers. In Vancouver there
1458-781: Is home to the oldest ferry service in the country. This service, now called Rapid Ferry , connects the Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal at Weld Quay in George Town on Penang Island with the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Butterworth on Peninsular Malaysia . It has also become a tourist attraction among foreigners. In the Philippines , the Philippine Nautical Highway System forms
1539-473: Is made possible by two ferry lines Shepler's Ferry and Mackinac Island Ferry Company (formerly Star Line) . A ferry service runs between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan operated by Lake Express . Another ferry SS Badger operates between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan . Both cross Lake Michigan . Numerous additional inland ferry routes exist in the United States, such as
1620-445: Is no alternative crossing of the river. The busiest seaway in the world, the English Channel , connects Great Britain and mainland Europe, with ships sailing from the UK ports of Dover , Newhaven , Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth to French ports, such as Calais , Dunkirk , Dieppe , Roscoff , Cherbourg-Octeville , Caen , St Malo and Le Havre . The busiest ferry route to France is
1701-608: Is no reason why it could not work and such a ferry, modified by using horses, was used in Lake Champlain in 19th-century America. See Experiment (horse powered boat) . In 1850 the roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferry, Leviathan designed to carry freight wagons efficiently across the Firth of Forth in Scotland started to operate between Granton, near Edinburgh, and Burntisland in Fife. The vessel design
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#17330857923211782-466: Is the kosha, a small, highly manoeuvrable boat that is easy to operate. These various traditional wooden boats play a vital role in providing transportation during the rainy season when other modes become impractical due to flooding. The ferries are often overloaded and continue to operate in poor weather; many people die each year in ferry and launch accidents. From 2005 to 2015, nearly 1,800 casualties have been reported due to river transport incidents,
1863-582: Is the Algiers Ferry, which has been in continuous operation since 1827 and is one of the oldest operating ferries in North America. In New England, vehicle-carrying ferry services between mainland Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are operated by The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority , which sails year-round between Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven as well as Hyannis and Nantucket . Seasonal service
1944-528: Is the San Francisco ferry system, which will receive $ 11.5 million to improve the connection between Treasure Island and Mission Bay. In Maine, the ferry system will be upgraded in Lincolnville and Islesboro. Additionally, Alaska will receive a significant $ 106.4 million grant to replace a 60-year-old vessel operating in the southwest. This vessel is a crucial connector for the region. These grants are part of
2025-530: The Seacat Rapide and Seacat Diamant were put up for sale by Sea Containers. Superseacat One which had operated for Hoverspeed on its now-closed Newhaven – Dieppe (2000 and 2002–2004) and Dover – Calais / Ostend (2001) fast ferry services was sold in April 2006 to Acciona Trasmediterránea and was renamed Almudaina Dos . Although the company ended Hovercraft service, they still retained ownership of
2106-498: The Baltic Sea between Finland , Åland , Sweden , Estonia , Latvia and Saint Petersburg , Russia . In many ways, these ferries are like cruise ships , but they can also carry hundreds of cars on car decks. Besides providing passenger and car transport across the sea, Baltic Sea cruise-ferries are a popular tourist destination unto themselves, with multiple restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shops and entertainment on board. Helsinki
2187-611: The Baltic Sea ) may also be called ferry services, and many carry vehicles. The profession of the ferryman is embodied in Greek mythology in Charon , the boatman who transported souls across the River Styx to the Underworld . Speculation that a pair of oxen propelled a ship having a water wheel can be found in 4th century Roman literature " Anonymus De Rebus Bellicis ". Though impractical, there
2268-456: The Canary Islands , but were recently replaced by faster catamaran "high speed" ferries that can carry cars. Their replacement by the larger craft is seen by critics as a retrograde step given that the new vessels use much more fuel and foster the inappropriate use of cars in islands already suffering from the impact of mass tourism. Sealink Sealink was a ferry company based in
2349-733: The Cave-In-Rock Ferry across the Ohio River, and the Benton-Houston Ferry across the Tennessee River. The FTA announced in September 2024 that it would award $ 300 million in grants to modernize ferry systems in the United States. These grants will support 18 projects across 14 states, emphasizing upgrading environmentally friendly propulsion systems. Eight of the 18 projects will receive funding for this purpose. One notable project
2430-557: The Channel Islands . The Isle of Wight was also served from Portsmouth and Lymington . Sealink also operated the Steamer passenger ferry services on Windermere in Cumbria until privatisation, when these were passed to the newly reformed Windermere Iron Steamboat Company (now Windermere Lake Cruises Ltd). Sealink was originally the brand name for the ferry services of British Rail in
2511-625: The Eastern Docks . They operated from the hoverport to Boulogne from Easter 2007 until November 2008 when SpeedFerries went into administration and their services ceased. The hoverport site then lay abandoned for the second time in its thirty-year history until demolition of the site began in May 2009 in preparation for the redevelopment of the Western Docks and a new Cruise Terminal. Following expansion of Calais port in January 2016, Calais Hoverport
Hoverspeed - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-618: The European Union removed tariffs between members states. Consequently, Sea Containers announced it refused to support Hoverspeed’s losses on the English Channel and that they would cease operations on the Dover-Calais route, ending over 40 years of service. It was initially thought that both the 81m Seacats would move to Sea Containers Mediterranean services. However in March 2006 both
2673-769: The Great Lakes once hosted numerous ferry services, but these have been reduced to those offered by Owen Sound Transportation and several smaller operations. There are also several commuter passenger ferry services operated in major cities, such as Metro Transit in Halifax , and Toronto Island ferries in Toronto. There is also the Société des traversiers du Québec . Due to the North Carolina coast's geography, consisting of numerous sounds, inlets, tidal arms, and islands, ferry transportation
2754-523: The Gulf of Alaska . AMHS provides affordable access to many small communities with no road connection or airport. The Staten Island Ferry in New York City , sailing between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island , is the nation's single busiest ferry route by passenger volume. Unlike riders on many other ferry services, Staten Island Ferry passengers do not pay any fare to ride it. New York City also has
2835-708: The National Park Service . Until the completion of the Mackinac Bridge in the 1950s, ferries were used for vehicle transportation between the Lower and the Upper Peninsulas of Michigan , across the Straits of Mackinac in the United States. Ferry service for bicycles and passengers continues across the straits for transport to Mackinac Island , where motorized vehicles are almost completely prohibited. This crossing
2916-523: The North Island with Picton in the South Island , linking New Zealand's two main islands. The route is 92 kilometres (57 mi), and is run by two companies – government-owned Interislander , and independent Bluebridge , who say the trip takes three and half hours. Ferry designs depend on the length of the route, the passenger or vehicle capacity required, speed requirements and the water conditions
2997-602: The P&;O Pioneer , which entered service in June 2023 replacing Pride of Kent. Hydrofoils have the advantage of higher cruising speeds, succeeding hovercraft on some English Channel routes where the ferries now compete against the Eurotunnel and Eurostar trains that use the Channel Tunnel . Passenger-only hydrofoils also proved a practical, fast and relatively economical solution in
3078-542: The San Francisco Bay Area was primarily ferry-based until the advent of automobiles in the 1940s, and most bridges in the area were built to supplant ferry services. By the 1970s, ferries were primarily used by tourists with Golden Gate Ferry , an organization under the ownership of the same governing body as the Golden Gate Bridge , left as the sole commute operator. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake prompted
3159-483: The Seikan Tunnel and Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project ) have been constructed, the ferry transportation has recently become for short-distance sightseeing passengers with or without car, and for long-distance truck drivers hauling goods. The country's extensive river network makes ferries a practical and affordable mode of transport. Passenger ferries, locally referred to as "launches," are widely used to travel to
3240-532: The BR symbol was used on one side of Sealink ship's funnels and flags. This was so that the 'top' arrow was always pointing towards the bow of the ship on funnels, and for flags towards the flag staff. British Rail owned ships had red funnels with a white logo. Elsewhere in Sealink the symbol was white on blue. In the 1960s, British Rail started hovercraft services from Dover to Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer , and also across
3321-516: The Baltic Sea has several routes mainly for heavy traffic and cars. The ferry routes of Rødby - Puttgarden , Trelleborg - Rostock , Trelleborg - Travemünde , Trelleborg - Świnoujście , Gedser - Rostock , Gdynia - Karlskrona , and Ystad - Świnoujście are all typical transports ferries. On the longer of these routes, simple cabins are available. Some of these routes previously also carried trains, but since 2020 these trains are instead routed around
Hoverspeed - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-612: The Baltic Sea. Before the construction of the Kerch Bridge, there was a ferry across the Kerch Strait, whose service was resumed after the Kerch bridge explosion . There are also more than 100 ferry crossings on different rivers in Russia. These are usually symmetrical through ferries with two ramps for quick entry and exit of cars. For some categories of car owners, these ferries may be free if there
3483-667: The Baltic via the Great Belt fixed link and Jutland . In Istanbul , ferries connect the European and Asian shores of Bosphorus , as well as Princes' Islands and nearby coastal towns. In 2014, İDO transported 47 million passengers, the largest ferry system in the world. The largest ferry system in Italy is in Venice , the city best known for its extensive canals. Called Water Taxis ( Italian : Veniza Taxi ), they provide service all around
3564-513: The Dover to Calais crossing with approximately 9,168,000 passengers using the service in 2018. Ferries from Great Britain also sail to Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Ireland. Some ferries carry mainly tourist traffic, but most also carry freight, and some are exclusively for the use of freight lorries. In Britain, car-carrying ferries are sometimes referred to as RORO (roll-on, roll-off) for
3645-730: The FTA's efforts to improve ferry transportation in the United States and promote sustainable transportation options. Mexico has ferry services run by Baja Ferries that connect La Paz located on the Baja California Peninsula with Mazatlán and Topolobampo . Passenger ferries also run from Playa del Carmen to the island of Cozumel . There are several ferries in South America. Chacao Channel has ferry lines. In Australia, two Spirit of Tasmania ferries carry passengers and vehicles 450 kilometres (280 mi) across Bass Strait ,
3726-613: The French-run Sealink services were rebranded as SeaFrance . Prior to 1964/65 the colours were black hull, white upperworks and black-topped buff funnel. From 1972/73 Sealink was displayed in white Rail Alphabet typeface on the side of the hull. The livery from 1984 to 1995 was a distinctive blue-on-white. Previously, the British Rail double arrow logo had been used, with a BR corporate monastral blue hull, white upperworks and black-topped red funnel. A reversed version of
3807-399: The North Carolina Department of Transportation carry both vehicles and pedestrians, although certain vessels only carry pedestrians and cyclists. The National Park Service additionally works with private companies to offer ferry service to locations such as Cape Lookout and Portsmouth . Washington State Ferries operates the most extensive ferry system in the continental United States and
3888-479: The Rockaways in Queens and such Brooklyn neighborhoods as Bay Ridge , Sunset Park , and Red Hook with existing ferry landings in Lower Manhattan and Midtown Manhattan . A second expansion phase connected Staten Island to the West Side of Manhattan, and added a stop in Throgs Neck, in the Bronx. NYC Ferry is now the largest passenger fleet in the United States. The New Orleans area also has many ferries that carry both vehicles and pedestrians. Most notable
3969-411: The United Kingdom and Ireland. Services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands were run by Sealink UK as part of the Sealink consortium which also used ferries owned by French national railways ( SNCF ), the Belgian Maritime Transport Authority Regie voor Maritiem Transport /Regie des transports maritimes (RMT/RTM) and the Dutch Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (Zeeland Steamship Company). Historically,
4050-433: The United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland. Ports served by the company included: Dover , Folkestone , Newhaven , Southampton and Harwich for services to the European continent; Holyhead , Fishguard , Heysham and Stranraer for services to Ireland and the Isle of Man; Weymouth and Portsmouth for services to
4131-592: The backbone of the nationwide transport system by integrating ports with highway systems; the system has three main routes. Another known ferry service is the Pasig River Ferry Service , which is the only water-based transportation in Metro Manila . This system cruises the Pasig River . India's ro-ro ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2017. It aims to connect South Gujarat and Saurashtra currently separated by 360 kilometres (220 mi) of roadway to 31 kilometres (19 mi) of ferry service. It
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#17330857923214212-558: The body of water that separates Tasmania from the Australian mainland, often under turbulent sea conditions. These run overnight but also include day crossings in peak time. Both ferries are based in the northern Tasmanian port city of Devonport and sail to Geelong . Before Geelong this ferry used to sail to Melbourne . The double-ended Freshwater-class ferry cuts an iconic shape as it makes its way up and down Sydney Harbour New South Wales , Australia between Manly and Circular Quay . In New Zealand, ferries connect Wellington in
4293-404: The cash needed to operate via NatWest . The company immediately adopted premium instead of parity pricing, justified on the grounds that a faster service was expected to be more expensive. An aggressive advertising campaign was mounted against the ferries and more effort was made to target fares accurately. For 1984, the company made a loss of £621,000. Its performance went up with
4374-413: The city's canals . They can comfortably carry up to 10 people, and can take individuals from the airport to their hotel. There are several companies that offer this service, including Vaporetto and Alilaguna. They operate on a series of lines that stop at different locations around Venice. The world's shortest ferry line is the Ferry Lina in Töreboda , Sweden . It takes around 20–25 seconds and
4455-499: The country, especially during the rainy season. These boats transport over 1.2 million tonnes of freight annually. Among these are the dingi , which is the oldest form of Bengal boat. Larger cargo boats includes vessels such as the balam , bajra and sampan . Under the category of bainkata (flat-bottomed) boats are the ghasi , gachari , dorakha , kathami , mallar , patam and panshi , among others. Ubiquitous throughout Bangladesh, especially in monsoon flood-prone regions,
4536-538: The craft must deal with. Double-ended ferries have interchangeable bows and sterns, allowing them to shuttle back and forth between two terminals without having to turn around. Well-known double-ended ferry systems include the BC Ferries , the Staten Island Ferry , Washington State Ferries , Star Ferry , several ferries on the North Carolina Ferry System , and the Lake Champlain Transportation Company . Most Norwegian fjord and coastal ferries are double-ended vessels. All ferries from southern Prince Edward Island to
4617-411: The direction the ferry sails. Despite the short crossing, the ferries are equipped with restaurants (on three out of four ferries), cafeterias, and kiosks. Passengers without cars often make a double or triple return journey in the restaurants; for this, a single journey ticket is sufficient. Passenger and bicycle passenger tickets are inexpensive compared with longer routes. Large cruiseferries sail in
4698-488: The docking of these vessels, and oversees 380 launch terminals. There are 53 roll-on/roll-off ferries running on seven routes across the country: Paturia–Daulatdia, Aricha–Kazirhat, Shimulia–Banglabazar, Bhola–Lakshmipur, Lajarhat–Veduria, Char Kalipur–Kalipur Bazar and Harinaghat Chandpur–Shariatpur. More than 800,000 small and medium wooden sailboats and rowboats , often retrofitted to be motorised, are an important means of transportation for people and goods across
4779-412: The early 1970s, when both Hoverlloyd and Seaspeed were struggling to return a profit, the two operators had been in negotiations on a partnership to amalgamate operations. However, management at Hoverlloyd was not convinced the UK government would sanction any form of arrangement between Seaspeed and a foreign company. The situation was exacerbated when discussions became public knowledge and plans for
4860-405: The ease by which vehicles can board and leave. The busiest single ferry route in terms of the number of departures is across the northern part of Øresund , between Helsingborg , Scania , Sweden and Elsinore , Denmark . Before the Øresund bridge was opened in July 2000, car and "car and train" ferries departed up to seven times every hour (every 8.5 minutes). This has since been reduced, but
4941-511: The ferry business was incorporated as Sealink UK Limited on 1 January 1979, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Railways Board (BRB), but still part of the Sealink consortium. In 1979, Sealink acquired Manx Line which offered services to the Isle of Man from Heysham. On 27 July 1984 the UK Government sold Sealink UK Limited to Sea Containers for £66m. The company was renamed Sealink British Ferries. In 1991, Sea Containers sold Sealink British Ferries to Stena Line . The sale excluded
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#17330857923215022-452: The mainland of Canada were double-ended. This service was discontinued upon completion of the Confederation Bridge . Some ferries in Sydney, Australia and British Columbia are also double-ended. In 2008, BC Ferries launched the first of the Coastal-class ferries , which at the time were the world's largest double enders. These were surpassed as the world's largest double-enders when P&O Ferries launched their first double-ender, called
5103-494: The market was lost. By 1984, the company was near collapse. In February 1984, the UK government refused to provide further guaranteed loans, British Rail sold its 50% ownership which it had retained in the company (and its losses) for a nominal sum of £1 to a syndicate consortium of 5 directors. Thus, Hoverspeed was effectively given away to its own management and was wholly owned within the private sector backed by merchant bank Kleinwort Benson providing guarantees and underwriting
5184-448: The operations of Hoverspeed , the Isle of Wight services and the share in the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company , as well as the Port of Heysham . The new owners rebranded the company as Sealink Stena Line, then again a few years later to Stena Sealink Line. In 1996, the Sealink name disappeared when the UK services were re-branded as Stena Line . The agreement with the SNCF on the Dover to Calais route also ended at this time and
5265-405: The original Superseacat design built by Austal failed to meet the speed required. In service with Hoverspeed 1999–2004. Left fleet in 2004, chartered. In serviced with Hoverspeed 1997, 1999 and 2001. Left fleet in 2001, sold. In service with Hoverspeed 2001. Left fleet in 2001, returned to SeaCat. After sustaining losses annually since 1995 (the last financial year the company returned
5346-516: The passenger and cargo traffic needs of the inhabitants of the waterlogged areas of the Districts of Alappuzha , Kottayam , Kollam , Ernakulam , Kannur and Kasargode . SWTD ferry service is also one of the most affordable modes to enjoy the beauty of the scenic Kerala backwaters . Japan used to rely heavily on ferries for passenger and goods transportation among the four main islands of Hokkaido , Honshu , Shikoku and Kyushu . However, as highway and railway bridges and undersea tunnels (such as
5427-462: The reduced fleet of hovercraft aging, it also permitted capital investment into more fuel efficient vessels with the first SeaCat catamaran services introduced in 1991 and larger Super SeaCats in 1997, the latter to achieve economies of scale in the face of stiff competition from the Channel Tunnel and the ferry companies. Hoverspeed operated several routes. These were: Four Superseacats were ordered by Hoverspeed's parent company Sea Containers after
5508-441: The remaining 2 SR.N4s until 2006 when they were sold to Wensley Haydon-Baillie . In 2016, following a transfer of ownership of both land and the craft to the Home & Communities Agency, a public campaign was launched to save one or both of the craft. By summer 2016, it was established that The Princess Anne would be saved and refurbished as a permanent exhibit at the Hovercraft Museum. The fate of The Princess Margaret , which
5589-401: The restoration of service to the East Bay . The modern ferry network is primarily under the authority of San Francisco Bay Ferry , connecting with cities as far as Vallejo . Tourist excursions are also offered by Blue & Gold Fleet and Red & White Fleet . A ferry serves Angel Island (which also accepts private craft). Alcatraz is served exclusively by ferry service administered by
5670-467: The second largest in the world by vehicles carried, with ten routes on Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca serving terminals in Washington and Vancouver Island. In 2016, Washington State Ferries carried 10.5 million vehicles and 24.2 million riders in total. The Alaska Marine Highway System provides service between Bellingham, Washington, and various towns and villages throughout Southeast and Southwest Alaska, including crossings of
5751-475: The services in a normal business fashion (as opposed to the previous almost monopolistic situation). Thus, with the other partners mentioned above, the brand name Sealink was introduced for the consortium. In November 1970, Belgium Marine joined the Sealink consortium with five car ferries and six passenger ships. As demand for international rail travel declined and the shipping business became almost exclusively dependent on passenger and freight vehicle traffic,
5832-528: The shipping services were exclusively an extension of the railways across the English Channel and the Irish Sea in order to provide through, integrated services to Europe and Ireland. As international travel became more popular in the late 1960s and before air travel became generally affordable, the responsibility for shipping services was taken away from the British Rail Regions and in 1969 centralised in
5913-526: The southern and south-western regions of Bangladesh from the capital. The most popular destinations include Barisal , Bhola , Patuakhali , and Khulna . Additionally, there are water-transport routes connecting Dhaka with Kolkata in India. Approximately 200 launches operate across 107 water routes throughout the country as of 2022 . To support the launch services, the BIWTA has developed 292 wharfs ( ghats ) for
5994-600: Was designed by the general manager of Şirket-i Hayriye (Bosporus Steam Navigation Company), Giritli Hüseyin Haki Bey and built by the Greenwich shipyard of Maudslay, Sons and Field . It weighed 157 tons, was 155 feet (47 meters) long, 27 feet (8.2 meters) wide and had a draft of 9 feet (2.7 meters). It was capable of travelling up to 6 knots with the side wheel turned by its 450-horsepower, single-cylinder, two-cycle steam engine. Launched in 1872, Suhulet's unique features consisted of
6075-539: Was highly innovative and the ability to move freight in great quantities and with minimal labour signalled the way ahead for sea-borne transport, converting the ro-ro ferry from an experimental and marginal ship type into one of central importance in the transport of goods and passengers. In 1871, the world's first car ferry crossed the Bosphorus in Istanbul. The iron steamship, named Suhulet (meaning 'ease' or 'convenience')
6156-418: Was inadequate, resulting in potential travellers having great difficulty in contacting Hoverspeed and many being told crossings were fully booked when they were not. This necessitated the reversion to a very basic manual reservation system to try to cope with demand. In 1982, loss income was estimated at between £3 million and £4 million. Second, excess capacity drove profit margins down. The most damaging mistake
6237-518: Was not in such sound structural repair, was announced on 30 May 2018 - usable parts will be moved to The Princess Anne and the craft will be scrapped. The closure of Hoverspeed left a single company in the United Kingdom still operating hovercraft flights, Hovertravel . Since the closure of Hoverspeed in 2005, the Dover Hoverport had remained unused until SpeedFerries moved to the site from
6318-470: Was spearheaded by Gerry Draper, new Chief Executive and a former marketing director at British Airways. Draper had been involved in filling empty passenger seats aboard the new Boeing 747 jumbo jets in the early 1970s when IATA regulations prohibited discounting. He was also successful in turning Concorde services profitable. Nevertheless, a number of early decisions plagued the new company. First, Hoverspeed inherited an antiquated reservation system which
6399-497: Was subsequently demolished, only Boulogne (Le Portel) hoverport site remains, albeit long abandoned and derelict. Hoverspeed took on the purpose-built Hoverlloyd site at Pegwell Bay, the Ramsgate Hoverport . Passenger and car services continued during 1982 but were then moved to Dover. Hoverspeed kept the site in use for administration and hovercraft maintenance, including craft overhauls, until 1987. Ferry A ferry
6480-575: Was the busiest international passenger ferry port in the world in 2017 with over 11.8 million passengers whilst the second business international ferry port, Dover, had 11.7 million passengers. The Helsinki- Tallinn route alone accounted for nine million passengers. In 2022 the port of Helsinki had almost 8 million passengers, of which 6.3 million travelled between Helsinki and Tallinn. Additionally many smaller ferries operate on domestic routes in Finland, Sweden and Estonia. The south-west and southern parts of
6561-543: Was to increase the number of crossings operated, over 10,000 in 1982, which did not match demand and the decision to briefly re-open the Ramsgate route for the summer season which was counter-productive. Third, parity pricing continued with ferry operators, even during peak season. This was a source of concern since 70% of the turnover (and traffic) was generated during the summer season between mid-June and mid-September. Despite carrying 2.5 million passengers and 400,000 vehicles,
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