A cable ferry (including the types chain ferry , swing ferry , floating bridge , or punt ) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often used either rope or steel chains , with the latter resulting in the alternative name of chain ferry. Both of these were largely replaced by wire cable by the late 19th century.
63-451: New York State Route 74 ( NY 74 ) and Vermont Route 74 ( VT 74 ) are state highways in the northeastern United States, connected by one of the last remaining cable ferries in North America. Together they extend for 34 miles (55 km) through Essex County, New York , and Addison County, Vermont . NY 74 begins at exit 28 off Interstate 87 (I-87) in
126-572: A New York State Department of Transportation project to rehabilitate the Champlain Bridge . Around this time, there was an addition to the highway system, with the designation of NY 915K , a short connector leading to exit 33 on the Adirondack Northway. The longest reference route is NY 910M at 0.81 miles (1.30 km), running from John Brown's Grave to NY 73. The other three reference routes are NY 910K (part of
189-664: A backup during maintenance, as with the Torpoint Ferry . Cable ferries have probably been used to cross rivers and similar bodies of water since before recorded history. Examples of ferry routes using this technology date back to the 13th century ( Hampton Ferry in England). In 1831 James Meadows Rendel introduced chain ferries worked by steam and in 1832 constructed one crossing the Dart at Dartmouth. Between 1832 and 1836 similar chain ferries were implemented between Torpoint and Saltash across
252-666: A cable ferry was the Kungälv – Fästningsholmen ferry in Sweden. Today, the Jonen ferry in the Netherlands is pulled by a winch on the banks. These cable ferries can be operated electrically without having to provide electricity by rechargeable batteries or an overhead wire. Saving the weight of the engine on board, these ferries can also be operated using less energy. Two or more ferries can be provided in order to increase availability and capacity and as
315-819: A century before 1934, the Risdon Punt at Hobart was the only fixed method of crossing the Derwent River within Hobart city limits. In the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island , Hong Kong, the Tai O Ferry (橫水渡) crossed the Tai O River before a bascule bridge was built. The largest and busiest cable ferry is the Torpoint Ferry in Plymouth, England. It was first converted to cable operation in 1831 and currently operates 3 ferries, carrying 8000 vehicles per day. The longest cable ferry link
378-561: A couple of men at a slow walking speed. Ferries of this size that were hand-operated, such as the Reedham Ferry , have since been motorised in order to reduce the level of hard work and increase the speed. For these and other ferries of up to 20 t or so displacement, typical installed motor power in kilowatts ranges from single figures to low double figures. For example, the 22 meter, 22 tonne Pritzerbe Ferry has 23 kW installed. This allows comparison with free ferries. The motor ferry "Luise" on
441-571: A franchise for a ferry from Larrabees Point to Ticonderoga in 1907, to the Shoreham and Ticonderoga Ferry Company. The New York State Legislature granted the ferry a franchise in 1918. Cable ferry Cable ferries can be typified by their size and construction, their usage (passenger, animal, vehicle) and requirements (length of crossing, amount of other shipping), their cables (wire rope, chain, or both), and their propulsion (water current, engine, manual). The choice of cable depends partially on
504-608: A junction with US 7 . At the time, modern VT 74 between Shoreham and Cornwall centers was known as VT F-9A while what is now VT 73 from Larrabees Point to Brown Lane north of the town center of Orwell was part of VT F-10A . By 1933, the highway linking NY 22 in Ticonderoga to the ferry for Larrabees Point became part of NY 8 . NY 8 was realigned c. 1934 to follow NY 22 north from Ticonderoga to Crown Point , where it left NY 22 to follow NY 347 (modern NY 185 ) to
567-490: A junction with VT 30 in the town of Cornwall . The ferry connecting the two highways, predating both NY 74 and VT 74, began operation in 1759 on an informal basis. The ferry operation was formalized at the close of the 18th century and upgraded to a cable system in 1946. Due to extensive changes in designations in both states during the 20th century, the entire length of the present highway consists of renamed segments from other highways. The New York portion of
630-475: A project to repave NY 74 from Chilson to Paradox. The project is in preliminary development, with construction is expected to begin in early 2013 and reach completion about a year later. Funding will come from state sources and run an estimated cost of $ 8.6 million. According to its website, the ferry operated informally from 1759 and in an organized way from 1799. The earliest ferries are believed to have been rowboats or canoes ; "a double-ended sailing scow
693-411: Is MV Baynes Sound Connector south of Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada with a length of 1961.48 metres. [1] The earliest punts were privately owned by local landowners, and charged a toll. As governments started to build roads, they started to build and operate punts as required. Private punts might be bought out, or made to impose more standard tolls. The energy needed for operating cable ferries
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#1732892014482756-484: Is a small landmark located beyond a few mountains and hills on the southern side of NY 74 near the end of Paradox Lake. Cotters Pond, by state law, is a water body that cannot be used for baitfishing; this was designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . Shortly afterward, NY 74 passes Bumbo Pond and enters the hamlet of Paradox. After leaving Paradox, NY 74 turns to
819-406: Is in general especially small, as the crossing distances are mostly short, the speeds low, and there is almost no maneuvering. Whereas a free ferry is especially inefficient when starting off or moving slowly against a current or wind, a cable ferry is more or less rigidly connected to the ground with side forces held by the cable(s). As the frictional drag of a displacement hull decreases with about
882-606: Is powered by a sixteen-ton tugboat built in 1979 that can hold up to 18 cars. The seasonal ferry route is half a mile long and operates from May through October. The seven-minute passage operates during daylight hours. After crossing the state line via the Fort Ticonderoga–Larrabees Point Ferry, VT 74 begins its track into Vermont. The highway heads a short distance to the north, passing a thinly populated area in Shoreham, as intermittent forest yields to fields and farmlands. After 0.49 miles (790 m) from
945-738: The American River in Northern California. Most of the road crossings of the Murray River in South Australia are cable ferries operated by the state government using diesel engines. The platforms at the ends can be moved up or down according to the water level. At one time, cable ferries were a primary means of automobile transportation in New South Wales in Australia. In Tasmania , for
1008-646: The Blue Ridge Road ), NY 912T (the shortest reference route, at 0.12 miles (0.19 km), and a connector to NY 373), and NY 913Q, which serves Mount Van Hoevenberg in North Elba. There are over 60 county routes in Essex County, signed with the pentagonal county highway shields found in most of the state. The first in order is CR 2, also known as Corduroy Road and Creek Road in Ticonderoga ;
1071-414: The Champlain Bridge . The NY 347 designation was reassigned to NY 8's former routing between NY 22 and the ferry landing east of Ticonderoga. VT F-9, meanwhile, was extended southward to Orwell over VT F-10A by 1938. Like VT F-10A, it initially bypassed Orwell to the north on Brown Lane; however, it was realigned in the late 1930s to follow modern VT 73 into Orwell. Around
1134-580: The Jamestown area) was renumbered to NY 474 as a result. The opening of the Adirondack Northway in 1967 also resulted in a slight shift of the western terminus of NY 74 from US 9 to I-87. By 1981, NY 74 was rerouted to follow its current alignment around the northeastern edge of Ticonderoga, on a concurrency with NY 22. The highway has remained the same since that date. The New York State Department of Transportation has announced
1197-728: The Kennebecasis Valley . There are now eight cable ferries along the Saint John River system in southern New Brunswick. In Canada a cable ferry is proposed to transport automobiles across the Ottawa River in Ontario . There are several in British Columbia : two on the Fraser , one at Lytton, one at Big Bar ( reaction ferries ), three on Arrow Lakes . A suspended cable ferry worked until
1260-479: The New York State Department of Transportation , the county, and its towns and villages. Eighteen state-maintained highways enter the county, which account for a combined 329.4 miles (530.1 km) of the state highway mileage in New York . The state roads are supplemented by 356.7 miles (574.1 km) of county-maintained highways, most of which serve as collector roads between state highways. Several highways within
1323-765: The Warren County line near Schroon Lake to the Clinton County line north of Keeseville . The highway was assigned after being built in 1967 to connect Keeseville to the Clinton County line, paralleling the alignment of US 9 . There is one U.S. Route in Essex County, US 9, which runs for 58.99 miles (94.94 km) in two segments. The first, spanning 57.83 miles (93.07 km), enters from Warren County near Schroon Lake before entering Clinton County temporarily. The second, spanning 1.16 miles (1.87 km), stretches from both lines of Clinton County. US 9
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#17328920144821386-748: The 1980s in Boston Bar. A small seasonal reaction ferry carries cars across the Rivière des Prairies from Laval, Quebec ( Sainte-Dorothée neighbourhood ) to Île Bizard (part of Montreal ). Cable ferries were particularly prominent in early transportation in the Sacramento Delta of California . Dozens of cable ferries operated on the Columbia River in the US northwest, and most have been rendered obsolete by bridges. A suspended cable ferry for railway cars crossed
1449-783: The New York route number. At the same time, the Larrabees Point–Cornwall section of VT F-9 was renumbered by Vermont to VT 74. NY 73 was truncated to its current eastern terminus in Underwood on July 1, 1972, eliminating a lengthy overlap with US 9, while its former routing from Schroon to Lake Champlain was renumbered to NY 74, matching the other Vermont route number that ends in Larrabees Point. The already existing NY 74 in Chautauqua County (in
1512-681: The Tamar, and between Woolston and Southampton across the Itchen. The Woolston Floating Bridge switched from chains to wire ropes between 1878 and 1887 and was replaced by a bridge in 1977. In the early 1900s, Canadian engineer William Pitt designed an underwater cable ferry in New Brunswick , which would later be installed on the Kennebecasis River in order to connect the Kingston Peninsula to
1575-493: The Vermont side, the road connecting Larrabees Point to the main north–south highways in the area was designated as VT F-9 by 1926. VT F-9 began at the ferry landing at Larrabees Point and continued northeast to Shoreham Center, where it briefly overlapped with then-VT 30A (modern VT 22A ). Past VT 30A, VT F-9 continued east along what are now town highways through Whiting to Leicester , where it ended at
1638-616: The Wannsee near Berlin, of similar tonnage, size and construction, has 290 kW installed. With electric drive the installed power requirements are reduced further. A very low-power installation is in the chain ferry Föri for up to 75 passengers. It uses battery-supplied twin electric motors. The average power during continuous operation (crossing two minutes and docking one minute) is given as 3 kW in summer and 4 kW in winter with thin ice, thus when moving 4.5 kW in summer and 6 kW in winter. Side forces from strong water currents or winds are held by
1701-441: The base of Keeney Mountain, which peaks at 1,400 feet (430 m). NY 74 then intersects with CR 56 , which parallels the main route to the south. CR 56 merges back with NY 74, which leaves the mountainous region for the hamlet of Ticonderoga. NY 74 intersects with NY 9N and NY 22 in the hamlet; the latter of the two highways becomes concurrent with NY 74. NY 22 and NY 74 continue to
1764-518: The border, VT 74 intersects with VT 73 before encountering Barnum Hill Road. Near the Barnum Hill intersection, VT 74 passes developed areas and bends more toward the north. VT 74 then turns to the northeast at Smith Street and enters a patch of forest. Afterward VT 74 climbs a hill and intersects with Harrington Hill Road where it turns northward once again. Fields and forests surround this thinly populated stretch of highway. At
1827-436: The borders of the county serve as connections to ferry landings and bridges across Lake Champlain . Essex County is served by one Interstate Highway , I-87 , known locally as the Adirondack Northway. US 9 , the only United States Numbered Highway in the county, closely parallels I-87 as both highways head north–south across the county. Essex County is also served by 11 state touring routes and six reference routes ,
1890-673: The bottom within very short distances, except very near the shore. As they are also easy to see, the risk to other navigation is usually minimal, as is evident with the 6 or so chain ferries in southern England operating in waters with heavy shipping. In strong water currents, the catenaries become more stretched and chain collisions have occurred. Wire ropes are lighter than chains of the same strength and may be operated under strong tension, both giving rise to shallow catenaries which may be difficult to judge or even see. Some cable ferry operators warn vessel operators to exercise caution. They may indicate distances to keep clear, special lights, or that
1953-420: The cables, yet when moving introduce extra friction in these that can considerably exceed the water resistance. Also in deep water with heavy chains or long cables not lying on the ground, large tension forces with corresponding friction are created. The world's longest cable crossing, nearly 2 km with the 750 t MV Baynes Sound Connector uses three wire ropes pretensioned with 200 kN. In spite of careful planning,
State Route 74 (New York–Vermont) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-403: The cables. The chains or wire ropes can be used with a sufficient amount of slack to allow sinking below the surface as the ferry moves away, allowing other vessels to pass without becoming snared or trapped. Chain ferries in strong tidal currents use two chains, those in inland rivers often only one chain on the upstream side. Some cable ferries use a wire rope on the upstream side in order to hold
2079-469: The county. NY 8 was once concurrent with Routes 9N and 22, which continue into Essex County from Warren County, and the route ended in Crown Point at the Vermont border. The northernmost segment of NY 8's former routing through the county is now NY 185 . There are six reference routes in Essex County; a seventh, NY 910L , was redesignated NY 185 on April 4, 2008, as part of
2142-418: The cross-state Route 74 west of Ticonderoga was designated as part of NY 73 in the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York , while the Vermont section carried several different designations from the 1920s to the late 1930s, when it became solely part of Vermont Route F-9 . NY 73 was extended east to Lake Champlain in the 1950s—replacing New York State Route 347 —and VT F-9
2205-493: The depth of the cable is unknown, both when the ferry is stationary and when it is operating. Current cable ferry routes include: There are about 150 cable ferries in the Netherlands,. About 111 of these are small hand-powered self-service ones and of these 24 use chains. Some examples: All reaction ferries: County Route 49 (Essex County, New York) The highway system of Essex County, New York , comprises 1,367.8 miles (2,201.3 km) of roads maintained by
2268-442: The east, heading around the outskirts of Ticonderoga. NY 74 intersects with CR 49 before NY 74 turns to the southeast. NY 22 and NY 74 head southward toward the center of Ticonderoga. At the intersection with Montcalm Street, NY 74 turns eastward off NY 22, which heads southward for Washington County . NY 74 crosses local roads as it continues eastward toward Lake Champlain. The highway passes
2331-481: The entrance to Fort Ticonderoga and the Ticonderoga Amtrak station . The New York portion of NY 74 terminates at a ferry landing by Lake Champlain at the state border. The Fort Ticonderoga–Larrabees Point Ferry is the oldest and southernmost ferry on Lake Champlain. Its cable system consists of two 1.1-inch (2.8 cm) steel cables in parallel alignment. The current ferry barge, in operation since 1959,
2394-555: The establishment of the town of Schroon. Minerva split from Crown Point in March 1817, before another municipal reorganization in 1840 implemented further reductions to the land area of Crown Point. During this period two thoroughfares served the area that correspond to parts of modern NY 74 and US 9. One of these old state roads traversed the route covered by the current alignment of NY 74 from Schroon to Ticonderoga. The entire length of NY 74 from Ticonderoga to Schroon covers
2457-452: The expected large energy savings compared to the former free ferry are not realised, also due to fouling and a speed of 8.5 knots. 998 kW engine power is installed, in the former 1099 t MV Quinitsa it is 1416 kW. With dependable water currents, most cable ferries are or were reaction ferries, powered by the current . Some of these are or were hybrid ferries with the cable passing through moveable pulleys or belaying points whose location sets
2520-400: The ferry's angle. In order to set off, manual work is required to initially pull the cable and also to maneuver, as described in the referenced video. Another hybrid seems to be the cable ferry at Sendelingsdrift with adjustable tethers to a high wire rope and also two outboard motors. Cables can hinder other navigation or pose a hazard. Whether a risk exists, and to which degree, depends on
2583-479: The hamlet of Severance in the Adirondack Mountains region of the northern part of New York State . It extends 20.44 miles (32.89 km) to the western shore of Lake Champlain in Ticonderoga . There, the seasonal Fort Ticonderoga–Larrabees Point Ferry carries cars across the state border into Vermont , where VT 74 starts at the lake's eastern shore and terminates 13.26 miles (21.34 km) later at
State Route 74 (New York–Vermont) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2646-464: The intersection with Blue Harbor Road, VT 74 turns to the east and heads toward downtown Shoreham. Within central Shoreham, VT 74 is known as Main Street and has a short concurrency with VT 22A. As VT 74 leaves the densely populated portion of Shoreham, the concurrency ends and VT 74 takes an eastward turn toward Cornwall. As VT 74 returns to the rural countryside it bends toward
2709-557: The last is CR 86E, known locally as Saint Huberts Road in Saint Huberts. In Keene , there are five county routes along NY 73 that are former alignments of NY 86A, which previously ran along that alignment. The chart below shows the Interstate, U.S., and state highways that enter or have previously entered Essex County, and the towns they serve or served in order of how the road encounters them. The "Formed" column refers to
2772-420: The latter of which are short unsigned connectors. The longest touring route in Essex County is NY 9N , which runs for 67.69 miles (108.94 km) through the county. The county's shortest touring route is NY 373 , which runs for 3.20 miles (5.15 km) in the northeastern part of Essex County. There is one interstate highway in Essex County, I-87 , stretching for 57.23 miles (92.10 km) from
2835-602: The northeast for most of the distance to Cornwall. Through this stretch the highway winds through forests and occasional farmland. VT 74 straightens at an intersection with Bates Road. A connector road called North Palmer Road merges with VT 74 shortly afterward. VT 74 winds again for a stretch and straightens a second time near the intersection with Elmendorf Road as it continues toward Cornwall, intersecting with several town highways and approaching increasingly residential areas. At Clark Road in Cornwall, VT 74 turns to
2898-436: The northeast once again, passing through more forests before terminating at VT 30 in Cornwall. Settlers of European descent began to populate the region near modern Schroon around 1797. The area's first municipality was the town of Crown Point , which originally included considerable portions of thinly populated land that later developed into separate townships. The first of these divisions occurred on March 20, 1804 with
2961-497: The north–south U.S. Route 9 (US 9) shortly after the northbound ramps of the Adirondack Northway. It then meets Stowell Road just before crossing the Schroon River . The highway meets a few local road intersections just south of Goosebury Hill before encountering Paradox Lake. NY 74 runs mostly parallel to the lake and intersects with a local campground entrance road as it continues eastward from Schroon. Cotters Pond
3024-476: The position and a chain on the downstream side for propulsion. A special type are electrically powered overhead-cable ferries like Straussee Ferry , which have an onboard propulsion unit and can float free, but are connected to the overhead wire for the power supply, using an electrical cable that slides along the cable as the ferry moves. A very rare type are cable-ferries that are not propelled by themselves but rather are pulled from land side. An example of such
3087-702: The power of the river to tack across the current; the powered cable ferry uses engines or electric motors (e.g., the Canby Ferry in the U.S. State of Oregon) to wind itself across; or is hand-operated, such as the Stratford-upon-Avon chain ferry in the UK and the Saugatuck Chain Ferry in Saugatuck, Michigan , United States. Powered cable ferries use powered wheels or drums on board the vessel to pull itself along by
3150-495: The requirements of the crossing but also on the historical context. For example, the numerous cable ferries across Australian and Canadian rivers seem to use wire rope exclusively, whereas the older crossings across busy tidal rivers in England all use chain. In Germany, several river crossings were originally reaction ferries and later kept a wire rope for holding position but introduced a chain for propulsion. The reaction ferry uses
3213-454: The river on one side of the crossing ferry and can be made highly visible. The greatest risk comes from cables that are held underwater to a lesser degree than anticipated or are not visible at all. Suspended cables (ferry to shore or to water bottom) form catenaries of a shape (entry angle and depth) that depends on the cable weight and amount of tension. Chains are in general rather heavy and can function even with very steep catenaries going to
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#17328920144823276-503: The route that the Ticonderoga and Schroon Turnpike Road Company (chartered in April 1832) was to toll. Two toll gates were to be erected specifically for use on the highway, and the charter allowed for additional toll gates at a spacing of approximately one for every ten miles of completed highway. The turnpike management was to raise funds by selling 600 shares valued at $ 25 (equivalent to $ 763 in 2023) each. $ 20,000 (equivalent to $ 671,813 in 2023)
3339-539: The same time, VT F-9 was realigned east of Shoreham to follow VT F-9A northeast to Cornwall. The VT F-9A designation was eliminated while the former routing of VT F-9 between Shoreham and Leicester became unnumbered. In November 1952, New York extended NY 73 east to the ferry landing by way of NY 347 and Wicker and Montcalm Streets. Vermont renumbered the Larrabees Point–Orwell section of VT F-9 to VT 73 in 1954 in order to match
3402-502: The segment of modern NY 74 between US 9 in Schroon and NY 22 in Ticonderoga was designated as part of NY 73 , a route extending from NY 28N in Tahawus to Ticonderoga. NY 73 followed the Blue Ridge Road from Tahawus to North Hudson and had an overlap with US 9 from North Hudson to Schroon. The portion of NY 73 between Tahawus and North Hudson
3465-490: The situation (nature of body of water and extent of shipping) and on the type of cable(s): Only the first type normally presents no risk for other vessels, as evident in the 15 reaction ferries of this type in Switzerland. Suspended cables near the water surface block navigation and are dangerous especially in strong currents and if difficult to see. The ropes of reaction ferries attached to one shore and suspended by buoys block
3528-411: The southeast along the base of Skiff Mountain. The highway then approaches a creek that flows into Eagle Lake. NY 74 crosses over Eagle Lake and runs along the base of Eagle Cliff and the shores of the lake. After leaving Eagle Lake, the highway intersects with County Route 2 (CR 2), the first numbered highway that NY 74 encounters after US 9. This stretch of NY 74 skirts
3591-539: The third power of the speed, even the smallest amount of power can effect movement with enough leverage or if suitably geared down. The majority of the world's cable ferries are indeed manually propelled either with a crank turning a chain wheel or by pulling directly on a cable. For example the Saugatuck Chain Ferry taking up to 24 passengers is cranked by a single person at about 0.3 m/s. The former cable ferry at Malgas in South Africa even carried several cars, pulled by
3654-409: The western edge of the then- village of Ticonderoga . On March 1, 1921, Route 22-b became part of Route 48, a new route created as part of a partial renumbering of New York's legislative route system. In 1924, when state highways were first publicly signed with route numbers, the highway from Schroon to Ticonderoga remained unnumbered. During the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York ,
3717-518: Was also set aside for properties along the highway. Beyond its charter, there is no further mention of the company in New York state law; therefore, it's possible that the company folded before the completion of a turnpike. In 1913, the New York State Legislature designated most of modern NY 74 as Route 22-b, an unsigned legislative route . It ran for 17.06 miles (27.46 km) from Route 22 (now US 9 ) in Schroon to
3780-769: Was assigned in the area in 1926 along a stagecoach route and has remained virtually unchanged since. There are 10 state touring routes in Essex county, the longest of which is NY 9N at 67.69 miles (108.94 km), which stretches from the Warren County line near Lake George to the Clinton County line north of Willsboro . The shortest is NY 373 , running for 3.20 miles (5.15 km). Some state highways which once entered Essex County have been eliminated, including NY 192 (now part of NY 86 ), NY 427 and NY 86A (both now part of NY 73 ); others, like NY 8 , still exist but no longer pass through
3843-437: Was in service by 1800. This vessel was about 30 feet (9.1 m) long, with a mainsail that would swing completely around the mast to provide a simple means of reversing course." Ferry size continued to increase with traffic until the system upgraded to a cable guidance system in 1946. John S. Larrabee of Vermont established the first regular ferry at the location in the late 18th century. The Vermont State Legislature approved
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#17328920144823906-623: Was removed from the state highway system c. 1936 . As a result, NY 73 was truncated to a new western terminus at US 9 in Schroon, eliminating the concurrency with US 9. The Blue Ridge Road is now designated as CR 84 from NY 28N in Tawahus to the Adirondack Northway in North Hudson, and as NY 910K, a short unsigned reference route , from the Northway to US 9. On
3969-529: Was split into VT 73 and VT 74 shortly afterward. The Schroon–Ticonderoga highway was redesignated as NY 74 on July 1, 1972 after NY 73 was cut back to its current eastern terminus in Elizabethtown . NY 74 originates at exit 28 of the Adirondack Northway (I-87) in the town of Schroon . The starting interchange is close to local landmark Severance Hill, which reaches an elevation of 1,600 feet (490 m). NY 74 intersects
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