Manly ferry,Rough ride

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BruceK

BruceK

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Here`s a video of Manly Ferry "Queenscliff" crossing Sydney Heads on its regular Manly to Sydney and vv commuter route, with 11M waves recorded offshore. The ferries,(destined to be replaced by catamarans :eek: with zero chance of confronting these conditions), follow the original Manly ferry design, most of which came from UK to Australia on their own bottom. I think service was suspended around the time this was taken, but they are great ferries with seagoing capacity. Interesting ride!

https://www.facebook.com/1062715977/videos/10219742388804531/
 
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Yikes.

That was a 'got only one chance' turn :eek:

I'd be campaigning for a SWATH vessel.
 
Rough?

These are a rough ferry crossings. / Len:D






 
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These videos remind me of the crossing we did years ago between the North and South islands in New Zealand . It was a "calm" day by Kiwi standards and that boat rolled like a pig and both the Admiral and I were pretty green, and we had just sailed all the way to NZ.
HOLLYWOOD
 
BruceK said:
The ferries,(destined to be replaced by catamarans :eek: with zero chance of confronting these conditions), follow the original Manly ferry design, most of which came from UK to Australia on their own bottom.

Not quite Bruce. The Freshwater class of ferries, like the Queenscliff were built in Newcastle and also near Port Stephens north of Sydney, while the older South Steyne was built in Scotland and sailed out on her own bottom in the late 1930's.

When I was 12 I was on the South Steyne in conditions like that going across to Manly with my mother. I got absolutely soaked,she was not best pleased. I had to walk around all day in soaking clothes before going back to school on the bus that night.
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Andy G said:
BruceK said:
The ferries,(destined to be replaced by catamarans :eek: with zero chance of confronting these conditions), follow the original Manly ferry design, most of which came from UK to Australia on their own bottom.

Not quite Bruce. The Freshwater class of ferries, like the Queenscliff were built in Newcastle and also near Port Stephens north of Sydney, while the older South Steyne was built in Scotland and sailed out on her own bottom in the late 1930's.

When I was 12 I was on the South Steyne in conditions like that going across to Manly with my mother. I got absolutely soaked,she was not best pleased. I had to walk around all day in soaking clothes before going back to school on the bus that night.
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But I bet you enjoyed it. Could have been clearer, I know the Freshwater class ferries are Australian built. Tom Mead`s 1988 book "Manly Ferries of Sydney Harbour" deals extensively with the oil fired steamer, "South Steyne". It used do Sunday runs to Broken Bay and back,exercising its sea going ability. I escaped arrest during a Sydney Uni Commem Day night cruise on it(figures in the book), cut short when students set off the fire extinguishers, among other mischief. Its delivery voyage from Leith in Scotland to Sydney was via the Suez Canal. Huge shame the Govt pensioned it off after a fire, though restored privately, it now languishes,for sale: https://www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1950-ferry-large-capacity-function-ferry/SSE-AD-4924052/
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Yep, you're right about the old South Steyne. I was walking around the harbour near Waverton about a month ago and came across her laid up. A sad sight, she was a mighty ferry.It would have been quite a trip from Scotland to Oz in the thirties through the Suez canal. I managed it in reverse as a youngster in the late fifties on the old Fair Sea.
 
Greetings,
Mr. d. Re: Post #4. My dad crossed from Sydney, NS to Port au Basques NFLD on the SS Caribou in 1942. She was sunk by a German U-boat 2 weeks later on the same run. He lost some friends in the sinking.
 
It's a bit of a head-turner when the bow comes up out of the water and you see a rudder and prop.....
 
twistedtree said:
It's a bit of a head-turner when the bow comes up out of the water and you see a rudder and prop.....
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Manly ferries are double ended, operated from either end. Bow becomes stern, and vv at the docking either end of the 7 mile run.
The ferries were suspended overnight due to the "east coast low" working its way down the east coast. A gale really. Back in service now.
Although the ferries operate inshore, they pass the wide opening to the ocean bookended by North and South Head and need to be up to the conditions. Typically they head out between the Heads, turn and head back in to avoid taking the seas beam on, especially in rough conditions.
 
BruceK said:
...Typically they head out between the Heads, turn and head back in to avoid taking the seas beam on, especially in rough conditions.
Click to expand...

We have to alter course for waves in our long mountain lined channels and inlets and have to wait for a 'flat spot' to make the turn. Always a butt clenching moment.

Can't image doing it in a boat of that length where you only get one shot at it and risk taking a breaking wave of that height broadside. How strong are those side windows protecting the passengers? :eek:
 
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BruceK said:
Manly ferries are double ended, operated from either end. Bow becomes stern, and vv at the docking either end of the 7 mile run.
The ferries were suspended overnight due to the "east coast low" working its way down the east coast. A gale really. Back in service now.
Although the ferries operate inshore, they pass the wide opening to the ocean bookended by North and South Head and need to be up to the conditions. Typically they head out between the Heads, turn and head back in to avoid taking the seas beam on, especially in rough conditions.
Click to expand...


Yup, plenty of double ended ferries, but all I've seen operate in calmer waters.
 
MurrayM said:
We have to alter course for waves in our long mountain lined channels and inlets and have to wait for a 'flat spot' to make the turn. Always a butt clenching moment.

Can't image doing it in a boat of that length where you only get one shot at it and risk taking a breaking wave of that height broadside. How strong are those side windows protecting the passengers? :eek:
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Strong, you`d hope:). I`d guess that filming preceded a safety service suspension. The ferries have a good safety reputation. Most operations are in pleasant weather, I encourage Sydney visitors to take the "slow" senic ferry to Manly. There are high speed catamaran ferries on the route as well.
 
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