Tag: photography

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English islanders shocked to find SNP Government-subsidised and even longer ferry crossing costs a fraction – one seventh – of their regular to the Isle of Wight. Thousands plan to move.

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In the Daily Mail today: Furious Isle of Wight locals have accused ferry companies of holding them to ransom and say they can’t wait to move after being charged £440 for a return ticket to the mainland.  Islanders say they cannot afford to cross the Channel due to soaring costs and unreliable services. ‘Ridiculous’ ferry prices, cancellations, and delays are blighting their lives with some now wishing they had never moved to the island who say it is making them feel ‘completely cut off from society’.   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13722747/I-wish-never-moved-Furious-Isle-Wight-locals-held-ransom-ferry-companies-say-wait-charged-440-return-ticket-mainland.html The longest Isle of Wight crossing is 10 miles. Ardrossan to Arran is 17.3 … Continue reading English islanders shocked to find SNP Government-subsidised and even longer ferry crossing costs a fraction – one seventh – of their regular to the Isle of Wight. Thousands plan to move.

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Massively over-priced, more than THREE times the CalMac equivalent, and unreliable, Isle of Wight ferries strangle local economy

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From the Island Echo, yesterday: Last week we reported on how visitor numbers at some of the Island’s top attractions have failed to bounce back after the COVID pandemic, with the likes of Osborne House seeing a 23% fall in visitor numbers between 2019 and 2023. As I wrote the story I couldn’t help but feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg, with more commercial entities keeping their cards very close to their chests. It seems every time we are hit with another attraction or hotel closing (we’ve just lost Jack Up), or increased costs to day-to-day living, Island Echo readers … Continue reading Massively over-priced, more than THREE times the CalMac equivalent, and unreliable, Isle of Wight ferries strangle local economy

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Passengers queue out onto the street for Toronto’s unsurprisingly unreliable 89, 85 and 83 year-old ferries

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From Head Topics Canada in affluent Toronto today: There are renewed calls for the city to work toward building a bridge to the Toronto Islands following a weekend which saw lengthy line-ups to access Toronto’s aging ferry fleet. A long ferry line-up stretches out of the ferry terminal and onto the sidewalk on Queen’s Quay West as people wait to get to the Toronto Islands Saturday July 20, 2024. There are renewed calls for the city to work toward building a bridge to the Toronto Islands following a weekend which saw lengthy line-ups to access Toronto’s aging ferry fleet. Toronto … Continue reading Passengers queue out onto the street for Toronto’s unsurprisingly unreliable 89, 85 and 83 year-old ferries

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Channel Islands foreign ferry crew cannot speak and steer well enough to avoid killing fishermen or hit a harbour wall but CalMac crew can do this

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Two days ago: A Ukrainian national working for Condor Ferries was charged with three counts of manslaughter following a collision between a Condor Ferry and a fishing trawler off Jersey’s north west coast [in December 2022]. Artur Sevash-Zade, a Ukrainian national, was arrested in the UK and brought to Jersey to appear at the island’s Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 3 July. An intrepreter was present and translated for Mr Sevash-Zade who did not speak throughout the hearing. The court heard that he works at sea and has no fixed address in either the UK or Jersey. So, unable to speak English well … Continue reading Channel Islands foreign ferry crew cannot speak and steer well enough to avoid killing fishermen or hit a harbour wall but CalMac crew can do this

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CalMac ferry cancellations due to technical faults at only 2% to confirm status as best, 98% reliable, safest and cheapest for passengers, ferry service in the world

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The Herald today is platforming a Conservatives freedom of information figure of 3 215 CalMac ferry crossings cancelled due to technical problems in the first nine months of 2023, under the headline – CalMac ferry cancellations a ‘shocking betrayal’ of islanders. WTF just the first nine months? CalMac makes around 400 to 500 crossings every day of the year. Let’s go with the lower figure. That’s around 150 000 per year. The 3 215 make up only 2.14%. Any other cancellations are due to dangerous weather. CalMac has never lost a passenger, never mind a ferry, due to mistakes of … Continue reading CalMac ferry cancellations due to technical faults at only 2% to confirm status as best, 98% reliable, safest and cheapest for passengers, ferry service in the world

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Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis

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By our International Ferry Correspondent In January 2023: Stricken Cook Strait ferry the Kaitaki drifted more than a nautical mile towards the rugged Wellington south coast in winds gusting over 100kph, it’s been revealed. The harbour ships that raced to her aid also likely lacked the grunt to pull her and 800 passengers to safety. Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder on Sunday praised the professionalism of the crew and captain, who battled challenging conditions to drop two anchors and halt the powerless ship’s drift 0.9 nautical miles from shore and 0.6 nautical miles (1.1km) from hitting the sea floor. In November … Continue reading Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis

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Ferry cancellations led to massive delays in British Columbia

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From CTV News, Vancouver, today: Ferry cancellations led to massive delays for people trying to return to the Lower Mainland from Salt Spring Island on Sunday night. Multiple BC Ferries sailings were cancelled, including the 7:30 p.m. departure from Long Harbour to Tsawwassen. Some travellers decided to try their luck at a second ferry terminal, Fulford Harbour. They were told by BC Ferries staff there would be no ferries available at that location either, due to staffing shortages and mechanical issues. For anyone hoping to catch a ferry, the only hope was making it onto an evening sailing from a … Continue reading Ferry cancellations led to massive delays in British Columbia

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Ferry service – ‘bad as it’s ever been, only going to get worse’ in affluent USA state of Washington

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From the Orcasonian, yesterday: There have been a number of overview stories recently about Washington State Ferries, including Tom Banse’s good one May 31 in Salish Current. They seem to have been occasioned by WSF finally issuing bid documents for the first new hybrid-electric ferries, the first of which may join WSF’s aging and depleted fleet in 2028. For those of us in San Juan County, dependent on ferries to connect us to one another and to the mainland, this announcement did nothing but underscore that the reality that our ferry service — bad as it’s ever been — is only … Continue reading Ferry service – ‘bad as it’s ever been, only going to get worse’ in affluent USA state of Washington

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As CalMac averages 99% lifeline English ferry service is at shocking 78% reliability with new boats five years away

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From Island Echo, yesterday Red Funnel is to order 3 brand new ferries for its East Cowes-Southampton route, but they won’t be sailing until at least 2028. It has been confirmed by the cross-Solent ferry operator that it intends to invest around £100million in 3 new vessels to replace the ageing Red Eagle, Red Falcon and Red Osprey, with the benefit of an improved crossing time. The new ships will be diesel-powered, rather than battery or electric, and will be smaller than the current Raptor-class vessels – but will have a ‘similar’ capacity. The contract to build the 3 new … Continue reading As CalMac averages 99% lifeline English ferry service is at shocking 78% reliability with new boats five years away

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Ferrymageddon as US travellers face four years or more of delays due to aging ferries

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By Professor John Robertson Today, in the Seattle Times: Washington ferry riders face a month of longer wait times as the 144-vehicle Suquamish ferry undergoes routine maintenance. Brought into service in 2018, Suquamish is the youngest ferry in WSF. With an average ferry age of 32, the system faces $270 million in deferred maintenance. Although the system needs 26 boats to run at full service, it currently has 21 ferries, so it’s on a reduced schedule for at least the next four years.  The average age of a CalMac ferry is 24. On May 3, we could also report: Washington State Ferries in … Continue reading Ferrymageddon as US travellers face four years or more of delays due to aging ferries