Isle of Wight Chain Ferry

[jgurney]

Others are at Sandbanks, Dorset, Trelissick, Cornwall ('King Harry Ferry'), Torpoint, Devon/Cornwall, Dartmouth, Devon, Windermere, or Reedham, Norfolk.

Thanks for that list. Wasn't a huge fan of the roads into Falmouth when I was last down there so Trelissick looks like a nice alternative for next time

The boat from Truro to Falmouth along the river also carries bikes. My wife and I used it while touring the area (as we wanted to do the river trip anyway). While they advertised cycle carriage on their website, the surprised crew said we were the first cyclists they could recall taking them up on it.

[jgurney]

For a more unusual bike-on-bigger-vehicle trip, try taking a bike on the Southsea - Ryde hovercraft, the only remaining hovercraft service in Europe.
Bikes are carried in luggage bays with external doors, known as 'panniers' - probably the only occasion a bike can be in a pannier.

I've been keen to try the hovercraft over the past few years, only to remember that the bicycle is pretty much guaranteed to be sprayed with seawater, from departure to arrival.

I've never had anything carried in the panniers, but last time I used the hovercraft (without a bike) lots of suitcases were loaded into the panniers. The doors looked substantial and as the cases were being unloaded again there were no signs of them dripping or any cries of dismay from their owners, so I doubt there is much water ingress. It is only a 10 min crossing. (Is a hovercraft journey called a 'flight' or a 'sailing' or perhaps a 'hovering' ?).

[Cunobelin]

Does it still have the "art"

[pedalsheep]

Its not only got art its got its own facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cowes-Ch ... 3426529822

[Redvee]

Posting this link ( ) as the ferry is out of action at present

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-33831271

[Graham]

I've never had anything carried in the panniers, but last time I used the hovercraft (without a bike) lots of suitcases were loaded into the panniers. The doors looked substantial and as the cases were being unloaded again there were no signs of them dripping or any cries of dismay from their owners, so I doubt there is much water ingress. It is only a 10 min crossing. (Is a hovercraft journey called a 'flight' or a 'sailing' or perhaps a 'hovering' ?).

Thanks for the clarification/correction. For some reason I believed that the hovercraft external panniers had no covers. However, that doesn't make any sense. It wouldn't just be the cyclists who would get upset if their luggage received a thorough spraying.

[Brucey]

FWIW there are still many chain ferries across the larger rivers in Europe. Where (historically) there have been borders eg along the Maas, there are still comparatively few bridges to this day. Lots of chain ferries though; in some parts there is a bridge only once every fifteen or twenty miles, and three or four chain ferries inbetween. It can make for a pleasant tour, swapping sides whenever you can, and out an back again ride alongside the river can itself look like a chain when you plot the route on a map.
There is a small charge for each crossing. Interestingly the current in the river is normally very strong (about 10kts or so if there has been a lot of rain); to combat this the ferry is tethered to an anchored buoy upstream, and each crossing describes an arc across the river. Cargo vessels use the river (I'm guessing about 500-750 tonnes) and these do about 15kts in still water. This means they are reduced to near walking pace when going upstream but it also means that a downstream vessel can approach a chain ferry doing about 25kts and more to the point if you can see it, and you are in its way, it can't stop before it hits you. Fortunately accidents are rare.

cheers

[iviehoff]

Others are at Sandbanks, Dorset, Trelissick, Cornwall ('King Harry Ferry'), Torpoint, Devon/Cornwall, Dartmouth, Devon, Windermere, or Reedham, Norfolk.

I can remember 3 canal ferries we used in while touring the Netherlands this spring, and at least two were chain ferries. The Spaarndam-Buitenhuizen ferry over the Noordzeecanal, is a monster, must take 30 cars or so, has 24 hour operation, and is free for cyclists. Had to pay a Euro or so for some the other smaller ones.

[Ron]

Interestingly the current in the river is normally very strong (about 10kts or so if there has been a lot of rain); to combat this the ferry is tethered to an anchored buoy upstream, and each crossing describes an arc across the river.

What you describe is known as a Reaction ferry which is powered back and fore by the current alone and not by pulling on a chain laid across the river .

[PJ520]

Interestingly the current in the river is normally very strong (about 10kts or so if there has been a lot of rain); to combat this the ferry is tethered to an anchored buoy upstream, and each crossing describes an arc across the river.

What you describe is known as a Reaction ferry which is powered back and fore by the current alone and not by pulling on a chain laid across the river .

I don't get how such ferry can have no auxiliary power. Seems to me it would oscillate like a pendulum and end up in the middle of the river going nowhere. Or have them fiendish Continentals invented perpetual motion? Is there some kind of adjustable vane arrangement to push the vessel one way or the other? Enquiring minds need to know.

[tatanab]

Reaction ferry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_ferry
One of the ferries in Basle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-eGwGozo5s I used to live not far from one of those, but never used it.

[sjs]

Others are at Sandbanks, Dorset, Trelissick, Cornwall ('King Harry Ferry'), Torpoint, Devon/Cornwall, Dartmouth, Devon, Windermere, or Reedham, Norfolk.

Thanks for that list. Wasn't a huge fan of the roads into Falmouth when I was last down there so Trelissick looks like a nice alternative for next time

The boat from Truro to Falmouth along the river also carries bikes. My wife and I used it while touring the area (as we wanted to do the river trip anyway). While they advertised cycle carriage on their website, the surprised crew said we were the first cyclists they could recall taking them up on it.

When I did LEJoG I used the boat ferry from Falmouth to St Mawes then later the same day the chain ferry from Fowey to Bodinnick. Made for a scenic but hilly route from LE to Looe.

[PJ520]

As I guessed they have a rudder which I called a vane (a bit odd from a bloke who owned a sailboat for 12 years I admit) to shove it one way or the other.

[Ron]

I don't get how such ferry can have no auxiliary power. Seems to me it would oscillate like a pendulum and end up in the middle of the river going nowhere. Or have them fiendish Continentals invented perpetual motion? Is there some kind of adjustable vane arrangement to push the vessel one way or the other? Enquiring minds need to know.

Here is a drawing of the system,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cate ... %A4hre.png

The ferry will move from left to right when rigged as shown, to reverse the movement the lengths of the bridle legs (3 in the drawing) will be reversed so that the leading end of the vessel is upstream from the trailing edge. The vessels hull is usually fitted with one or more leeboards which can be adjusted to achieve optimum performance depending on river depth and current.( The same principle is used on trawl nets where the trawl doors or otterboards hold the net mouth open as the trawler hauls the net through the water).
Manual winches are often sufficient to adjust the bridle, but larger ferries will have powered winches.
There are variations on the theme depending on local conditions, but generally no rudder or mechanical power is required.
Instead of an anchor, some ferries use an aerial wire across the river but this has the disadvantage of creating an obstruction for other vessels transiting the river.