Chain Ferries.

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[Kapn Jonah]

I've googled it, and searched the forum. I still do not understand the point of a chain ferry, why not just use a regular ferry? It would be the same thing except no chain!

Your opinions?

[Shipaddict]

I would say it's useful for a place like Cowes where it's purpose is to transport cars and foot passengers over a short area of water instead of them driving a long route round as quickly as possible.

The chains mean that it only has to go forwards and backwards and not steer and come alongside, which I'd say would save a lot of time.

[mvsmith]

There are/were a number of cable-guided ferries within a few tens of miles of my home.
The Buena Vista ferry is self propelled by a diesel engine on its upriver side. It uses an overhead cable rather than a submerged one.
It is taken out of service during the winter months because the river becomes too dangerous, and because it mostly serves farmers moving their produce and machinery.

http://80.95.161.114/shipsim/forum/index.php/topic,2840.msg28762.html#msg28762

[Ralphy]

As SA said the cowes chain ferry or as i call it the floating bridge is alot simpler than a convetinal ferry considering at low tide the distance between the two sides is less than 15 metres. All the captain has to do is look both ways and then cross.A bit like crossing the road. apart from the cars cross the river 

[Traddles]

This one crosses the lake at Bowness on Windermere, UK. She pulls herself across on two wire cables, not chains, but the principle is exactly the same. As Shipaddict says, she only needs someone who can start and stop the engine at the right times as the cables guide her to the landings at both sides of the lake.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/highways-pavements/windermereferry.asp

[Ralphy]

here's the cowes floating bridge
 http://www.iwight.com/council/departments/engineering_services/transport_fleet/cowes_chain_ferry/

[McGherkin]

Here in Plymouth we have a chain ferry, the Torpoint ferry, which crosses the Tamar. We have 3, they are never on time and they are quite big. But with Devonport Naval Dockyard just upstream, they have to drop the chains everytime a submarine enters/leaves.




And of course, with no props/azipods/VSPs/jets to foul, they can run in very shallow water.

[--tractorman--]

I always hear on Pirate FM or Atlantic FM that they are always atleast 10 minutes behind time

[The Ferry Man]

How long is the crossing time?

[McGherkin]

about 5-10 mins, not long.

and of course, with no props/azipods/VSPs/jets to foul, they can run in very shallow water.

Just in case Jonah missed it.

[Cat320DL]

i like Cable ferry design better my self  

Here some Pic's of them.

http://www.gnb.ca/0113/ferries/ferries-e.asp

[McGherkin]

Ah, but cable ferries don't clunk, do they?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFpps3e1hJ0&feature=youtube_gdata

[Cat320DL]

no but there faster. Here is one of my videos of a cable ferry

http://www.youtube.com/user/Bobtrucker123#p/a/u/0/yrZbksCcNZ0

[Ralphy]

well the clunk of the chain ferry is one of the best thing about them. espicaily the cowes one that is getting rather old now. and it's not getting any quieter 

[Kapn Jonah]

Okay, so they prove kind of useful. But why not just build a bridge? And with chains/cables going across the river, what about ships that need to go through? It would be a pain in the back side to have to remove the cables every time a ship needs to go by...thoughts?

[Traddles]

The chains/cables lie on the bottom when the ferry is moored at either end. Building a bridge is very expensive compared to the cost of a ferry of this type, quite apart from the practicalities of building one such as having to buy up land for the approach roads and building the new roads; etc,etc. Common sense really.

[Shipaddict]

Let's take Cowes as an example; why would a local council want to pay for the design, construction and maintenance of a bridge that only crosses 15 meters of water? Let alone modifying surrounding roads to go with it when they could have a small floating vessel going back and forth? I assume also that the volume of traffic would be a factor in whether a bridge is built or not.

Also don't forget that in areas where chain ferries operate near larger vessels, the bridge would have to be higher and I'd assume curved. Wouldn't that only work if the terrain on either side was of a similar height? I'm not entirely sure on that as I'm not an engineer but that's what I think anyway.

I don't think all chain ferries let go of the chains for vessels to pass, it seems that the chain only comes out of the water a few meters in front of the ferry as it goes along. I've never understood why this is, I would of thought that before the ferry could make headway the chains would have to be out of the water and taught. The only reason I can think of is the weight of the chain as a whole keeps it submerged until the ferry gets closer.

Mike

EDIT: Angus beat me to it

[clanky]

she only needs someone who can start and stop the engine at the right times

Angus, I've been saying for years that this is all any ship needs 

[clanky]

I don't think all chain ferries let go of the chains for vessels to pass, it seems that the chain only comes out of the water a few meters in front of the ferry as it goes along. I've never understood why this is, I would of thought that before the ferry could make headway the chains would have to be out of the water and taught. The only reason I can think of is the weight of the chain as a whole keeps it submerged until the ferry gets closer.

You have got it pretty much spot on Mike, the chain lays along the river bed and only a loop comes up over the gypsy (is that what it's called on a chain ferry?), the gypsy will pull on the chain lifting a little bit up of the river bed and the weight of this section of chain will be enough to pull the ferry along making the chain lie back down again.

A ship's anchor works in much the same way, the anchor holds the chain in place and the weight of the chain should hold the ship in place.

[Shipaddict]

Ah hah I see, thanks Clanky!