Duck Boats may be back....

[BB1]

Duck Boats could return to the Thames as a ferry service while Hammersmith Bridge is shut

 

[sailorman]

I wouldnt go on one

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Maybe if these cracks in the castings could fill with water and freeze the bridge might be able to dismantle itself gracefully one day around Christmas.

 

[Portland Billy]

Surely a landing craft style would be more useful with a ramp on each bank.
I'm sure this wouldn't take much to initiate. I've done several in the Middle East and West Africa - far more challenging!

 

[Outinthedinghy]

One would have to take into account the water displacement caused by the bridge falling in the River.

Think tidal wave but smaller. But still quite big if you are in a well ballasted road vehicle.

There seems to be slipways both sides but bearing in mind that the bridge is at risk of collapsing at any moment (unlike the current government) would it really be worth risking school childrens lives ?

And that's not even mentioning the Liverpool docks sinking !
You might even get narrow boats with propeller spinning with people in the water.

You don't want that. Water churned up by boat propellers is rather difficult to float in..

If they do a ferry it's got to be a proper one..

Amphibious is interesting but not for transfer use.

Knock the bridge down ?

Knock the bridge down !

 

[Portland Billy]

Surely any ferry service would have to be a reasonable distance from the bridge to give time for remedial action in event of breakdown with a strong running tide!

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Maybe a chain ferry ?

Obviously the tide situation is a bit complicated but something like that one on the River Fal might be feasible I would have thought..

King Harry Ferry - Wikipedia


It seems to load and unload from fairly rudimentary concrete slipways.

I'm not sure if pedestrians are carried or just vehicles.
Discharging pedestrians onto a slipway is probably not allowed under elfin safety so in reality it would need a floating pontoon and a link span.

 

[Old Crusty]

Here's another, the lower ferry, Dartmouth, it takes vehicles and foot passengers. It works fine till ebb on springs after heavy rain or engine failure and then it has to be rescued by the college (I've already ticked that box) or it ends up in Start Bay, seen top right in the photo.

 

[PilotWolf]

Surely a landing craft style would be more useful with a ramp on each bank.
I'm sure this wouldn't take much to initiate. I've done several in the Middle East and West Africa - far more challenging!

You might want to suggest that to the IOW council

W.

 

[penberth3]

Maybe if these cracks in the castings could fill with water and freeze the bridge might be able to dismantle itself gracefully one day around Christmas.

You may jest, but winter's coming and a sudden fall in temperature could indeed make things worse.

 

[penberth3]

I wouldnt go on one

I thought the Ducks/DUKW's were taken out of service after they started sinking and catching fire.

 

[Brayman]

I thought the Ducks/DUKW's were taken out of service after they started sinking and catching fire.

There's the problem and solution in one hit providing they caught fire first

 

[penberth3]

There's the problem and solution in one hit providing they caught fire first

Well yes, but what about the passengers?

 

[sailorman]

I thought the Ducks/DUKW's were taken out of service after they started sinking and catching fire.

I took this 10 years ago

 

[Chris_d]

I don't know about the tideway but they are currently being used at Windsor.

None of these ideas help boaters much though, there are other bridges not a million miles away, Putney, Barnes, Chiswick but no alternative for river traffic

 

[Pump-Out]

Its a shame that this is not in the Hammersmith Bridge Thread, can the mods merge the two??

 

[sailorman]

Its a shame that this is not in the Hammersmith Bridge Thread, can the mods merge the two??

Tab "report" & ask them

 

[oldgit]

Cheaper to widen and dredge the canals from Limehouse to Brent Dock and bypass the bridge.
Regents Canal-Paddington Arm, Grand Union.
Always fancied getting Gold licence and doing the canals in me flybridge, might need to raise bridge or two ?

 

[penberth3]

Its a shame that this is not in the Hammersmith Bridge Thread, can the mods merge the two??

No point really, DUKW's aren't going to be a solution at Hammersmith.