Oban proposed Trust Port

[wully1]

I've noticed the same when crossing to Mull! lol... I also use Western ferries to Dunoon and it always amazes me their willingness to keep the service running in all weathers! For some reason when the weather gets very bad they go across in reverse!!

Not sure if this is true but I was told that if Western Ferries got the same level of subsidy that Cal Mac got on Gourock/Dunoon they would run the service for free..
(that was in the days of the big car ferry...)

 

[Gary Fox]

Having travelled CalMac from Oban a fair bit, I thought they were using a very liberal version of the 'vessel constrained...' Colregs. (I omit 'by draught' deliberately, as I suspect they do...!) We have a similar situation with the Frightlink Ferries here in the Solent, who can have a VERY liberal interpretation of 'stand on vessel' rights over anything smaller! I speak from personal experience.

When and where have you seen a Wightlink ferry do that? (Although 'stand on rights' isn't really a thing.) Just curious, as my day job used to involve driving them.
Now Red Funnel on the other hand...

 

[Kukri]

Trust Ports are a good Victorian idea. Harwich is one. Works very well indeed.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I've noticed the same when crossing to Mull! lol... I also use Western ferries to Dunoon and it always amazes me their willingness to keep the service running in all weathers! For some reason when the weather gets very bad they go across in reverse!!

A few years ago I was stuck on Bute because of fog; apparently the Calmac ship docked at Wemyss Bay couldn't even see the pier buildings. Rothesay Bay itself was clear, but east of Toward it was solid.

Without great hope I rang Western Ferries who confirmed that they were running, so I took the back ferry off Bute and headed across to Hunter's Quay - I could always drive the long way home if necessary. As I expected, the fog there was just as bad as further down the Clyde but they were indeed still running, and to timetable at that. Couldn't see a thing on the crossing or after some driving on the other side. I'm not sure about the safety aspects, but it helped me out.

Generally I am very impressed by Western Ferries. Their ability to pack cars on is astounding - last time I used them we were fifth (and last) car one after I was sure they were full. It's also noticeable how small a crew they need compared to Calmac and their docking system is very neat. Motor against the linkspan, couple of cables dropped over bollards just in case, done.

 

[awol]

So much for Oban Harbour Trust and the consultation on limits! This thread has morphed into "ferry trips I've been on". However, since we are there - there is no bow or stern on Western Ferries, they instead have east and west sides and shuttle back and forth between Hunter's Quay and McInroy's Point not Gourock and Dunoon.. Apart from occasional hissy fits when yachts tack in front of them my experience is they behave impeccably towards other river craft

 

[JumbleDuck]

So much for Oban Harbour Trust and the consultation on limits! This thread has morphed into "ferry trips I've been on". However, since we are there - there is no bow or stern on Western Ferries, they instead have east and west sides and shuttle back and forth between Hunter's Quay and McInroy's Point not Gourock and Dunoon.. Apart from occasional hissy fits when yachts tack in front of them my experience is they behave impeccably towards other river craft

I kept my last boat on the Gareloch in the days when Calmac had two ships on Gourock - Dunoon (the Jupiter and the Juno) and Western Feerries ran two on their route. All four passed in the middle, and every single time I went up or down the first I seemed to end up in the wee rhombus between the four tracks. Very character forming.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Western Ferry's attitude to safety can leave a lot to be desired. Late 80's, Kip Marina, 80kts of wind from the west. Boss tells me to get in the car as we are picking something up in Gourock. First thing, at that time there was a lot of piling going on for the beacons that would be used to survey for the future Trident submarines. A barge was anchored off the car park at Gourock and had either stretched its anchor line to max scope or dragged, however, the corner was battering itself merrily into the car park sea wall, later the car park collapsed into the hole as the sea washed away the foundations. The main street in Dunoon was like a war zone with bins, windsurfers, chimney pots and tiles flying through the air. At the Western Ferry Terminal, over at Dunoon, all would have been calm and fair with the sea state smooth. But the storm was well forecast and it would have been obvious that sea was rather white looking further out. At the Gourock terminal side, the waves were easily 2m and crashing into the underside of the ramp in it's raised position. It is no exaggeration to say the wind was screaming, I think it topped over 100kts as recorded at the Coastguard Station and later, at the marina, masts were canted at 30 to 40 degrees with windage. Incredibly, approaching the Gourock Western Ferry ramp is one of their ferries. By now the passengers are in full terror mode, very large waves are beam on as the vessel is crabbing. Foot passengers are clinging on staring wide eyed with fear as the ferry approaches the ramp. With a very large bean to beam roll, the float away wooden seats, which also contain life jackets, summersault over the side and many lifejackets are now getting whipped into the air. I am not sure who is screaming louder, the foot passengers or the wind. Gunwale to gunwale the rolling is terrifying to watch, there are trucks on the car deck, will they stay upright? The ferry approaches , still a bit off, the ramp which has been lowered is slammed by the waves with loud metallic bangs and clangs, as I am sure the ramp is being physically lifted by the sea on every wave to drop violently with a sudden stop. Incredulously, the ferry is now on its final approach, no one can believe that it is going to berth. Rising, falling and rolling it approaches the piles on the landward side that the ferry berths against when on the ramp. Still the foot passengers are standing staring and I am sure that there is baby being prepared to be thrown to safety so close is the shore. I am aghast, this can't be happening, lifejackets are all over the place, a crowd has gathered, all the folks in the waiting cars on shore are out their cars and watching. Just a few meters until it is along side and the hull is heavily rolling and there can only be metal to metal impact with a considerable force scraping and grinding on the piles. The foot passengers on mass all run away to the other side as nothing good can come from standing on the pile side of the ferry. The ferry enters the pier zone and the engines are working hard to position her clear of the piles as she makes the last few meters to engage with the ramp. No chance, there must be at least 2 meters of height difference and the ramp (or links span as it is properly called) can not be positioned. There is an almighty clang, clang, clang as the ferry has lost all steerage and has now engaged with the piles and is shuddering as she catches and then rolls free only to catch and change and bang again against the piles. Something big is going to break. The passengers look on terrified, knee knocking fear that if the ferry engages they will have to walk across the ramp that is bucking in the waves, the baby is held aloft, when there is an almighty roar and black soot jets upwards and only to be driven horizontally in the wind as the master powers up and drives out and off the piles. Off to Dunoon. The baby is lowered and the foot passengers look on forlornly as their desperate desire to walk on solid land fades away as the vessel heads into the even larger swell as she desperately seeks the windward shore.

 

[awol]

Over 30 years later Western Ferries now have 2 linkspans at McInroy's Point, the eastern one being better sheltered from westerlies. When the Gourock/Dunoon Calmacs daren't go out the Western Ferries keep running though they do change their courses to avoid beam-on seas and take advantage of shelter.

 

[mainsail1]

When and where have you seen a Wightlink ferry do that? (Although 'stand on rights' isn't really a thing.) Just curious, as my day job used to involve driving them.
Now Red Funnel on the other hand...

I have always found Wightlink Ferries very patient and considerate when sailing nearby.
Last year I used the service between Lymington and Yarmouth on quite a few occasions and was gob smacked by some the nonsense the Ferries had to put up with from both sailing and motor boats.

 

[dunedin]

Western Ferry's attitude to safety can leave a lot to be desired. Late 80's ............

So how much relevance to Western Ferry’s current H&S record does a single anecdote from last century have?

They have run circa 3 ferries all day, every day for 2 decades so far in this century, which is a LOT of crossings. What is their accident rate?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

So how much relevance to Western Ferry’s current H&S record does a single anecdote from last century have?

They have run circa 3 ferries all day, every day for 2 decades so far in this century, which is a LOT of crossings. What is their accident rate?

It's just a recollection, a wee story, that balances out the Cal Mac criticism, you're reading too much into it.

 

[magicol]

Apologies to the OP for encouraging this thread drift! I too, have a great deal of affection for Western Ferries. We used them a lot when supporting an ailing mother-in-law and came to rely on their ‘sail in all weathers’ abilities. That said, a busy bank holiday weekend with four ferries working hard always makes for a heart in mouth passage through them if the wind is unreliable. In open water though, their skippers are invariably sensitive to sailors and will usually help with small course alterations; it’s closer to the piers that they can quite rightly get irritated with uncooperative or insensitive leisure craft.