Norman_E
Well-Known Member
I remember driving over the Ratagan pass, going up to the Glenelg brochs then onto that ferry over to Skye back in the 1980's.
Turntable ferry
- Thread starter johnalison
- Start date
dunedin
Well-Known Member
The turn table ferry has gone high tech - MV Glenachulish is now transmitting on AIS !
But still spinning the cars manually though
But still spinning the cars manually though
MADRIGAL
Well-Known Member
There is a sequence showing Frank Dye’s car and trailer carrying his Wayfarer dinghy, Wanderer, being loaded onto a turntable ferry in his film Summer Cruise in 1964, available on YouTube. The car and trailer combination takes up almost the entire turntable.
Hermit
Well-Known Member
Similar problem different solution in Dartmouth:
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
We used to go to family holidays to Bute on the ABC-class ferries.
Because we had a dinghy with us, they would usually load us last, leave us on the lift turntable and then unload us first. It sped things up enormously, because otherwise the process was drive onto the lift, be lowered, be rotated on the turntable, drive into the garage, cross, reverse the process to get off, using another turntable in the garage if necessary. If we did have to go all the way down they would drop the trailer off on the way, on the small aft deck.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
I watched the Dart ferry from a couple of hundred yards away once during an evening walk. The ferry got halfway across and then mysteriously stopped and returned to Dartmouth at great speed. Shortly afterwards it reappeared on its way to Kingswear with its sole occupant being an ambulance with flashing blue lights.
Mudisox
Well-Known Member
I watched the Dart ferry from a couple of hundred yards away once during an evening walk. The ferry got halfway across and then mysteriously stopped and returned to Dartmouth at great speed. Shortly afterwards it reappeared on its way to Kingswear with its sole occupant being an ambulance with flashing blue lights.
And the crews are competent as well as friendly, = a rare combination. The Upper chain ferry does have to shut down at extreme spring tides through depth problems.
And the crews are competent as well as friendly, = a rare combination. The Upper chain ferry does have to shut down at extreme spring tides through depth problems.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
We were chatting to a harbourmaster in Dartmouth some years ago. His father had operated the ferry and was not impressed by the level of skill his successors displayed. Apparently the worst load was to have to convey a boat-load of cattle. They had a habit of falling over and then had to be recovered with difficulty, and presumably a lot of mess.
ps1
Well-Known Member
When life was slower, and one got a free view of impressive bridge building thrown in -
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
Last time I was on it was 2016, we were doing the Highland Tour with our neighbours from the village here in Belgium
The Lochalsh ferries in action
From Sky
Catching the MV Loch Seaforth ferry in Mallaig:
The Lochalsh ferries in action
From Sky
Catching the MV Loch Seaforth ferry in Mallaig:
easton
Member
I took the Cromarty Rose in 2008, it did have a two car turntable then. The bow door dropped open about 100m from the shore (100m from departure) and it couldn't return with it open (the door hung down so far into the water it couldn't get back to the ramp) so we travelled across with the bow door open and the stern of the craft into the waves/wind. At the other end a JCB was called into service to lift the door (it took a few attempts) and it was secured closed so it could beach, the strap was cut, door fell open and we could disembark. a 20 minute ferry ride that turned into a 2hr petrifying mini cruise.
Giblets
Well-Known Member
The first time I went to the Channel Islands the cars were loaded onto the ferry at Weymouth like that.
ProDave
Well-Known Member
One memorable crossing, I forget which vessel, approaching Cromarty it took the skipper 3 goes to get onto the slipway (anyone from these parts knows how fast a spring tide runs there, add in a bit of wind....) He couldn't hold it on the slipway it just slid off.
On the third try my instructions from the marshall were "when I wave my arms, you go for it" and I drove off at speed as the boat slid past the slipway. It went out of service for a while after that (at least until the tide slowed)
On the third try my instructions from the marshall were "when I wave my arms, you go for it" and I drove off at speed as the boat slid past the slipway. It went out of service for a while after that (at least until the tide slowed)
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
Found one of the Queensferry
penfold
Well-Known Member
Those were diesel electric, quite unusual for paddlers.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
My old man used to work as a purser on Clyde steamers in his university holidays. He did one year on the Talisman, which was the world's first diesel-electric paddler.
