A new " Ferry " Era !

 The plan to replace the ageing ferry fleet on Sydney harbour is running well behind schedule. These boats were supposed to enter service towards the middle of last year but they are still undergoing modifications because a safety defect is yet unresolved.

These ten River Class ferries were contracted to be built in Indonesia because the quoted price was very attractive. When the coronavirus erupted onto the world economy it was feared completion would suffer delay and the boats were shipped to Australia for their testing evaluation to be carried out here.

The first problem found was the presence of asbestos.  Asbestos use is prohibited in Australia but still widely used in other parts of the world and consequently it was stripped from the boats and replaced with a safer material.

Then it was discovered that the ferries could not safely pass under two bridges on the Parramatta river if passengers  were seated on the upper deck at high tide.   Very few seat spaces were involved and it was decided to keep this space clear and not install seating there.

Now it has been discovered that these boats may stall if an emergency stop becomes necessary.  An emergency stop involves putting the propellers into reverse while the boat is moving forward and that places a high degree of stress on both the engines and the gearbox.

Private ferry operator Transdev is under a nine year, $ 1.3 billion contract to run Sydney's ferries and is now engaged with the engine and gearbox manufacturer to correct these River Class control systems.  It is expected that satisfactory sea trials will shortly be conducted.

Basically, modification and testing have delayed the operational start of these ferries by seven months, but the order was subject to a world tender from many countries and consequently the boasts are good value for the money.  Their presence will mean that ferry services on Sydney harbour will again come full circle.

Back in the steam age we had numerous little ferries puffing black smoke as they carried commuters and since then we have built bridges and dug tunnels to serve our ever growing city population, but the number of ferries in service has declined.

We have one of the finest harbours in the world and the return of the ferries delivers a travel elegance worthy of a great city.   These River Class ferries are not the only addition to ferry travel on the drawing board.  We await the arrival of new " Emerald Class " ferries which are scheduled to replace the :" Freshwater " ferry fleet later this year.

Hopefully, many people will leave their car at home and enjoy the tranquility and view of travelling on water !