St Mary's looking at Bay Ferry?

[Gilligan]

A ferry terminus is already there because they make daily runs out to the islands (WORTH A DAY TRIP)
)

I'm well aware of the little ferry service that already operates there. That is so hugely different (miniscule) than the infrastructure required for the types of ferry service we're talking about. But that aside, the economic situation was probably the key aspect of why there was support for a full-blown large passenger/vehicle ferry terminal and service there.

 

[tipsymcgee]

Support for a new ferry terminal was OK in Crisfield, for sure. I don't recall hearing much about the Reedville area. But opposition was quite evident against a St. Mary's terminus.

In any event, the volume of traffic any ferry system can carry is actually pretty small in the overall scheme of things, and that is partly why cost per ton-mile are so high. Almost none of the ferry options we've studied over the years for those routes would have been even close to self-sustaining.

But wouldn't volume considerably increase, say, 3-5 years after installing the ferry when there's the move of folks to the cheaper side in Somerset and Chincoteague willing to commute and get cheaper real estate, etc. No idea what that round trip to Pax would look like, though, or vice versa. Would it get to, say, a Cape May/Lewes volume, or are both areas too much of a dead end? You'd also have the OC and even Virginia Beach resort travelers as well.

 

[Gilligan]

But wouldn't volume considerably increase, say, 3-5 years after installing the ferry when there's the move of folks to the cheaper side in Somerset and Chincoteague willing to commute and get cheaper real estate, etc. No idea what that round trip to Pax would look like, though, or vice versa. Would it get to, say, a Cape May/Lewes volume, or are both areas too much of a dead end? You'd also have the OC and even Virginia Beach resort travelers as well.

All great questions to which I've seen no credible concrete answers, only hopes and guesses. Many ferry operations around the world (I've been in the business of helping build high-speed ferrys for 35 years now) were started on the simple and misguided premise of : "If we build it, they will come". The majority of those services failed eventually.

 

[Sneakers]

There is only one road leading away from Crisfield, and it's barely a secondary road. Can't imagine all that traffic daily on that little road, and the ire it will draw from the locals.

Building a port somewhere near the Rt 50 bridge would lead traffic directly into a major road.

 

[Gilligan]

There is only one road leading away from Crisfield, and it's barely a secondary road. Can't imagine all that traffic daily on that little road, and the ire it will draw from the locals.

Building a port somewhere near the Rt 50 bridge would lead traffic directly into a major road.

That gets to the heart of the costly infrastructure-required issues...there are many. Same for the idea of putting a ferry terminal in near Point Lookout...or even in the Solomons area. Reedville Va isn't exactly on a major thoroughfare either..but that's the location VDOT chose for the studies we did.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

Can't we just retrofit some decommissioned Naval landing craft where the front bow door drops? Or design such a simple ship? All would be needed is some asphalt to the edge of a beach somewhere close to a road, no major infrastructure to spend money to build, and zoom zoom.

 

[Gilligan]

If I may ...

Can't we just retrofit some decommissioned Naval landing craft where the front bow door drops? Or design such a simple ship? All would be needed is some asphalt to the edge of a beach somewhere close to a road, no major infrastructure to spend money to build, and zoom zoom.

Seriously though...the little slow ferry that was proposed to operate across the Potomac from Piney Point was not much more than a landing craft..the opertor even brought it here and did a couple demo landings on the shoreline of the PP park.

But the ferries required to support the various proposals for cross-bay would have to be much larger types. The only exception to that that I've seen were the ludicrous discussions about running hydrofoil passenger-only ferries.

 

[Kyle]

Seriously though...the little slow ferry that was proposed to operate across the Potomac from Piney Point was not much more than a landing craft..the opertor even brought it here and did a couple demo landings on the shoreline of the PP park.

But the ferries required to support the various proposals for cross-bay would have to be much larger types. The only exception to that that I've seen were the ludicrous discussions about running hydrofoil passenger-only ferries.

Jetski rentals and a chauffer service at landing.

Just unzip the wetsuit like a 007 scene and head to work or the beach.

 

[Gilligan]

Jetski rentals and a chauffer service at landing.

Just unzip the wetsuit like a 007 scene and head to work or the beach.

Go for it. You'll soon be rich.

 

[Kyle]

Go for it. You'll soon be rich.

I would but I'm on a deadline for that whole "world peace" thing they're bugg'in me about.

 

[Grumpy]

The Lewes Ferry will carry 100 standard sized vehicles per crossing 2 or 3 times a day, and now its by reservation only. How much of a infrastructure (roads) would be needed for this a couple/three times a day?? I say not much..but still, it may be a losing proposition or incredibly expensive(toll) without govt subsidy(not sure if that is possible)

 

[Grumpy]

Go for it. You'll soon be rich.

A friend had a place in Ocean Pines and hated the bridge so he bought a jetski and hoopty to park at someones house on the eastern shore and thats how he got to the beach in the summer. True story (and this guy was an ex marine.)

 

[kom526]

River Shannon ferry we used when we were in Ireland many moons ago.

 

[Gilligan]

This is typical of the smaller of the fast passenger ferries we work with. Passenger only..no vehicles.

This one is in service between Roatan Is. and the mainland, Honduras. SGI is currently trying very hard to avoid a needed service visit to this vessel... ;-p

 

[Sneakers]

Back in the 70s we took a high speed no-car ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola, the Bomba Charger. Just really liked the name....

BOMBA CHARGER Other Carriers (Specialized)

BOMBA CHARGER - Passenger Capacity:91, City:ST. THOMAS, Coast Guard Number:531554, Construction:Unknown, FL_YR:2014, Full Load Capacity:88,

intelligence.marinelink.com

​

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

This is typical of the smaller of the fast passenger ferries we work with. Passenger only..no vehicles.

This one is in service between Roatan Is. and the mainland, Honduras. SGI is currently trying very hard to avoid a needed service visit to this vessel... ;-p

View attachment 164356

The whole problem is that getting enough ferry service to impact Bay Bridge traffic is financially impossible. They're just studying something where the final outcome will be the same that it always is (just like "Where do we build a new Bay Bridge?" always is).

 

[Gilligan]

Back in the 70s we took a high speed no-car ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola, the Bomba Charger. Just really liked the name....

BOMBA CHARGER Other Carriers (Specialized)

BOMBA CHARGER - Passenger Capacity:91, City:ST. THOMAS, Coast Guard Number:531554, Construction:Unknown, FL_YR:2014, Full Load Capacity:88,

intelligence.marinelink.com

​

View attachment 164358

There will always be ferry routes like that one. One of our most successful clients is Virtu Ferries in Malta. They started out "small" with two 40-knot 350-pax ferries back in the 80s, running back and forth to Sicilian ports. It took off from there...they run very large high-speed ferries all over their part of the Med now.

 

[SamSpade]

I can't see how there can ever be enough money to sustain a ferry service down here. For one thing, there is - generally - only a few reasons for anyone to go from here, to there. Summer, beaches and tourism mostly, and for those you need volume. Is it going to be cheaper than to drive to the bridge?

If it's passenger only - then it's only going to succeed if the destination is a place people can walk around and again, volume.

I've always thought the second bridge idea just as pointless, as it's a lot of bridge for little return on investment.

 

[Hessian]

US Navy considering dropping 24 ships from its lists...I wonder if Steny can work a deal?...One well maintained older vessel would be a good test of years of pondering. Solomons-Smith Is-Tangier-Crisfield- (or similar)......ONE loop per day 7 am to 8 pm. Memorial day to Columbus day.
I think I would pay 50.00 for a circuit.

 

[Gilligan]

US Navy considering dropping 24 ships from its lists...I wonder if Steny can work a deal?...One well maintained older vessel would be a good test of years of pondering. Solomons-Smith Is-Tangier-Crisfield- (or similar)......ONE loop per day 7 am to 8 pm. Memorial day to Columbus day.
I think I would pay 50.00 for a circuit.

The cute little "ferry" that runs the Point Lookout to Smith Is. service on weekends in summer months is about all the route can support...