High-speed ferries need careful planning
Whether public or private, starting up a high-speed commuter ferry operation
is a daunting task, according to experts at the recent Passenger Vessel
Association convention held in New Orleans.
“Big boats cost big bucks,” said panel member John W. Waggoner,
president and CEO, Hornblower Marine Services.
Planning is the most important aspect of the operation. If this phase
of the project is not carefully implemented, lots of money stands to be
lost on a doomed project.
“It's amazing what people can come up with as to why fast ferries
are bad,” said Peter Duclos, president, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding,
which has built a number of vessels for this type of operation.
Dealing with levels of red tape to get clearance for a public right of
way and dealing with environmental groups are two of the toughest challenges
a new operation has to face. “Try to get the right of way to do
what you should have the right to do, the right to operate,” said
Duclos.
Location usually dictates what obstacles a group will face in its effort
to launch a new operation, said Waggoner.
Hornblower became involved in a proposed new ferry service between Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., and the Bahamas. The boat, The Cat, a 300-foot, 43-knot
ferry, which runs seasonally between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth,
Nova Scotia, came with a proven track record. In addition, the operation
had four investors who funded the entire venture in cash. These were positives
that other start-ups would love to have.
Yet even with these advantages, there were hurdles involving the number
of permits needed, the number of corporations needed to deal with domestic
and Bahamian laws, and the challenges associated with getting passengers
through customs.
The weather has been another stumbling block. Waggoner said if the weather
is bad, his company has to hire a plane to fly the passengers back to
Florida. “If you have seas in the 14-foot to 16-foot range as we
had for several days in December, the boat will make it, the crew will
make it, but the passengers won't.”
—Ken Hocke
Workboat Magazine
©2000-2005 Hornblower Marine Services
