Thread: Cook Strait Ferry

Interesting https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSC_Francisco

The problem with high speed vessels is the wave wash effect on the shorelines in the Sounds . Thats what restricted the catamaran they used to have to slow speeds - the erosion was immensely more than with a conventional vessel.

If they used it to ply the Wgtn - Lyttleton route that would sweet. But looking at its specs, if would hoover the LPG/diesel, and would need to travel full most trips I suspect. Not sure how a big cat like that would handle the Cook Strait swell either??

Aussie just built two new ferries for Tassie to Melbourne run for nothing like the price these were going to cost. Wartsila mains that could run on duel fuel, the cost of this project so far to achieve absolutely nothing would have paid for half of one, about 400 mil per vessel.
Nothing wrong with diesel electric vessels, but the hybrids with batteries are just an expensive joke and don't make sense in a ship. Cars they work ok.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

once upon a time the ferry didnt stop in picton...it went right down to littleton,or so Im told...bit before my time.... so there is options to bypass picton....sure its further and will cost more...but its an option....even Grant R said on the "idiot lantern" last night..he had given kiwi rail the word and suggested a cheaper option..so it was time bomb waiting to explode and the previous lot knew about it...
the amount of freight that crosses every day is huge....think 15-20 truck n trailer units

Yes I took my vehicle on the overwinter and had a good sleep arriving in Lyttleton rested, miss that.
I'd be happy to do that again in a heartbeat.

Looking into this again this morning I found a quote from a 2022 article that between 2018 and 2021 the portside costs had quadrupled to $1B. The latest figures were over double that for portside infrastructure. 8 times the original quoted cost! Over a 5 year interval.

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

Bring back the old cross channel hovercrafts, plenty of speed, can carry cars and virtually no wake. It would be a win win

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Bring back the old cross channel hovercrafts, plenty of speed, can carry cars and virtually no wake. It would be a win win

no good in heavy waves and very fuel hungry though

I think the Gov are running a smart game. This will drive efficiency and break up NZ Rail's monopoly position. Also an incentive for Bluebridge to get smarter and more competitive.

My take on this situation is that this is simply Luxon applying some standard “Executive Chairman” principles to an out of control subsidiary, i.e. this isn’t good enough, so stop, go back to first principles and start again. Report back to the board with significantly revised proposals that fit the original project charter.

The previous mob couldn’t manage them selves out of a wet paper bag, let alone apply sensible guidance to a project like this. The iRex project managers are probably mostly looking for new jobs already! One of the problems we have as taxpayers is that a lot of these guys are on very cozy contracts and the longer they string the work out, the more they earn. Exactly the same with the Three Waters gang.

My money is on us ending up with fit for purpose ferries, eventually, having wasted considerable amount of money and time fucking around for the past few years.

This is my assessment as well, the situation is simply either make the project solution fit the financials or make the financials fit the project solution. The latter option was never going to fly...

I don't think the fast ferry to lyttleton idea will work, the environmental factor is pretty ordinary down that coast. The biggest issue with the cats apart from wake issues is they are so inefficient going slow and in crap weather and sea they have to slow down. You'd be better off with a big arsed ship kind of like a properly designed version of the size that the original proposal is sized at but without the stupid electrical BS in it. It would make a hell of a lot of sense, as people have said a 10-12 hour hop down the coast sleeping and off duty vs a 3-1/2 hour hop followed by a 10-14 hour drive...

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Bring back the old cross channel hovercrafts, plenty of speed, can carry cars and virtually no wake. It would be a win win

You mean the old vomit comets?

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

Good on the Government for saying no. We don’t have a bottomless pit of money. Nice to see we have some adults running the country now.

Nz Herald breakdown of ferry saga

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-ki...BEEIKOHASAEIY/

Now living in Blenheim I observe the following:
Erosion is a real problem in the sounds with pebbles/greywacke rocks appearing to be the shoreline norm.
Picton has very narrow and convoluted road access to the port. The road from Picton south, has slumped due to heavy vehicle usage.
Blenheim’s main traffic corridor is often chokka with heavy rigs.
TOLL is an Aussie company I think and they should have planned better ship replacement scheduling. That said, I’m not in favour of bigger vessels such as the x3 capacity formerly proposed. Reason? Congestion entering and exiting Picton.
I suggest bigger vessels could head further south to (say) Lyttleton as stated by others. Furthermore there must be some decent secondhand ships available in mothball state. Govt should not be propping up infrastructural blowouts.