Manly Ferry Services...

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boronia
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

Post by boronia »

Wandered around CQ for a while this afternoon

Emeralds departing at 15, 30, 45 each hour, biggies at 50.

The 12:50 however was cancelled (alert for "staff shortages"). Freshwater arrived from Manly on time at 13:00 to work the 13.50. Left on time with just 53 passengers, mostly stragglers who missed the 13:45. The 3 Emeralds in that hour left from Wharf 3 so wasn't able to get passenger counts, but seemingly reasonable loads.

Hamlyn, Balmoral and Clontarf on the Emerald rosters.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Fleet Lists wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:33 pm On Sydney Ferries Twitter there is mention of a further new summer timetable from 20 December but so far it is not on Transport Info.
No sign of this as yet today.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Glen wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 9:04 pm Do the vessels stop when their crews take meal breaks or do other crews take over?
Probably a bit of both. There are often ferries laid up in the wharves for extended periods.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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The Freshwaters seemed to be the exception as I have not seen them laid up for any length of time but now the Emeralds are operating the F1 there are changes of vessels during the day and I have seen the new Emeralds operating on the F4 after a break from the F1.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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On the new timetable, the weekend Freshwaters lay up on No3 for 50 minutes between trips.

The smaller ferries "double up" on the other wharves.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Sorry - I was aware of that but I was referring to them when they were operating full time.
And right now the Fairlight is operating on the F4.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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According to Anytrip Supercat 4 is doing the 2.30pm trip from Circular Quay to Manly, departing from Wharf 2.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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But the next trip it was due to make at 3.30 has not appeared on Anytrip
With the Supercat 4 operating the 3.43 F4 trip.
But the Balmoral is shown as doing the return 4pm trip from Manly after previously finishing at Circular Quay at 2.21pm.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Fleet Lists wrote: Mon Dec 20, 2021 10:50 am
Fleet Lists wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:33 pm On Sydney Ferries Twitter there is mention of a further new summer timetable from 20 December but so far it is not on Transport Info.
No sign of this as yet today.
The twitter message appears to be incorrect as https://transportnsw.info/news/2021/sum ... -transport states
"From 13 December 2021 to 26 January 2021 there will be extra F1 Manly services."
So in that case the current timetable is the Summer timetable but because of the changes from the Freshwaters to the Emeralds it is difficult what the summer changes are.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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The Manly ferry service F1 has again been heavily hit by staff shortages https://transportnsw.info/alerts/details#/ems-1256 particularly the Freshwater services.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Yesterday both Freshwaters were shown by Anytrip.

Today the Freshwater trips from Circular Quay and 11.30 from Manly were shown as operated by Emerald Pemulwuy at Freshwater speed. And no sign of Emerald trip 11.45 from Circular Quay but the Anytrip history shows it as having operated and the 12.15 return trip is also shown. The 11.50 trip is being operated by the Collaroy as scheduled.
The Freshwater was back for the 12.50 trip but no sign of the 12.45trip
The Pemulwuy followed this by a Watsons Bay run 24 minutes late - half an hour later still at Circular Quay with the Victor Chang having departed on the next trip to Watsons Bay.

This has been progressively updated over an hour or so.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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All 3 Emerald Mk II were running this afternoon, with 1 Freshwater on the run as well. With another Freshwater resting at CQ.

Even with the 15 minute gap, people who just missed the Sydney Ferry, jumped across to the MFF
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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The Freshies lay up at CQ for 50 minutes between trips.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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boronia wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:29 pm The Freshies lay up at CQ for 50 minutes between trips.
Considering I passed one as I was leaving Manly & another sitting at CQ, that must get a good break.

I wouldn't call this afternoon rough seas, but not calm. But as a passenger, you definitely don't want to be sitting outside on the new ferries in rough weather.

I tried it & was basic trying to hold onto the seat & was still worried about slipping off. I'll have to try inside next before considering fun trips to Manly in rough seas. Which is a big call for me.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

Post by tonyp »

Bus 400 wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 8:11 pm
I wouldn't call this afternoon rough seas, but not calm. But as a passenger, you definitely don't want to be sitting outside on the new ferries in rough weather.

I tried it & was basic trying to hold onto the seat & was still worried about slipping off. I'll have to try inside next before considering fun trips to Manly in rough seas. Which is a big call for me.
People won't admit it because a certain sector of society thinks it's fun getting wet, but the Freshwaters are a very wet boat at the bows, rather a design deficiency I thought at the time they were built. Historically, passengers move inside when the seas start to affect the promenade deck, so it's really nothing out of the ordinary.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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tonyp wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 8:53 pm People won't admit it because a certain sector of society thinks it's fun getting wet, but the Freshwaters are a very wet boat at the bows, rather a design deficiency I thought at the time they were built. Historically, passengers move inside when the seas start to affect the promenade deck, so it's really nothing out of the ordinary.
Spray from the top deck of the Freshwaters is fun, weak people move inside. A bit of water never hurt anyone, only a lot of water did.
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Bus 400 wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 9:53 pm
Spray from the top deck of the Freshwaters is fun, weak people move inside. A bit of water never hurt anyone, only a lot of water did.
Probably not the best way to present for a job interview for example!

And you're talking to somebody who spent his youth on the harbour in 16 footers :lol:
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Seems the "summer holiday timetable" for F1 has been rescinded from this week, reverting to 3 Emerald services per hour and no Freshwaters,
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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Figures given that last weekend was one of the first good "beach weekends" we've had this summer. Anyone see how the services fared?
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Re: Manly Ferry Services...

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The 15 minute combined t/t was operating on the weekend, but possibly some services cancelled due to the staff problem. Perhaps the tsunami warning kept people away?

None of the usual rants on FB from the "Save the Manly Ferry" theorists so far today.
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Ferry Observations 2023

Post by Linto63 »

Will the teething troubles that have plagued the Emerald Mark IIs finally be resolved? An early change should be the return to service of the Queenscliff and withdrawal of the Collaroy on the Manly run.
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Re: Ferry Observations 2023

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Teething problems aside, the Emeralds simply aren't suitable for the more adverse conditions regularly encountered on the run.

This is obvious from the number of service cancellations "due to swells", while the MFF vessels carry on unfazed with no disruptions.

And there are the problems resulting from their lack of capacity, such as happened on Xmas day, with passengers queued up for hours to get a ride home from Manly.
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Re: Ferry Observations 2023

Post by Linto63 »

boronia wrote: And there are the problems resulting from their lack of capacity, such as happened on Xmas day, with passengers queued up for hours to get a ride home from Manly.
That's a straight forward supply and demand issue. Was a problem back when all Freshwaters were operating simultaneously and short of having backup vessels that would bob around with nothing to do for 350 days a year, unavoidable.
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Re: Ferry Observations 2023

Post by Nat »

Linto63 wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:53 am
boronia wrote: And there are the problems resulting from their lack of capacity, such as happened on Xmas day, with passengers queued up for hours to get a ride home from Manly.
That's a straight forward supply and demand issue. Was a problem back when all Freshwaters were operating simultaneously and short of having backup vessels that would bob around with nothing to do for 350 days a year, unavoidable.
Nowhere near as bad then as it is now due to the reduction in vessel capacity, slower boarding times and absolute limits to the number of vessels able to berth per hour.
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Re: Ferry Observations 2023

Post by Linto63 »

NRMA to retain the Manly Fast Ferry franchise for a further 15 years.

Fast ferries to come under NSW Opal cap (Canberra Times)
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