Aferry is aboat that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those inVenice,Italy, is sometimes referred to as awater taxi or water bus.
Ferries form a part of thepublic transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at acapital cost much lower thanbridges ortunnels. Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like theBaltic Sea) may also be called ferry services, and many carry vehicles.
Speculation that a pair ofoxen propelled a ship having a water wheel can be found in 4th century Roman literature "Anonymus De Rebus Bellicis". Though impractical, there is no reason why it could not work and such a ferry, modified by using horses, was used in Lake Champlain in 19th-century America. SeeExperiment (horse powered boat).
In 1850 the roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferry,Leviathan designed to carry freight wagons efficiently across the Firth of Forth in Scotland started to operate between Granton, near Edinburgh, and Burntisland in Fife. The vessel design was highly innovative and the ability to move freight in great quantities and with minimal labour signalled the way ahead for sea-borne transport, converting the ro-ro ferry from an experimental and marginal ship type into one of central importance in the transport of goods and passengers.[1]
In 1871, the world's first car ferry crossed theBosphorus in Istanbul. The iron steamship, namedSuhulet (meaning 'ease' or 'convenience') was designed by the general manager of Şirket-i Hayriye (Bosporus Steam Navigation Company), Giritli Hüseyin Haki Bey and built by theGreenwich shipyard ofMaudslay, Sons and Field.[2] It weighed 157 tons, was 155 feet (47 meters) long, 27 feet (8.2 meters) wide and had a draft of 9 feet (2.7 meters). It was capable of travelling up to 6 knots with the side wheel turned by its 450-horsepower, single-cylinder, two-cycle steam engine. Launched in 1872, Suhulet's unique features consisted of a symmetrical entry and exit for horse carriages, along with a dual system of hatchways. The ferry operated on the Üsküdar-Kabataş route, which is still serviced by modern ferries today.
The country's extensive river network makesferries a practical and affordable mode of transport. Passenger ferries, locally referred to as "launches," are widely used to travel to the southern and south-western regions of Bangladesh from the capital.[3][4][5] The most popular destinations includeBarisal,Bhola,Patuakhali, andKhulna. Additionally, there are water-transport routes connecting Dhaka withKolkata in India.[6]
A triple-decker launch (passenger ferry) on a river in Bangladesh
Approximately 200 launches operate across 107 water routes throughout the country as of 2022[update].[7] To support the launch services, the BIWTA has developed 292 wharfs (ghats) for the docking of these vessels,[8] and oversees 380 launch terminals.[9]
There are 53roll-on/roll-off ferries running on seven routes across the country: Paturia–Daulatdia, Aricha–Kazirhat, Shimulia–Banglabazar, Bhola–Lakshmipur, Lajarhat–Veduria, Char Kalipur–Kalipur Bazar and Harinaghat Chandpur–Shariatpur.[10]
More than 800,000[9] small and medium woodensailboats androwboats, often retrofitted to be motorised,[11] are an important means of transportation for people and goods across the country, especially during the rainy season.[12][11] These boats transport over 1.2 million tonnes of freight annually.[9] Among these are thedingi, which is the oldest form of Bengal boat. Larger cargo boats includes vessels such as thebalam,bajra andsampan. Under the category ofbainkata (flat-bottomed) boats are theghasi,gachari,dorakha,kathami,mallar,patam andpanshi, among others. Ubiquitous throughout Bangladesh, especially in monsoon flood-prone regions, is thekosha, a small, highly manoeuvrable boat that is easy to operate. These various traditional wooden boats play a vital role in providing transportation during the rainy season when other modes become impractical due to flooding.[12]
The ferries are often overloaded and continue to operate in poor weather; many people die each year in ferry and launch accidents. From 2005 to 2015, nearly 1,800 casualties have been reported due to river transport incidents, a number which may be higher due to the prevalence of unregistered vessels.[13] In 2014, the launchPinak 6 sank in thePadma River with more than 200 passengers aboard nearMunshiganj'sLouhajang Upazila.[14]
India'sro-ro ferry service betweenGhogha andDahej was inaugurated by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on 22 October 2017. It aims to connectSouth Gujarat andSaurashtra currently separated by 360 kilometres (220 mi) of roadway to 31 kilometres (19 mi) of ferry service. It is a part of the largerSagar Mala project.[15]
Water transport in Mumbai consists of ferries, hovercraft, and catamarans, operated by various government agencies as well as private entities. TheKerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD), operating under the Ministry of Transport,Government of Kerala,India regulates the inland navigation systems in the Indian state ofKerala and provides inland water transport facilities. It stands for catering to the passenger and cargo traffic needs of the inhabitants of the waterlogged areas of the Districts ofAlappuzha,Kottayam,Kollam,Ernakulam,Kannur andKasargode. SWTD ferry service is also one of the most affordable modes to enjoy the beauty of the scenicKerala backwaters.
As the largest archipelagic country, Indonesia has several ferry routes which is managed mostly by PT. ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) and several private companies.ASDP_Indonesia_Ferry or ASDP is a state-owned company engaged in the business of integrated ferry and port services and waterfront tourist destinations. ASDP operates a ferry fleet of more than 160 units handling more than 300 routes in 36 ports throughout Indonesia.
Japan used to rely heavily on ferries for passenger and goods transportation among the four main islands ofHokkaido,Honshu,Shikoku andKyushu. However, as highway and railway bridges and undersea tunnels (such as theSeikan Tunnel andHonshū–Shikoku Bridge Project) have been constructed, the ferry transportation has recently become for short-distance sightseeing passengers with or without car, and for long-distance truck drivers hauling goods.[17][18][19]
The number of actual seats has traditionally been very limited like on this Japanese passenger ferry, with larger spaces dedicated totatami orbroadloom areas where passengers can sit or lie down (onShikoku andKyushu ferry, 2014).
Currently operated by the Penang Port Commission, the ferry service has evolved over the decades. The RORO ferries were retired in 2021, with speedboats temporarily replacing them.[22][23] In 2023, these speedboats were succeeded by four newly-built catamarans, which now serve only passengers and motorcyclists. These catamarans operate between theRaja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal in George Town and theSultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Seberang Perai.[24]
Due to the geographical features of Russia, it has a large number of both sea and river ferry crossings. Car ferries operate from the continental part of Russia to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Japan. The Ust-Luga – Kaliningrad ferry also runs, until February 2022 ferries also ran from St. Petersburg to different cities of the Baltic Sea. Before the construction of the Kerch Bridge, there was a ferry across the Kerch Strait, whose service was resumed after theKerch bridge explosion.There are also more than 100 ferry crossings on different rivers in Russia. These are usually symmetrical through ferries with two ramps for quick entry and exit of cars. For some categories of car owners, these ferries may be free if there is no alternative crossing of the river.
The busiest seaway in the world, theEnglish Channel, connects Great Britain and mainland Europe, with ships sailing from the UK ports ofDover,Newhaven, Poole,[25]Portsmouth andPlymouth to French ports, such asCalais,Dunkirk,Dieppe,Roscoff,Cherbourg-Octeville,Caen,St Malo andLe Havre. The busiest ferry route to France is the Dover to Calais crossing with approximately 9,168,000 passengers using the service in 2018.[26] Ferries from Great Britain also sail to Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Ireland. Some ferries carry mainly tourist traffic, but most also carry freight, and some are exclusively for the use of freight lorries. In Britain, car-carrying ferries are sometimes referred to asRORO (roll-on, roll-off) for the ease by which vehicles can board and leave.
The busiest single ferry route in terms of the number of departures is across the northern part ofØresund, betweenHelsingborg,Scania,Sweden andElsinore,Denmark. Before theØresund bridge was opened in July 2000, car and "car and train" ferries departed up to seven times every hour (every 8.5 minutes). This has since been reduced, but a car ferry still departs from each harbor every 15 minutes during daytime.[27] The route is around 2.2 nautical miles (4.1 km; 2.5 mi) and the crossing takes 22 minutes. Today, all ferries on this route are constructed so that they do not need to turn around in the harbors. This also means that the ferries lackstems and sterns, since the vessels sail in both directions. Starboard and port-side are dynamic, depending on the direction the ferry sails. Despite the short crossing, the ferries are equipped with restaurants (on three out of four ferries), cafeterias, and kiosks. Passengers without cars often make a double or triple return journey in the restaurants; for this, a single journey ticket is sufficient. Passenger and bicycle passenger tickets are inexpensive compared with longer routes.
Largecruiseferries sail in theBaltic Sea betweenFinland,Åland,Sweden,Estonia,Latvia andSaint Petersburg,Russia. In many ways, these ferries are likecruise ships, but they can also carry hundreds of cars on car decks. Besides providing passenger and car transport across the sea,Baltic Sea cruise-ferries are a popular tourist destination unto themselves, with multiple restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shops and entertainment on board.Helsinki was the busiest international passenger ferry port in the world in 2017 with over 11.8 million passengers whilst the second business international ferry port, Dover, had 11.7 million passengers. The Helsinki-Tallinn route alone accounted for nine million passengers.[28] In 2022 the port of Helsinki had almost 8 million passengers, of which 6.3 million travelled between Helsinki and Tallinn.[29] Additionally many smaller ferries operate on domestic routes in Finland, Sweden and Estonia.
InIstanbul, ferries connect the European and Asian shores ofBosphorus, as well asPrinces' Islands and nearby coastal towns. In 2014,İDO transported 47 million passengers, the largest ferry system in the world.[30]
The largest ferry system inItaly is inVenice. The city'swater taxis (Italian:taxi d'acqua) provide service all around the city'scanals. They can carry up to 10 people.[31] They operate on a series of lines that stop at different locations around Venice.[32]
Due to the numbers of large freshwater lakes and length of shoreline in Canada, various provinces and territories have ferry services.
BC Ferries operates the third largest ferry service in the world which carries travellers betweenVancouver Island and theBritish Columbia mainland on the country's west coast. This ferry service operates to other islands including theGulf Islands andHaida Gwaii. In 2015, BC Ferries carried more than 8 million vehicles and 20 million passengers.[35] InVancouver there isSeaBus.
Canada's east coast has been home to numerous inter- and intra-provincial ferry and coastal services, including a large network operated by the federal government underCN Marine and laterMarine Atlantic. Private and publicly owned ferry operations in eastern Canada include Marine Atlantic, serving the island ofNewfoundland, as well asBay,NFL,CTMA,Coastal Transport, andSTQ. Canadian waters in theGreat Lakes once hosted numerous ferry services, but these have been reduced to those offered byOwen Sound Transportation and several smaller operations. There are also several commuter passenger ferry services operated in major cities, such asMetro Transit inHalifax, andToronto Island ferries in Toronto. There is also theSociété des traversiers du Québec.
Due to theNorth Carolina coast's geography, consisting of numerous sounds, inlets, tidal arms, and islands, ferry transportation is essential in the region. The state operates twelve routes, eight of which are under the oversight of theNorth Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division, three of which are under the direct oversight of theNorth Carolina Department of Transportation, and one of which is under the oversight of theNorth Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.[36] Three of the Ferry Division routes are tolled, and all ferry routes operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation carry both vehicles and pedestrians, although certain vessels only carry pedestrians and cyclists. The National Park Service additionally works with private companies to offer ferry service to locations such asCape Lookout andPortsmouth.[37]
Washington State Ferries operates the most extensive ferry system in the continental United States and the second largest in the world by vehicles carried, with ten routes onPuget Sound and theStrait of Juan de Fuca servingterminals in Washington and Vancouver Island.[38] In 2016, Washington State Ferries carried 10.5 million vehicles and 24.2 million riders in total.[39]
TheAlaska Marine Highway System provides service between Bellingham, Washington, and various towns and villages throughout Southeast and Southwest Alaska, including crossings of theGulf of Alaska. AMHS provides affordable access to many small communities with no road connection or airport.
TheStaten Island Ferry inNew York City, sailing between the boroughs ofManhattan andStaten Island, is the nation's single busiest ferry route by passenger volume. Unlike riders on many other ferry services, Staten Island Ferry passengers do not pay any fare to ride it. New York City also has a network of smaller ferries, orwater taxis, that shuttle commuters along theHudson River from locations inNew Jersey and NorthernManhattan down to the midtown, downtown and Wall Street business centers. Several ferry companies also offer service linking midtown and lower Manhattan with locations in the boroughs ofQueens andBrooklyn, crossing the city'sEast River. New York City MayorBill de Blasio announced in February 2015 that city would begin an expanded Citywide Ferry Service, and launched asNYC Ferry in 2017, linking heretofore relatively isolated communities such asManhattan'sLower East Side,Soundview inThe Bronx,Astoria andthe Rockaways inQueens and suchBrooklyn neighborhoods asBay Ridge,Sunset Park, andRed Hook with existing ferry landings inLower Manhattan andMidtown Manhattan. A second expansion phase connectedStaten Island to the West Side of Manhattan, and added a stop in Throgs Neck, in the Bronx. NYC Ferry is now the largest passenger fleet in the United States.
TheNew Orleans area also has many ferries that carry both vehicles and pedestrians. Most notable is the Algiers Ferry, which has been in continuous operation since 1827 and is one of the oldest operating ferries in North America.In New England, vehicle-carrying ferry services between mainlandCape Cod and the islands ofMartha's Vineyard andNantucket are operated byThe Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, which sails year-round betweenWoods Hole andVineyard Haven as well asHyannis andNantucket. Seasonal service is also operated from Woods Hole toOak Bluffs during the summer and fall. As there are no bridges or tunnels connecting the islands to the mainland, The Steamship Authority ferries in addition to being the only method for transporting private cars to or from the islands, also ferry heavy freight and supplies, such as construction materials and fuel, competing with tug and barge companies. Additionally,Hy-Line Cruises operates high-speed catamaran service from Hyannis to both islands, and several smaller operations run seasonal passenger-only service primarily geared towards touristday-trippers from other mainland ports, includingNew Bedford, (New Bedford Fast Ferry)Falmouth, (Island Queen ferry and Falmouth Ferry) andHarwich (Freedom Cruise Line). Ferries also bring riders and vehicles acrossLong Island Sound to suchConnecticut cities asBridgeport andNew London, and toBlock Island inRhode Island from points onLong Island.
Transbay commuting in theSan Francisco Bay Area was primarily ferry-based until the advent of automobiles in the 1940s, and most bridges in the area were built to supplant ferry services. By the 1970s, ferries were primarily used by tourists withGolden Gate Ferry, an organization under the ownership of the same governing body as theGolden Gate Bridge, left as the sole commute operator. The1989 Loma Prieta earthquake prompted the restoration of service to theEast Bay. The modern ferry network is primarily under the authority ofSan Francisco Bay Ferry, connecting with cities as far asVallejo. Tourist excursions are also offered byBlue & Gold Fleet andRed & White Fleet. A ferry servesAngel Island (which also accepts private craft).Alcatraz is served exclusively by ferry service administered by theNational Park Service.
Numerous additional inland ferry routes exist in the United States, such as theCave-In-Rock Ferry across the Ohio River, and theBenton-Houston Ferry across the Tennessee River.
The FTA announced in September 2024 that it would award $300 million in grants to modernize ferry systems in the United States. These grants will support 18 projects across 14 states, emphasizing upgrading environmentally friendlypropulsion systems. Eight of the 18 projects will receive funding for this purpose.[40]
One notable project is the San Francisco ferry system, which will receive $11.5 million to improve the connection between Treasure Island and Mission Bay. In Maine, the ferry system will be upgraded in Lincolnville and Islesboro. Additionally, Alaska will receive a significant $106.4 million grant to replace a 60-year-old vessel operating in the southwest. This vessel is a crucial connector for the region.[40]
These grants are part of the FTA's efforts to improve ferry transportation in the United States and promotesustainable transportation options.[40]
In Australia, twoSpirit of Tasmania ferries carry passengers and vehicles 450 kilometres (280 mi) acrossBass Strait, the body of water that separatesTasmania from the Australian mainland, often under turbulent sea conditions. These run overnight but also include day crossings in peak time. Both ferries are based in the northern Tasmanian port city ofDevonport and sail toGeelong. Before Geelong this ferry used to sail toMelbourne.[41][42]
In New Zealand, ferries connectWellington in theNorth Island withPicton in theSouth Island, linking New Zealand's two main islands. The route is 92 kilometres (57 mi), and is run by two companies – government-ownedInterislander, and independentBluebridge, who say the trip takes three and half hours.[43]
Ferry designs depend on the length of the route, the passenger or vehicle capacity required, speed requirements and the water conditions the craft must deal with.
Hydrofoils have the advantage of higher cruising speeds, succeedinghovercraft on some English Channel routes where the ferries now compete against the Eurotunnel andEurostar trains that use theChannel Tunnel. Passenger-only hydrofoils also proved a practical, fast and relatively economical solution in theCanary Islands, but were recently replaced by fastercatamaran "high speed" ferries that can carry cars. Their replacement by the larger craft is seen by critics as a retrograde step given that the new vessels use much more fuel and foster the inappropriate use of cars[45] in islands already suffering from the impact of mass tourism.
Hovercraft were developed in the 1960s and 1970s to carry cars. The largest was the massiveSR.N4 which carried cars in its centre section with ramps at the bow and stern between England and France. The hovercraft was superseded by catamarans which are nearly as fast and are less affected by sea and weather conditions. Only one service now remains, a foot passenger service betweenPortsmouth and theIsle of Wight run byHovertravel.
Since 1990 high speedcatamarans have revolutionised ferry services, replacinghovercraft,hydrofoils and conventional monohull ferries. In the 1990s there were a variety of builders, but the industry has consolidated to two builders of large vehicular ferries between 60 and 120 metres.Incat ofHobart, Tasmania favours aWave-piercing hull to deliver a smooth ride, whileAustal ofPerth, Western Australia builds ships based onSWATH designs. Both these companies also compete in the smaller river ferry industry with a number of other ship builders.
Stena Line once operated the largest catamarans in the world, theStena HSS class, between the United Kingdom and Ireland. Thesewaterjet-powered vessels, displaced 19,638 tonnes, accommodating 375 passenger cars and 1,500 passengers. Other examples of these super-size catamarans are found in theCondor Ferries fleet with the Condor Voyager and Rapide.
Acruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of acruise ship with a roll-on/roll-off ferry. They are also known asRoPax for their combined Roll on/Roll Off and passenger design.
FastRoPax ferries are conventional ferries with a large garage intake and a relatively large passenger capacity, with conventional diesel propulsion and propellers that sail over 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph). Pioneering this class of ferries wasAttica Group, when it introduced Superfast I between Greece and Italy in 1995 through its subsidiary companySuperfast Ferries. Cabins, if existent, are much smaller than those on cruise ships.[citation needed]
Turntable ferryMVGlenachulish operating betweenGlenelg on the Scottish mainland, andKylerhea on theIsle of Skye. Built in 1969, she is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world.
This type of ferry allows vehicles to load from the "side". The vehicle platform can be turned. When loading, the platform is turned sideways to allow sideways loading of vehicles. Then the platform is turned back, in line with the vessel, and the journey across water is made.
The LowerKingswear toDartmouth ferry,Devon, England. Thepontoon carries eight cars and is towed across theRiver Dart by a small tug. Two ropes connect the tug to the pontoon.
Pontoon ferries andflat-bottomed boats such aspunts carry passengers and vehicles across rivers and lakes and are widely used in less-developed countries with large rivers where the cost of bridge construction is prohibitive. One or more vehicles are carried on such ferries withramps at either end for vehicles or animals to board.Cable ferries are usually pontoon ferries. In the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany many such small cable ferries exist and are calledpüntes.
Train and car ferry between Calabria and Sicily, Italy
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at either or both of the front and rear to give access to thewharves.
Foot ferries are small craft used to ferry foot passengers, and often also cyclists, over rivers. These are either self-propelled craft or cable ferries. Such ferries are for example to be found on the lowerRiver Scheldt inBelgium and in particular theNetherlands. Regular foot ferry service also exists in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, and across theYarra River in Melbourne, Australia atNewport. Restored, expanded ferry service in thePort of New York and New Jersey uses boats for pedestrians only.
The UK has a variety of historic foot ferries such as the Butley Foot Ferry acrossButley Creek which dates back to 1383.[46][47]
One of several self-propelled cable ferries that cross the lower reaches of theMurray River in South Australia
Very short distances may be crossed by acable or chain ferry, which is usually a pontoon ferry (see above), where the ferry is propelled along and steered by cables connected to each shore. Sometimes the cable ferry is human powered by someone on the boat.Reaction ferries are cable ferries that use the perpendicular force of the current as a source of power. Examples of a current propelled ferry are the four Rhine ferries inBasel, Switzerland.[48] Cable ferries may be used in fast-flowing rivers across short distances. With an ocean crossing of approximately 1900 metres, the cable ferry between Vancouver Island and Denman Island in British Columbia; is the longest one in the world.
In the 1950s and 1960s, travel on an "air ferry" was possible—airplanes, often ex-military, specially equipped to take a small number of cars in addition to foot passengers. These operated various routes including between the United Kingdom andContinental Europe. Companies operating such services includedChannel Air Bridge,Silver City Airways, andCorsair.
The term is also applied to any "ferrying" by air, and is commonly used when referring to airborne military operations.
Drawbridge of the ferry lies on theferry slip. This double sided ferry measures 74 m × 17.5 m (243 ft × 57 ft), and carries 2000 passengers with 60 cars
Ferries often dock at specialized facilities designed to position the boat for loading and unloading, called aferry slip. If the ferry transports road vehicles or railway carriages there will usually be an adjustableramp called anapron that is part of theslip. In other cases, theapron ramp will be a part of the ferry itself, acting as a wave guard when elevated and lowered to meet afixed ramp at the terminus – a road segment that extends partially underwater or meet theferry slip.
The sole contender as oldest ferry in continuous operation is theMersey Ferry fromLiverpool toBirkenhead, England. In 1150, theBenedictine Priory atBirkenhead was established. The monks used to charge a small fare to row passengers across the estuary.[49] In 1330,Edward III granted a charter to the Priory and its successors for ever: "the right of ferry there... for men, horses and goods, with leave to charge reasonable tolls". However, there may have been a short break following theDissolution of the monasteries after 1536.
On 11 October 1811, inventorJohn Stevens' ship theJuliana, began operation as the firststeam-powered ferry (service was between New York City, andHoboken, New Jersey).[50]
The gas turbine poweredLuciano Federico L operated by Montevideo-basedBuquebus, holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest car ferry in the world, in service betweenMontevideo,Uruguay andBuenos Aires,Argentina: its maximum speed, achieved in sea trials, was 60.2 knots (111.5 km/h; 69.3 mph).[62] It can carry 450 passengers and 52 cars along the 110-nautical-mile (200 km; 130 mi) route.[63]
The contributions of ferry travel to climate change have received less scrutiny than land and air transport, and vary considerably according to factors like speed and the number of passengers carried. Average carbon dioxide emissions by ferries per passenger-kilometre seem to be 0.12 kg (4.2 oz).[64] However, 18-knot (21 mph; 33 km/h) ferries between Finland and Sweden produce 0.221 kg (7.8 oz) of CO2, with total emissions equalling a CO2 equivalent of 0.223 kg (7.9 oz), while 24–27-knot (28–31 mph; 44–50 km/h) ferries between Finland and Estonia produce 0.396 kg (14.0 oz) of CO2 with total emissions equalling a CO2 equivalent of 0.4 kg (14 oz).[65]
With theprice of oil at high levels, and with increasing pressure from consumers for measures to tackleglobal warming, a number of innovations for energy and the environment were put forward at the Interferry conference inStockholm. According to the companySolar Sailor, hybrid marine power and solar wing technology are suitable for use with ferries, privateyachts and even tankers.[66]
Alternative fuels are becoming more widespread on ferries. The fastest passenger ferry in the worldBuquebus, runs onLNG, while Sweden'sStena converted one of its ferries to run on both diesel andmethanol in 2015.[67] Both LNG and methanol reduce CO2 emissions considerably and replace costly diesel fuel.
Since 2015, Norwegian ferry companyNorled has operated e-ferryAmpere on the Lavik-Opedal connection on the E39 north of Bergen.[70] Further north on the Norwegian west coast, the connection between Anda and Lote will be the world's first route served only by e-ferries. The first of two ships, MFGloppefjord, was put into service in January 2018, followed by MFEidsfjord.[71] The owner,Fjord1, has commissioned a further seven battery-powered ferries to be in operation from 2020.[72] A total of 60 battery powered car ferries are expected to be operational in Norway by 2021.[73]
Since 15 August 2019,Ærø Municipality have operatedE-ferry Ellen between the southernDanish ports ofFynshav andSøby, on the island ofÆrø.[74] The e-ferry is capable of carrying 30 vehicles and 200 passengers and is powered by a battery "with an unprecedented capacity" of 4.3 MWh (5,800 hp⋅h). The vessel can sail up to 22 nautical miles (25 mi; 41 km) between charges – seven times further than previously possible for an e-ferry. It will now need to prove it can provide up to seven return trips per day. The European Union, which supported the project, aims to roll out 100 or more of these ferries by 2030.[75]
A special feature is the Danish Udbyhøj cable ferry inRanders Fjord which has a land-based power supply by means of a retractable submarine cable.[76]
^Iqbal, Kho Shahriar; Hasegawa, Kazuhiko; Bulian, Gabriele; Karim, Md. Mashud; Ibn Awal, Zobair (October 2007)."Passenger Ferry Accidents in Bangladesh: Design and Socio-economic Aspects"(PDF).10th International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures. Houston, Texas: American Bureau of Shipping....passenger ferries (locally called as "launch")...
^"Objectives". E-ferry, an EU project under the H2020 Research and Innovation programme.Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved21 August 2020.
Robins, Nick (1996).The Evolution of the British Ferry. Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire: Ferry Publications.ISBN1871947316.
"When Horses Walked on Water: Horse-Powered Ferries in Nineteenth-Century America" (Smithsonian Institution Press; Kevin Crisman, co-authored with Arthur Cohn, executive director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum).
![Inside a short distance ferry, the Yamagawa-Nejime Ferry [ja], Kagoshima, Japan (2023)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aOn_Yamagawa-Nejime_Ferry_-_Inside_the_ferry_Nankyu_(2023).jpg)
