Searoad ferry
Encyclopedia
Searoad Ferries is an Australian company that operates a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry
service between the heads of Port Phillip
, near Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
.
The route operates between terminals at Queenscliff
on the Bellarine Peninsula
and Sorrento
on the Mornington Peninsula
. It is serviced by two ships, currently the MV Queenscliff
and the MV Sorrento. Dolphins are often seen following the ferries during their crossing.
The ferry service runs every hour during the day, and makes a crossing in approximately 40 minutes. The cost for travelling across the service with a car is approximately A$
45, depending on season and passengers; the alternative to drive from Queenscliff to Sorrento via road is approximately four hours.
After various planning, on 19 June 1987 the Peninsula Princess was launched in Carrington
, New South Wales
. She underwent sea trials before moving to Port Phillip Bay. Her crew boarded her in Geelong, Victoria
to get a feel for the vessel. She had to wait there for the Queenscliff berth to be completed.
The first sailing was intended to be on 7 September 1987, but the berths specially designed for this vessel at Queenscliff and Sorrento were not yet complete.
On 13 September 1987, she entered service. On the first arrival at Sorrento, the skipper encountered a problem with the ahead/astern controls. She hit the concrete wharf and whilst tyres around the wharf buffered the impact there was still considerable damage done to the transom
. Commercial operations started on the weekend commencing 19 September 1987.
A few weeks later, during low tide at Queenscliff the crew encountered problems because of the depth of the water and the strong winds. As one of the deckhands attempted to take control by winching the boat in to its berth, the rope slipped and jumped and he was thrown to the deck. By the time he attempted to regain his footing the Peninsula Princess had been taken hold of by the wind. She was thrown against the edge of the creek and broke a propeller and had a bent shaft. The ferry had to be dry dock
ed for repairs. The business had financial issues and could not afford for this to happen again.
After the new ferry was introduced, the Peninsula Princess was frequently docked at the former Queenscliff ferry berth. In 2004 the ferry was sighted docked in the Tamar River in Launceston
, Tasmania
.
was purchased, and work commenced on the ferry berths to enable them to handle the new ferry. At Sorrento the existing berth was altered, while at Queenscliff a new berth was built to the south.
These works were not without controversy, and Peninsula Searoad Transport was required to attend the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to resolve the issues. The new ferry cost $5 million, and was put into service on the 22 December 1993.
On 12 October 2005 the Australian Defence Force
staged an anti-terrorism exercise on the MV Queenscliff. Two Black Hawk helicopters were used to fast rope members of the Tactical Assault Group onto the roof of the ferry, and members of the Boat Assault Force boarded the ferry from inflatable dingies.
The MV Sorrento was built in Launceston
, Tasmania
, Australia
at a cost of $12 million, and was similar in size and appearance to the existing ferry. Minor differences between the two include an elevator from the car deck to the top deck, a new lounge at the front called the 'Portsea Lounge', and the number of exterior windows at the top would be in groups of three, not in fours.
The increased frequency resulted in the closure of the Queenscliff
- Portsea
- Sorrento
passenger ferry service in the early 2000s.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service between the heads of Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, near Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The route operates between terminals at Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
on the Bellarine Peninsula
Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. The peninsula, together with the Mornington Peninsula separates Port Phillip from Bass Strait...
and Sorrento
Sorrento, Victoria
Sorrento is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne...
on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. It is serviced by two ships, currently the MV Queenscliff
MV Queenscliff (1992)
The MV Queenscliff is a double ended roll-on/roll-off vehicle ferry owned by Peninsula Searoad Transport of Victoria, Australia. It has operated between the heads of Port Phillip Bay between the towns of Queenscliff and Sorrento since December 1993. The ferry replaced the earlier Peninsula Princess...
and the MV Sorrento. Dolphins are often seen following the ferries during their crossing.
The ferry service runs every hour during the day, and makes a crossing in approximately 40 minutes. The cost for travelling across the service with a car is approximately A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
45, depending on season and passengers; the alternative to drive from Queenscliff to Sorrento via road is approximately four hours.
History
Three sea pilots, Paul Ringe, Keith Finnemore and Maurie Cobal founded Peninsula Searoad Transport Pty Ltd (PST) in 1983. They believed that a vehicular ferry should run between Queenscliff and Sorrento. There were mixed opinions about this from the public. Some people thought that the novelty would wear off and then business would fail. However, the various tourism boards in Victoria were excited about the prospect of having a vehicular ferry, linking the two peninsulas and would also create tourism jobs.Peninsula Princess
Carrington, New South Wales
Carrington is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and is named after Lord Carrington, governor of N.S.W. in 1887 when the area was proclaimed a municipality.-Origins:...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. She underwent sea trials before moving to Port Phillip Bay. Her crew boarded her in Geelong, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
to get a feel for the vessel. She had to wait there for the Queenscliff berth to be completed.
The first sailing was intended to be on 7 September 1987, but the berths specially designed for this vessel at Queenscliff and Sorrento were not yet complete.
On 13 September 1987, she entered service. On the first arrival at Sorrento, the skipper encountered a problem with the ahead/astern controls. She hit the concrete wharf and whilst tyres around the wharf buffered the impact there was still considerable damage done to the transom
Transom (nautical)
In naval architecture, a transom is the surface that forms the stern of a vessel. Transoms may be flat or curved and they may be vertical, raked forward, also known as a retroussé or reverse transom, angling forward from the waterline to the deck, or raked aft, often simply called "raked", angling...
. Commercial operations started on the weekend commencing 19 September 1987.
A few weeks later, during low tide at Queenscliff the crew encountered problems because of the depth of the water and the strong winds. As one of the deckhands attempted to take control by winching the boat in to its berth, the rope slipped and jumped and he was thrown to the deck. By the time he attempted to regain his footing the Peninsula Princess had been taken hold of by the wind. She was thrown against the edge of the creek and broke a propeller and had a bent shaft. The ferry had to be dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
ed for repairs. The business had financial issues and could not afford for this to happen again.
After the new ferry was introduced, the Peninsula Princess was frequently docked at the former Queenscliff ferry berth. In 2004 the ferry was sighted docked in the Tamar River in Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
MV Queenscliff
By the early 1990s traffic using the ferry had increased, and an increase in capacity was required to cope. A new and much larger ferry, the MV QueenscliffMV Queenscliff (1992)
The MV Queenscliff is a double ended roll-on/roll-off vehicle ferry owned by Peninsula Searoad Transport of Victoria, Australia. It has operated between the heads of Port Phillip Bay between the towns of Queenscliff and Sorrento since December 1993. The ferry replaced the earlier Peninsula Princess...
was purchased, and work commenced on the ferry berths to enable them to handle the new ferry. At Sorrento the existing berth was altered, while at Queenscliff a new berth was built to the south.
These works were not without controversy, and Peninsula Searoad Transport was required to attend the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to resolve the issues. The new ferry cost $5 million, and was put into service on the 22 December 1993.
On 12 October 2005 the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
staged an anti-terrorism exercise on the MV Queenscliff. Two Black Hawk helicopters were used to fast rope members of the Tactical Assault Group onto the roof of the ferry, and members of the Boat Assault Force boarded the ferry from inflatable dingies.
MV Sorrento
Traffic using the ferry service continued to grow though the 1990s, carrying about 110,000 cars/trucks/coaches/motorcycles and 600,000 passengers each year. As a result, in 2000 it was decided to purchase a second ferry, enabling a doubling in the service frequency.The MV Sorrento was built in Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at a cost of $12 million, and was similar in size and appearance to the existing ferry. Minor differences between the two include an elevator from the car deck to the top deck, a new lounge at the front called the 'Portsea Lounge', and the number of exterior windows at the top would be in groups of three, not in fours.
The increased frequency resulted in the closure of the Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
- Portsea
Portsea, Victoria
Portsea is a resort town located across Port Phillip from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula....
- Sorrento
Sorrento, Victoria
Sorrento is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne...
passenger ferry service in the early 2000s.