88 COMMENTARY A good ferry service needs more than a ship From the vessel to the berthing and terminal facilities, all elements of a ferry system must work together in harmony to ensure safe, efficient and reliable services Ferries are a little unusual in the business of ship procurement. With a newbuilding contract for a bulk carrier, a tanker, a container ship or some other eminently tradeable asset, it is the specification for the vessel that is allimportant. The ship will be built for specified trades, but its dimensions, range and draught will enable it to operate widely within these parameters around the world. A ferry is rather different. It is an important cog in a logistics system, but the terminals on the ferry route assume far more immediate importance. It is a regrettable fact that it is generally far easier and faster to build even the biggest and most sophisticated ferry than it is to engage with the planning and construction problems that rear up when constructing new terminals, or rebuilding existing facilities, for the ship. Years can sometimes tick away while the legal and planning processes are wrestled with, and public inquiries, objections, revisions and legislative hurdles must all be surmounted before a spade is put into the ground. One example is the two 48,000gt replacement ferries for the important route that links Tasmania with mainland Australia. The first has already been built and delivered by the yard in Finland and the sister ship’s completion is imminent. But alas, the terminal which these ships will use in the Tasmanian port of Devonport has been severely delayed and may not be MICHAEL GREY Michael Grey is a master mariner turned maritime journalist and has edited both Fairplay and Lloyd’s List in a career spanning more than 60 years. Photo: iStock/agafapaperiapunta
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