The world's top ferry websites

<h1>Ferry</h1><IMG SRC="http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/e/ec/Pride_of_burgundy.jpg"><p>
A <strong>ferry</strong> is a <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/boat" title="Boat">boat</A> or a <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/ship" title="Ship">ship</A> carrying passengers, and possibly their vehicles, on a relatively short-distance, regularly-scheduled service.<p>
Ferries form an important part of the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/public_transport" title="Public transport">public transport</A> systems of many waterside cities, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/bridge" title="Bridge">bridges</A> or <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/tunnel" title="Tunnel">tunnels</A>.<p>
A foot-passenger ferry with many stops, such as in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/venice" title="Venice">Venice</A>, is called <strong>waterbus</strong>.<p>
Longer-run ferries connect many coastal islands with the mainland.  Perhaps the most notable ferry route of this sort is the one across the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/english_channel" title="English Channel">English Channel</A> connecting <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/great_britain" title="Great Britain">Great Britain</A> with the rest of <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/europe" title="Europe">Europe</A>, but there are many others. Large ferries also sail in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/baltic_sea" title="Baltic Sea">Baltic Sea</A> between <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/finland_1" title="Finland">Finland</A> and <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/sweden" title="Sweden">Sweden</A>. In many ways, these are like cruise ships, but they can also carry hundreds of cars in their car decks.<p>
In <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/australia" title="Australia">Australia</A>, three <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/spirit_of_tasmania" title="Spirit of Tasmania">Spirit of Tasmania</A> ferries carry passengers and vehicles 300km across <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/bass_strait" title="Bass Strait">Bass Strait</A>, which separates <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/tasmania" title="Tasmania">Tasmania</A> from the Australian <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/mainland" title="Mainland">mainland</A>.  These run overnight but also include additional day crossings in peak time.  All three ferries are based in the northern Tasmanian port city of <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/devonport__tasmania" title="Devonport, Tasmania">Devonport</A>; two ferries travel the route to <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/melbourne" title="Melbourne">Melbourne</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/victoria__australia_" title="Victoria (Australia)">Victoria</A>, and the third to <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/sydney" title="Sydney">Sydney</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/new_south_wales" title="New South Wales">New South Wales</A>.<p>
<IMG SRC="http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/0/0f/Ferry.dartmouth.750pix.jpg">
A large variety of watercraft designs have been used as ferries, depending 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 been used with advantages of higher cruising speeds on popular ferry routes, succeeding <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/hovercraft" title="Hovercraft">hovercraft</A> on the route mentioned above where the ferries now compete against the Le Shuttle and <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/eurostar" title="Eurostar">Eurostar</A> trains that use the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/channel_tunnel" title="Channel Tunnel">Channel Tunnel</A>. Very short distances may be operated by a cable ferry, where the ferry is propelled and steered by cables connected to each shore. Sometimes the cable ferry is human powered by someone on the boat. Some cable ferries use the perpendicular force of the current as a source of power. <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/chain_ferry" title="Chain ferry">Chain ferries</A> may be used in fast-flowing rivers across short distances.<p>
Free ferries operate in some parts of the world, such as at <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/woolwich" title="Woolwich">Woolwich</A> in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/london" title="London">London</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/england" title="England">England</A> (across the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/river_thames" title="River Thames">River Thames</A>) and in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/amsterdam" title="Amsterdam">Amsterdam</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/netherlands" title="Netherlands">Netherlands</A> (across the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/north_sea_canal" title="North Sea Canal">IJ</A> waterway).<p>
On <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/october_11" title="October 11">October 11</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/1811" title="1811">1811</A> inventor <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/john_stevens__inventor_" title="John Stevens (inventor)">John Stevens</A>' ship the <em>Juliana</em>, began operation as the first <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/steam" title="Steam">steam</A>-powered ferry (service was between <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/new_york_city_1" title="New York City">New York, New York</A>, and <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/hoboken__new_jersey" title="Hoboken, New Jersey">Hoboken, New Jersey</A>). <p>
Reputedly, the world's shortest regular ferry route runs 121 metres across a shipping channel, connecting <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/toronto_city_centre_airport" title="Toronto City Centre Airport">Toronto City Centre Airport</A> to the mainland.<p>
Two of the world's largest ferry systems are located in the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/strait_of_georgia" title="Strait of Georgia">Strait of Georgia</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/british_columbia" title="British Columbia">British Columbia</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/canada" title="Canada">Canada</A>, and <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/puget_sound" title="Puget Sound">Puget Sound</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/washington" title="Washington">Washington</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/united_states" title="United States">United States of America</A>.  Each system contains at least 25 ferries, but the two have different styles and operating procedures.<p>
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<IMG SRC="http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/c/c4/Cable_Ferry.jpg">
<br><em>Coin operated cable ferry at Espevær in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/bomlo" title="Bømlo">Bømlo</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/norway" title="Norway">Norway</A></em>
</center>
Crossing a river as a <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/metaphor_1" title="Metaphor">metaphor</A> for <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/transition" title="Transition">transition</A> is very old. The profession of the ferryman is embodied in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/greek_mythology_1" title="Greek mythology">Greek mythology</A> as <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/charon__mythology_" title="Charon (mythology)">Charon</A>.<p>
<A NAME=""><H2>See also</H2>
<ul><li><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/bc_ferries" title="BC Ferries">BC Ferries</A>
</li><li><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/marine_atlantic" title="Marine Atlantic">Marine Atlantic</A>
</li><li><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/washington_state_ferries" title="Washington State Ferries">Washington State Ferries</A>
</li><li><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/ssth_ocean_arrow" title="SSTH Ocean Arrow">SSTH Ocean Arrow</A>
</li><li>Alaska Marine Highway System
</li><li>Stena Lines
</li><li><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/railway_ferry" title="Railway ferry">Railway ferry</A><p>
</li></ul><A NAME=""><H2>External link</H2>
<ul><li><A HREF="http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.html" class="external">Alaska Marine Highway System</A>
</li><li><A HREF="http://www.interislandline.co.nz/" class="external">The Interisland Line: New Zealand</A>
</li><li><A HREF="http://wsdot.wa.gov/ferries" class="external">Washington State Ferry website</A><p>
</li></ul><p>
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