| Manly | |
|---|---|
| Mode | Ferry route |
| Owner | Sydney Ferries |
| Operator(s) | Sydney Ferries |
| Wharves | 2 |
| Fleet | Freshwater, others (mostly Lady Class) as needed |
| Key dates | |
Manly ferry services connect the suburb of Manly, New South Wales with Circular Quay by commuter ferry. The services are provided by Sydney Ferries Corporation, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The route is coloured light blue on the current Sydney Ferries network map[1]. Vessels in the Freshwater class generally operate these services. The Sydney Ferries JetCat was discontinued on 31 December 2008 and replaced with a privately owned service operated by Manly Fast Ferries.[2] In March 2010, the government announced that that Manly Fast Ferries contract had not been renewed and had been replaced by another private operator Sydney Fast Ferries.[3] The two operators are now competing side by side, with Manly Fast Ferries docking at the nearby Manly Hotel Wharf.
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The current fleet of four Manly ferries are known as the "Freshwater" class and comprise, in order of commissioning, the Freshwater, Queenscliff, Narrabeen, and Collaroy which were commissioned between 1982 and 1988. They were built at the State Dockyards in Newcastle and Carrington Slipways in Tomago. They are 70 metres in length, 12.5 metres wide, draught of 3.3 metres and they displace 1140 tonnes. Their passenger capacity is 1100 and their service speed is 16 knots.[4]
They are powered by two Daihatsu model 8DSMB-32 turbo charged diesel engines which each develop 2200kM at 600rpm, and have hand-controllable pitch propellers. The hull and lower cabin area are of welded steel construction and the upper cabin and two wheelhouses are aluminium. The newest vessel, Collaroy, is fitted with Sperry Gyrofin stabilisers and additional catering facilities for ocean cruising.[5]
Circular Quay is a major Sydney transport hub, with a large ferry, rail and bus interchange. The Cahill Expressway is a prominent feature of the quay, running from the east, over the elevated railway station to join the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the west. Sydney Cove was the site of the initial landing of the First Fleet in Port Jackson. Circular Quay was originally mainly used for shipping and slowly developed into a transport, leisure and recreational centre.
Sydney Ferries services use wharves 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Circular Quay. Each wharf has ticket vending machines and ticket barriers, and is wheelchair-accessible.
This wharf serves the suburb of Manly, New South Wales and is located opposite the harbour end of the Corso on The Esplanade. The wharf has ticket vending machines and ticket barriers, and is wheelchair-accessible. Local bus services depart from stands in front of the wharf.
The ferry service was started by Henry Gilbert Smith in 1855, using the chartered paddle-steamer "Huntress".
The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company was established in 1877 and acquired the existing services. The Company operated the Manly ferries for nearly a century and was instrumental in promoting the development of Manly. It famously coined the expression about Manly being “Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care”.
The service has long been integral to the development of Manly—and the core business of the ferry network. From 1967 to 1991, a regular rapid hydrofoil service was offered alongside the larger, slower ferries. In 1991, the four remaining hydrofoils were replaced with three fast catamarans called JetCats. The expensive service proved to be of low reliability and was cancelled in 2008 as part of NSW Government cost-cutting measures. The last catamaran service left Manly at 10:00am on 31 December.[6]
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