Have you ever ridden a ferry boat?

[meaneyedcatz]

Took mrs meaneyedcatz for the annual fall color drive this Saturday. Missouri sure is a beautiful state, especially in the Ozarks. My mother was born in Pulaski county near the Clifty creek natural bridge in a log cabin. My father was born in Shannon county in a town that is so far back in the hills and forest it’s not even a community anymore. It is impossible to get to Gang Missouri without a 4wd truck. Don’t take your Subaru.
Anyway, our drives in the country always bring back memories of my childhood.
I remembered my first ferry boat ride. It was on the Current river aboard the powder mill ferry on hwy 106. The ferry Was first river powered. Using a rudder the front was turned upstream and then the current slowly pushed the boat across and pulling on the guide ropes helped also. Then mechanical technology came along and a one cylinder Briggs and Stratton engine pushed it across. The ferry did not have gates on either end or ramps that lifted. Good brakes were important! I remember crying like a baby knowing we were going to sink in an ocean called the current river ( actually I was a baby). There is one ferry operating on the current at Akers.

Since then I have used the ferry’s on the Illinois river and the Mississippi River countless times and it’s actually really fun. It’s like going back in time for 15 minutes.

Have you ever had the opportunity to cross on a ferry boat?

 

[BC38]

I've been on a couple of small ferries like you're talking about, but the real fun is taking the BIG 200-400 car ferries like the ones on Puget Sound. The ferry ride from Seattle to Bremerton has always been one of my favorites. The ride is about 45 minutes long and navigates around and in between islands in the San Juan's.

 

[grover99]

I was at Aberdeen proving grounds Maryland going to an Army school and when the school was over I gave a young private a ride home as it was on my way home. He lived in some little town in West Virginia. The only way into the town was by ferry as the bridge washed out a few months earlier. The streets in town were mostly dirt and you started hearing dueling banjos playing in your head. When I got back on the ferry the attendant said no charge and gave me back what I had paid to first cross over. HE said he didn’t realize I was bring Clem’s boy back from the Army.

 

[gonerydin]

We have ridden a number of ferries in Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas (gulf of Mexico)and Arkansas over the years. Always enjoyable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[papu8890]

I've ridden the ferry in Southport NC and a much smaller one driving to Burlington VT.
Pretty sure I'm forgetting one or two- there is a ferry going to Kelley's Island on Lake Eric, and I was there a few times as a kid.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[LVSteve]

I crossed a river in the UK on one of those wire/current powered rafts. It would tilt at odd angles and water would lap in a little, but the guy operating it seemed unconcerned. Another time I crossed The Solent in a hydrofoil. Noisy beast, but damned fast. File:Shearwater 3.jpg - Wikipedia
The ferries I really wanted to travel on were the big hovercraft that went between Dover and Calais, but I never got the chance. They were some machines. SR.N4 - Wikipedia

 

[bigwheelzip]

Been on ferry's from as far back as I can remember.
Before the Verrazano Bridge connected Brooklyn and Staten Island, we took the ferry across NY Harbor regularly.
The Port Jeff and Orient Point ferries across Long Island Sound.
Canada Ferry Nova Scotia to Newfoundland.
Alaska Marine Highway, Haines AK to Vancouver Island Canada
Alaska Marine Highway, Homer AK to Kodiak Island AK.
The Nanaimo B.C. Canada to Vancouver B.C. Canada.
The Port Angeles WA to Victoria BC Ferry.
The Needles Cable Ferry across Arrow Lake B.C. Canada.
Numerous Fjord ferries in Norway.
The Kristiansand Norway to Hirtshals Denmark ferry.
Isla Mujeres Island ferry, Yucatan Mexico.
St. Thomas to St. John ferry, U.S.V.I.
Patras Greece to Brindisi Italy Ferry
Standup Gondola ferry across Grand Canal, Venice IT

 

[Absalom]

There is a ferry crossing the Willamette River about 20 minutes’ drive from where I live and it offers a back way into Salem that’s faster than using just roads despite occasionally having to wait five or ten minutes, so I’ve been using a ferry every few weeks or so for decades.

Only drawback: If the river is running low, the off-ramp connection angle is so steep I usually scrape my van’s front bumper.

 

[Beemerguy53]

The last time I was on a ferry boat was in 2007, returning from a motorcycle trip that took me up into Canada and through New England.

We crossed the Long Island Sound from New London, Connecticut to Orient Point, New York...got to see the US Coast Guard Academy, and a submarine heading in toward the base at New London...

 

[GB]

Running Water S.D. to Niobrara Nebraska. It ran into the late 60s, I think. Built a bridge across in the late 90s. It was a real adventure for a young kid in the late 50s. Also Seattle to Bremerton, I was a little older then.

 

[Kurusu]

Have I ever been in ferries?

Lots of times.

I live near 2 river mouths. Sado and Tagus.

Tagus crossing:

Sado crossing:

 

[Kurusu]

@ Beemerguy53

Funny. On your 3rd photo there's the USCGC Eagle. On my 2nd photo you can see one of her sister ships at the distance NRP Sagres.

 

[AzShooter]

Wow it's been a long time. I use to take the Staten Island Ferry many years ago. Nice little trip into NY.

Best Ferry ride was in Sweden, to Goetland ( spelling ) Island. It was a 3 hour trip, Sweden is beautiful.

 

[mbliss57]

I have taken a few over the years.
The 3 that are most memorable were from New London Ct to Greenpoint Li with the car.
St John New Brunswick to Halifax Nova Scotia. The best was from Portsmouth England to Caen France-to see the Normandy invasion beaches. These are all car ferries. Lots of people ferries. None I think are spectacular.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bib]

I drive a fuel truck. Our company's specialty is taking care of towboats that push barges on the rivers around Pittsburgh. One of our customers was contracted to push a ferry flat over to the power plant on Brunot Island..just downriver from the point. When I fueled the boat they would get me on the flat first. If there wasn't any traffic that needed moved we would just sit at the ramp. Sometimes they would be busy and load the flat with cars and trucks and I'd get to ride back and forth. I enjoyed that delivery in the summer....hated it in the winter

 

[The Analyst]

These I definitely remember:
Staten Island, NY ferry
Lewes, DE-Cape May, NJ ferry
Southport, NC-Fort Fisher, NC ferry
Jamestown, VA-Williamsburg, VA ferry.

 

[andy52]

Took mrs meaneyedcatz for the annual fall color drive this Saturday. Missouri sure is a beautiful state, especially in the Ozarks. My mother was born in Pulaski county near the Clifty creek natural bridge in a log cabin. My father was born in Shannon county in a town that is so far back in the hills and forest it’s not even a community anymore.
Anyway, our drives in the country always bring back memories of my childhood.
I remembered my first ferry boat ride. It was on the Current river aboard the powder mill ferry on hwy 106. The ferry Was first river powered. Using a rudder the front was turned upstream and then the current slowly pushed the boat across and pulling on the guide ropes helped also. Then mechanical technology came along and a one cylinder Briggs and Stratton engine pushed it across. The ferry did not have gates on either end or ramps that lifted. Good brakes were important! I remember crying like a baby knowing we were going to sink in an ocean called the current river ( actually I was a baby). There is one ferry operating on the current at Akers.

Since then I have used the ferry’s on the Illinois river and the Mississippi River countless times and it’s actually really fun. It’s like going back in time for 15 minutes.

Have you ever had the opportunity to cross on a ferry boat?

I have ridden on every ferry you have in your post. I grew up in Reynolds county and remember the Akers ferry well when it was current driven with no propulsion other then water.
I remember once crossing it on a school bus. They made all the students get out and ride the ferry first and then went back and got the bus.
After being discharged from the Navy I moved about 45 miles north of St. Louis where I've ridden on the Winfield, golden eagle and the Brussels ferries.
The few times I needed to go to Grafton or Alton it was faster to take the ferries then to go by highway only.

 

[rwsmith]

At the Outer Banks.....

...it was a very pleasant and relaxing trip. I don't know about when the weather gets rough, though.

 

[gasaman]

I've done it twice, both salt and fresh water. The first was going from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard. The next time was crossing Lake Champlain, Burlington Vt to Plattsburgh NY.
I'm hoping to coat least one more. I'd like try the ride from Portland ME to Nova Scotia Canada.

 

[Sistema1927]

When I was a kid, the Staten Island Ferry was a nickel each way ( now it is free). Dad was stationed at Ft. Wadsworth, and I, at age 8, and my brother, age 6, would cash in pop bottles. Mom and Dad knew nothing of our exploits, but we would ride over to Manhattan and wander around. If we could scrape up 25 cents each, we had enough to ride the ferry both ways and get a hot dog with sauerkraut from a push cart vendor in Battery Park.

Since then I have ridden numerous ferries, including one at Lake Powell and another on the Texas Coast.

Someday I want to day the ferry over from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland to visit the place of my birth.