EXPERT ON BOARD
APRIL 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 19Passenger vessels and high speed craft
P
assenger carrying
vessels fall into two main
categories; cruise ships and
ferries. With the single exception
of the Queen Mary II, the ocean-
going liner of yesteryear has
passed into history.
Cruising is the fastest-growing
sector of the maritime world.
As elsewhere, economy of
scale dominates and many new
cruise ships are vast with most
cabins enjoying a sea view. The
UK features a number of cruise
terminals such as Southampton,
Dover, Tilbury, Bristol and
Liverpool, with a number of other
ports enjoying this facility. Cruise
ships visit other places, like the
Isles of Scilly and the Western
Isles, as part of a cruise around
these islands. Cruise ships tend
to spend the day in harbour and
steam at night, which means the
daysailing yachtsman tends not
to see them except in the late
afternoon and evening, or if they
happen to be under way in the
vicinity of a terminal port or a
place being visited.
Ferries ply regular routes
all round the coast providing
services to the Northern and
Western Isles, the near Continent,
the Channel Islands, the Isle of
Wight, the Isles of Scilly and
Ireland. Some are large and fast.
Brittany Ferries’ Pont-Aven, for
instance, links Portsmouth with
Santander in Spain, has a gross
tonnage of 41,700 tons andcruises at 25-27 knots.
Cruise ships and ferries are
among the most manoeuvrable
vessels in British waters. They
are the only ships likely to have
British or European offi cers of
the watch. Ferry watchkeepers
are likely to be very familiar with
small-boat sailors as they ply
fi xed routes on well-established
schedules. Their movements are
probably the most predictable of
any ship encountered and theyshould expect small craft to keep
out of their way when entering or
leaving harbour.
Cruise ships on passage keep
very good lookouts and rely
on early decision making if it
becomes necessary to give way
to another vessel. Passage speeds
are not that high, perhaps 16-22
knots, but large wheel angles for
last-minute course alterations
are not encouraged. A big cruise
ship with her high freeboard and
relatively shallow draught will
begin to heel if a large rudderangle is applied. Large angles
of heel are not conducive to
passenger comfort, or the peace
of mind of company lawyers.
The ferry sector includes the
high-speed catamarans operated
by Brittany Ferries, Irish Sea
Ferries and Condor, sailing on
well-defi ned routes. They tend
to use their high speeds of 35-40
knots to avoid close-quarters
situations but a good lookout
for them is still essential. In poor
visibility they can often be
heard before they are seen.Ferries may sail at 25-27
knots on well defi ned
routes, with European
offi cers keeping watchGRAPHICS: MMOHigh speed craft stick to clearly defi ned routes, likewise large ferry traffi c. Cruise ships, often found in
tourist hotspots like the Scillies and Western Isles, will resist sharp course alterationsPHOTO: ALAMY