Bookmark this category
The Evolution of Ferries to France
Up until the early 1800s, clippers, schooners and other kinds large boats were the only means of transportation across the English Channel. Unfortunately, these vessels tended to be uncomfortable and dangerous as the sailing ships of that time were designed for cargo and war. Torn sails, broken masts and shipwrecks were a regular occurrence due to the strong winds and waters of the Channel. The strength of the wind, or lack thereof, also played a major influence in the length and comfort of the journey. Seasickness was very common too.
Furthermore, early sailing ships had to drop their anchors out in the harbors or in deeper waters offshore. Passengers had to transfer to smaller boats in order to reach the ports. The ever changing ocean tides also posed a challenge, as ships could only enter harbors at high tide to avoid damage to their hulls. Accurate schedules were impossible to maintain because of this. Travel by sailing ship was also quite costly. Because of this, channel crossings were mainly limited to wealthy people, missionaries, soldiers and sailors.
In 1820, a French company purchased two paddle steamer ships to carry mail and cargo between Calais, France and Dover, England. Because these new vessels did not have to rely on masts that could break or sails that could rip, they were a vast improvement over the old sailing ships. The direction and force of the wind was no longer a concern. In 1821, a Dover company decided to purchase paddle steamer ships for the sole purpose of conveying passengers between Dover and Calais, and the “ferry to France” was born.
Although the paddle steamer ships experienced fewer mishaps, they were very uncomfortable for passengers. In addition to motion sickness, travelers also had to endure exposure to wind and rain as these vessels were built to carry cargo and had little in the way of shelter. Passengers had no choice but to remain on the open deck for the entire duration of the trip.
For many years, Dover being the smallest route was the only port on the England side, and Calais the only port on the French side of the Channel. In the 1840s, Folkestone became the second major port on the English coast side of the Channel. Boulogne was added on the French side of the Channel. The ports began to compete against each other so ferries began to evolve into the much more comfortable, passenger oriented ships of today. In 1850, a deep water pier was created at Dover, allowing passengers to board and disembark at any time, regardless of tide levels.
The 20th century brought turbine engine systems and propellers thus reducing crossing time from three hours to one hour and a half. These new engines took up a lot less room than the old, bulky paddles and the ferries could carry a much larger number of passengers. The transport of vehicles via ferry was introduced in 1930. Cranes were used to load the cars onto the ferries until 1953, when the “drive-on” option became available. Today, passenger ships, hydrofoils, catamarans, speedboats and “roll-on, roll-off” car carrying boats are among the many different types of transport across the English channel.
Related posts: