Revival Of TO to Rochester Ferry ?

[wee-haggis]

Just announced today that a couple of local guys are proposing to buy 2 Hovercrafts from UK (the ones that used to cross the English Channel to France). If it gets the go-ahead it will start in 2009 and the trip will take 75 minutes. The hovercrafts carry up to 600 passengers and 55 cars. They intend to have big comfy chairs with Wi-Fi and seat back TV's. They are also looking at having and an early morning trip from Oshawa to TO and Hamilton to TO with return trips at night. They are not sure what will happen during the harsh winter months but they are looking at doing a repositioning cruise which could take 600 snowbirds and 55 cars all the way down to Florida or the Bahamas.
The cost for a one way trip from TO to Rochester. $30.
I wonder if they will have a shuttle service to the Rochester Airport?
Hovercrafts are very comfortable vehicles(I tried it several times in UK),they virtually float over the waves (and anything else for that matter),without feeling a bump.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_21503.aspx

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

If you live in the GTA, why in the world would you want to go to Rochester in the first place?

BobK/Orlando

 

[CanadianGuy]

We get the Rochester channels on our cable and they covered launch and subsequent demise, twice of the previous service(s).

It just seems to me that the demand really isn't there to support this..

Hovercraft are cool. But .. I dunno..

And KingBob -- I think it's more that if you live in Rochester you'd wanna go to Toronto. But I suppose some Canadians might take this to the Rochester airport for example?

Knox

 

[Ham Ham]

Another idea destine to fail. Seen it launch and fail twice. The terminal building that Toronto built (waste of money) is now used to shoot an TV series.

I think the idea is interesting, a ferry to somewhere. Nothing against the fine city of Rochester, they have a very nice Kodak museum there, but there isn't the demand to generates enough interest to warrant this service.
Unless there are airfares of $ 50 return to MCO out of Rochester.
Say if was NYC/Chicago/Montreal at the other end of the ferry then it might be a more interesting.

If some dudes want to invest their money and see it disappear they should just get a 45 gallon drum throw the money in and burn it. It would be quicker with less headaches.

 

[wee-haggis]

No disrepect to Rochesterians....but the whole point of me mentioning this is because I have noticed that on several occasions the airfares from ROC to MCO are even better than out of BUF (they have Air Tran,Jet Blue and NWA as well as a few majors like American,Delta,United and US)......not because I have much of an interest in Rochester itself(Sorry Rochester.. )
It gives the GTA folk one more choice (other than YYZ, YHM,YKF,YXU and BUF).
I calculated that on the 2 occasions I flew (and parked and hotelled)from Buffalo ,it cost about $300 for gas,parking and hotel.
For approximately the same ,we can go to Rochester return via the hovercraft and perhaps snag a good flight deal.
I don;t think you should be so quick to call for its failure (it certainly is not the same technology that was tried and failed before). This is something thats been used around UK and Europe for almost 50 years with great success. I guess the questions are,,,,Is there enough interest from Rochester folk to come to TO (maybe yes,because of our stronger dollar) as well as a demand for GTA's MCO bound passengers.....I would say yes ! (the prices of of YYZ are disgraceful with no sign of price reductions in the near future)

Give it a chance

 

[Ham Ham]

When we flew out of Buffalo we spent around $35 on gas and $38 to park for a week, our flight was in the afternoon so we didn't need a hotel.

As for the sucess in Europe of the hovercraft there's a lot more folks heading between the UK and France than T.O. and ROC.

I think we have given it a chance, twice.

Looks like the proposal is to bring the Princess Anee a 40 year old vessel that has been in a museum since 2000 and charge $30 person for the crossing to rochester

I wonder what the vehicle would cost?

If it works great. Hopefully it will give a few folks jobs

Here's the Globe's story on it.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080409.FERRY09/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/

Here's an image of the Princess Anne.

 

[wee-haggis]

When we flew out of Buffalo we spent around $35 on gas and $38 to park for a week, our flight was in the afternoon so we didn't need a hotel

Unfortunately we are a bit further away thus the increase in gas $'s and times of flights typically very early morning.

As for the sucess in Europe of the hovercraft there's a lot more folks heading between the UK and France than T.O. and ROC.

This is true....but I wasn't comparing the two.All I was saying was that the technology was proven and successful.

I think we have given it a chance, twice..

I think thats part of the problem. They didn't "buy into" the idea properly in the first place (at least ...not from the TO side). They gave up so fast without really giving it a fair go.(they never even got a proper terminal together...until close to the end.

Looks like the proposal is to bring the Princess Anee a 40 year old vessel that has been in a museum since 2000 and charge $30 person for the crossing to rochester..

This is also true.But,does that mean that it cannot be used anymore?
Having riden on hovercrafts several times,I know that the technology behind it is very simple and cost effective.These crafts could last for 50 or 60 years as long as the maintenance is kept up.....This, is probably the biggest challenge.

 

[Ham Ham]

Mr Haggis

I'm enjoying immensely our little banter concerning the possible revival of an other ferry service between T.O. and Rochester. It appears that we have two very different opinion on the success of the aforementioned proposal.

I think it be wonderful if such a service was in place and was successful.
As person who followed closely the last two times this type if venture was undertaken the outcome was not what the visionaries had hoped for.

With that said when/if the new service becomes available I would be happy to accompany you for a day trip to Rochester where we can visit the Kodak museum, nosh on a white hot or garbage plate and see the expressway the locals refer to as "can of worms".


Respectfully

Mr Ham

 

[wee-haggis]

Mr Haggis

I'm enjoying immensely our little banter concerning the possible revival of an other ferry service between T.O. and Rochester. It appears that we have two very different opinion on the success of the aforementioned proposal.

I think it be wonderful if such a service was in place and was successful.
As person who followed closely the last two times this type if venture was undertaken the outcome was not what the visionaries had hoped for.

With that said when/if the new service becomes available I would be happy to accompany you for a day trip to Rochester where we can visit the Kodak museum, nosh on a white hot or garbage plate and see the expressway the locals refer to as "can of worms".


Respectfully

Mr Ham

DONE !....

 

[sean-1966]

I've always wondered, why Rochester?? Why not somewhere in Niagara, say Grimsby, and pick up on the commuter business?