Hovercraft on the Clyde
Last seen operating commercially on the River Clyde in the mid 1960s, hovercraft have returned to the Firth of Clyde to take part in a series of trials which will take place over three days.
The new trials will use a Griffon 2000TD hovercraft, and are intended to determine what impact, if any, the introduction of regular operation on other users. Two round trips will be run each day, from the SECC pontoon in Glasgow, Braehead, the East India Harbour in Greenock, and Dunoon. Benefits of the hovercraft include a faster service over the route, and minimal wash when travelling at speed. For example, a journey from Dunoon to Glasgow could take 52 minutes, which is estimated to be some 20 minutes quicker than the present journey time of around 95 minutes by train and ferry. Permanent operations would include Rothesay as part of the service, which would add a further 15 minutes to the journey. Capacity would be up to 130 passengers, and speed on the open sea can be up to 40 knots, with speed on the river itself being set at a level acceptable to the Harbourmaster.
BBC Scotland News video report.Â
Over the years, access to the upper reaches of the Clyde has been lost as bridges without opening facilities have been added. The hovercraft’s smaller size, and lack of conventional hull, means it can navigate further up river than larger ferries currently in operation.
If given the go-ahead, a service could be in operation within two years.
Whether or not this would be the case in practice would depend on the local council, and the commercial operator, and a two year timescale may be optimistic of the same scenario comes into play as has been seen on the Forth hovercraft, as wrangles about landing locations and funding packages develop, and begin to bog things down.
The commercial operator Clydefast is presently working with local organisations such as SPT (Strathclyde Passenger Transport) and Glasgow City Council, so the potential for organisational is there. Clydefast has also tried to introduce improved ferry services and vessels to the Clyde in the past, however these have had little result despite being promoted for years.
Hovercraft were active on the Clyde in the mid 1960s, in the form of Clyde Hover Ferries, but even back then, arguments, disagreements, and problems with landing areas eventually served to see the project written of a not viable.
Clyde Hover Ferries leaflet courtesy of The Hovercraft Museum
The service in the 1960s…
