A big thanks to the folks at Sydney Ferries Sydney Ferries Info for helping find my phone on the ferry back from Watson bay. Big shout out to the crew on the Fred Hollows and the folks at circular quay. Much appreciated!

Very good thread from David Caldwell on the travails of rail infrastructure projects - also relevant to other modes.

I don’t think so. A metro station will open close to the Fish Market in 2032. The ferry ride from CQ will take at least 25 mins and won’t compete with a fast, frequent metro. smh.com.au/national/nsw/n…

The myth that only big monohull boats can handle a heavy swell in the outer harbour is refuted by how well the Manly Fast Ferry copes with bad weather.

Aside from the rower issue, history (and geometry) suggests that a ferry service to the fish markets will not attract many passengers. The route from Barangaroo is too circuitous. If it’s quicker for people to walk, that’s what they’ll do.

Is it prudent to invest $71m to extend the life of 3 ferries that are due to be retired in 2030? As passengers prefer a fast and frequent service, probably not.

Why is it that the Freshwater Class ferries are cancelled in rough weather, while the smaller Manly Fast Ferry cats continue sailing? Answer: the Freshwaters don’t handle bad weather very well.

A whale in Circular Quay on Wednesday morning thrilled commuters and forced ferries to stop and watch the show as it surfaced from the glittering waters on a sightseeing trip from that ticked off Luna Park, the Opera House and Garden Island. smh.com.au/national/nsw/i…

Balmain West wharf will reopen on 18 August - but a 60 min headway service in peak periods is hardly a useful public transport service. And can’t tell the impact on the F3 Parramatta route yet as timetable not yet published.

The new timetable for the F3 Parramatta ferry route, to take effect from 18 August, is now available. It’s good news for Balmain West as the journey to Barangaroo is scheduled to take just 15 minutes. transportnsw.info/documents/time…

Will transitioning from diesel to battery electric propulsion mean longer turnarounds at terminals for urban transit ferries? Bigger fleets and pressure on terminal capacity? Maybe, but there are ways to minimise the impact. substack.com/home/post/p-17…

Has there ever been a better test series? Just incredible.

⚠️UPDATE: Some Sydney ferry services have resumed, with ferries east of the Harbour Bridge now operating after earlier heavy fog. ⛴️F3 and F4 ferries are still affected by the fog, with some cancelled between Rydalmere & Circular Quay and between Olympic Park & Barangaroo.

How direct is your ferry line? open.substack.com/pub/robinsande…