‘Mind-blowing’: New Manly ferries forced to dock in 2.5m swell

New and highly-touted ferries serving Manly to Circular Quay have hit another snag with three of the problem-plagued ferries out of action on Sunday.

New Emerald-class ferries, designed to withstand swells up to 4.5m, are being docked when waves reach just 2.5m, due to crucial testing of their capabilities having not yet taken place.

It means the second-generation Emerald-class ferries are constrained by the same swell limit as their predecessors, despite assurances the upgraded vessels were capable of handling rough seas across the Sydney Heads.

A swell of less than 2m was enough to put three of the problem-plagued ferries out of action on Sunday, with buses called in to replace services from Manly to Circular Quay.

While the Indonesian-built ferries were designed to replace the state government’s Freshwater fleet, two of the older boats continued to operate without issue in the heavy swells on Sunday.

The Manly Ferry service has been partially closed down from last night because the new Emerald Class Fairlight can’t handle the 2m swell. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Passengers on the new Manly Ferry on Monday. Picture: Adam Yip

A spokeswoman for ferry operator Transdev said while the second-generation Emerald-class ferries were designed to handle swells up to 4.5m, they were yet to be trialled in rough conditions.

“Until the vessels can be trialled in various sea conditions, a restriction on operations in swells above 2.5m is in place pending further risk assessments,” she said. “While the weekend service cancellations were unfortunate, customer comfort and safety will always be Transdev’s priority in such situations until all testing is complete.”

Opposition transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said it was “mind-blowing” the new ferries could not handle swells from Manly to Circular Quay.

She said it was the latest transport fiasco tied to overseas-built infrastructure, after the entire Inner West Light Rail fleet, made in Spain, was shuttered due to cracks in the trams.

“Everyone knows what the conditions on the Manly run can be like, so it’s just mind-blowing that the government bought overseas-built ferries that can’t even handle a 2m swell,” she said.

“Under this government, you can’t catch a Manly ferry or an Inner West Light Rail tram. The policy of buying cheap overseas made transport infrastructure riddled with defects means more cancellations and more delays.”

Former Transport Minister Andrew Constance earlier this year said the second-generation Emerald-class ferries had additional structural reinforcements compared to the first generation, “owing to the larger swells experienced crossing Sydney Heads”.

“These modifications to the first generation design will allow the new fleet to operate in swells of up to 4.5m,” he said. Transport Minister Rob Stokes was contacted for comment.