Manly ferry: Queenscliff makes her last run to Circular Quay
One of four remaining Manly ferries set sail for retirement on Wednesday, but not before supporters held a demonstration calling for all of the iconic vessels to be kept.
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The first of the four iconic Manly ferries — to be replaced by faster, smaller and more frequent vessels — officially retired on Wednesday after making her last run to Circular Quay.
MV Queenscliff, nearly 40 years old, was farewelled with a noisy demonstration by northern beaches’ locals calling on the NSW Government to scrap its plans to use three Indonesian vessels on the popular harbour route.
The 1100-seat ferry was also farewelled with a pledge from the Maritime Union of Australia that if the new twin-hulled ferries don’t meet proper safety standards, they won’t be “worked” by its members.
Transport officials have confirmed that one of the three 400-seat Emerald-class catamaran-style ferries, bought to replace the current, but ageing, Manly ferry fleet, will come into service in November.
Despite it being a sad ocasion for many, the trip was punctuated with laughter and singing, helped along by a band on board to help farewell the “fine old lady”
Austin Hart was the skipper who took the ferry on her last journey and in a neat twist, his dad Ron was the skipper who took the Queenscliff on its first journey.
He said the Manly ferry had been a big part of his family’s life and it was sad to see it go, although he held out hope that all four Freshwater class ferries may still be saved.
“There are many good reasons to keep them,” he said. “I don’t agree entirely they should go.
“There’s not many half hour trips where you can start off in a duck pond and end up in a four to five metre swell on a fairly regular basis.”
He said the Freshwater class ferries have always performed well in those conditions.
He added that it was a sad occasion for him, but he believed his dad, who has passed, would have been proud of him today.
“He’d been proud of the day, but sad it’s come about,” Mr Hart said.
The Queenscliff, which began operating in 1983, pulled away from Manly Wharf on her last public passenger run at 2.15pm.
There were about 450 passengers on-board, including dozens of protesters who want the old ferries to be kept in service.
Patsy Clayton-Fry, from Newport, reckons there was still a chance the government would change its mind and keep the whole old Manly ferry fleet.
“Never say Never,” Ms Clayton-Fry said before she boarded the Queenscliff.
“More than 25,000 people signed a petition to the NSW Parliament calling in the ferries to be kept — that’s 25,000 votes the NSW Government won’t get at the next election if they don’t change their mind.”
Richard Dunn, of Wheeler Heights, said there was “always hope”.
“Northern Beaches Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham, who has led the save the Many ferries push and took the last voyage on the Queenscliff, said the protesters were concerned about the loss of two“big Manly ferry”. The Freshwater was taken out of service for a major overhaul earlier this year.
“We need to get a meeting with (new Transport Minister) Rob Stokes to get him to reconsider getting rid of these big ferries,” Ms Bingham told the Manly Daily.
“We are working, through the council, to get a meeting with him.
“The government needs to change its mind because clearly what they have planned is not going to work.’
Ms Bingham was critical of the government for taking away the Queenscliff just as Manly and the northern beaches was opening up again to tourists.
“Today’s a very sad day.
“What a time to get rid of these ferries. We are left with two big ferries when Sydney is coming out of Covid restrictions.
“Poor old Manly is dying with a lack of tourists so let’s get rid our big ferries, what a stupid idea.
“Four million people in 2019 hose to come to Manly on the big ferries. They want the experience of the big old ferries.”
Ms Bingham suggested that new large ferries, fitted with electric engines be used as replacements.
MUA assistant secretary of the Paul Garrett said the Queenscliff had another “three or four decades left in her”.
Mr Garrett suggested the Queenscliff be fitted with an electric motor and put back into service.
He said the new Emerald-class ferries had safety and operational problems and could not handle big swell.
“The MUA is reviewing these new ferries coming in to replace the Manly boats and if they are not safe, they will not be worked, simple as that.”
Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer for Transport for NSW, who also was on the ferry for its last journey, said there had been lots of “rumours and hearsay” over the ability of the new Emerald ferries to handle the swell.
He said while they are smaller vessels, they had strengthened hulls and slightly different bows from other Emerald ferries on the harbour, so could handle the conditions. He said they are currently undergoing trials on Sydney Harbour and are due to be rolled out in November.
He added that the new ferries will mean increased and faster services for commuters, but that people could still enjoy the romance of the Freshwater class ferries that will continue to run at the weekends.
“If you want the romance of this type of vessel, it will be here for many years to come,” he said.
The romance of the Queenscliff is one reason why her fans were there today, many had grown up with these ferries.
Meg Morgan, of Fairlight and Jenny Forster, of Manly, took the trip together.
“I’m fourth generation Manly,” said Ms Morgan. “I hate to lose our local ferry. I used to catch it to school as a kid.”
Ms Forster said she still had hope it could be turned into an electric powered vessel and brought back.
Ken and Johanne Triffitt watch the ferries come in and out from their home in Manly and both still hope it can come back as an electric-powered boat.
“It’s a Manly icon and a valuable asset,” said Mrs Triffitt.
Friends Vivienne Walker and Elizabeth Mawhood, both live in the same apartment block overlooking the wharf.
“I watch the ferries come and go everyday,” Ms Walker said. “I will miss them terribly.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) said the introduction of the two other Indonesian-built Emerald Manly ferries would be “phased in” from November. No dates for when they will begin service have been released.
“The Queenscliff will be transferred to the Balmain Shipyard initially and then later moved to Cockatoo Island while we work with interested parties on future plans for the vessel,” a spokesman said.
“We will have more to say on this soon but priority will be given to ideas that demonstrate how this vessel can live on and continue to benefit the community in some capacity.”
Mr Collins encouraged people to “make us an offer”.
As well as the Queenscliff, the Narrabeen will be officially retired at a later date.
Once the three new Emerald ferries are in service, the other two older ferries, the Collaroy and the Freshwater, will keep running between Manly and Circular Quay at weekends only.
When the Queenscliff is withdrawn from service, Transdev will temporarily supplement the Manly fleet with two of its smaller Emerald-class ferries already operating on other Harbour routes.
TfNSW has previously said the new faster public ferries will take about 22 minutes to complete the Manly to city journey and save $6 million a year in operating costs.
The MV Narrabeen will be the next ferry to be retired, although no date has been set yet.
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