Condor Ferries Hydrofoils travel experiences and other Hydrofoils people been on.

[cambsy]

Back in the day, I can remember travelling on Condor Ferries Hydrofoils between Channel Islands and France and possibly even UK and Guernsey, though can’t remember dates and which Hydrofoils travelled on, as was approximately 13-16 years old, and when holidaying in Guernsey with family. My recollections are they were fun and interesting to travel on and very fast, though pretty small and cramped inside, and on one voyage when choppy, though I rarely feel sea sick, but on this trip i felt queasy due to the motion, until went outside for some air and was a lot better.

I know why the Hydrofoils ended up being replaced which was mainly due to the advent of Catamarans which could carry passengers and cars, thus being more profitable and suitable for the ferry routes operated by Condor Ferries, but feel it was a shame they disappeared from Condor Ferry routes as they were a novel way to travel, rather like the Mountbatten Class Hovercrafts, which sadly never got to travel on. Have just read though about Electric Hydrofoils which are being trialled in some areas of the UK which sounds an interesting development which will follow and may try get ride on one.

Be interested to know the fleet and time tables of the Condor Hydrofoils services, and experiences of travelling on Hydrofoils wether Condor Ferries or other Hydrofoil services?

 

[warthogsoveruk]

Back in the day, I can remember travelling on Condor Ferries Hydrofoils between Channel Islands and France and possibly even UK and Guernsey, though can’t remember dates and which Hydrofoils travelled on, as was approximately 13-16 years old, and when holidaying in Guernsey with family. My recollections are they were fun and interesting to travel on and very fast, though pretty small and cramped inside, and on one voyage when choppy, though I rarely feel sea sick, but on this trip i felt queasy due to the motion, until went outside for some air and was a lot better.

I know why the Hydrofoils ended up being replaced which was mainly due to the advent of Catamarans which could carry passengers and cars, thus being more profitable and suitable for the ferry routes operated by Condor Ferries, but feel it was a shame they disappeared from Condor Ferry routes as they were a novel way to travel, rather like the Mountbatten Class Hovercrafts, which sadly never got to travel on. Have just read though about Electric Hydrofoils which are being trialled in some areas of the UK which sounds an interesting development which will follow and may try get ride on one.

Be interested to know the fleet and time tables of the Condor Hydrofoils services, and experiences of travelling on Hydrofoils wether Condor Ferries or other Hydrofoil services?

Back in 1993 I got a hydrofoil from Piraeus, the port for Athens, to one of the Greek islands. The island was actually called Hydra !

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I once managed to ride on both the Dover - Oostende Boeing jetfoils in one day - one on the way out, the other on the way back.

 

[tomoufc]

Back in 1993 I got a hydrofoil from Piraeus, the port for Athens, to one of the Greek islands. The island was actually called Hydra !

That’s where Leonard Cohen met Marianne

 

[Bikeman78]

I once managed to ride on both the Dover - Oostende Boeing jetfoils in one day - one on the way out, the other on the way back.

I rode on both of them as a child. And the spare they hired in to cover one during maintenance. When the channel tunnel opened, I believe they relocated to Hong Kong for a while. Quite a long journey to get there. They were fun to ride. They would come hurtling into the harbour at Oostende, then shut off power and rapidly drop back into the water. There's plenty of videos on Youtube of the Hong Kong machines.