Soviet hydrofoils on the Thames

[EM2]

Does river transport count as public transport?

Whilst incredibly bored during a night shift, I discovered the Soviet hydrofoils known as Raketa (Rocket), although there were other models such as Kometa, Meteor and Burevestnik, and by which I am now absolutely fascinated. You can find some interesting bits on Dark Roasted Blend

With romantic names like "Stormbringer", "Sputnik", "Comet" and "Meteor", these were true rockets of the riverways

The Rockets of the Riverways! Swift and streamlined, like soaring seagulls or flitting swallows, these gracefully poised, surging arrows (all these descriptions were also reflected in their names) - these beautiful high-speed, high-passenger-capacity hydrofoils were the pride and joy of the Soviet Union in the 1960s-1980s.

And then... the industry experienced a prolonged slump, with fewer and fewer of these machine in use on the Russian waterways today. We will see some incredibly poetic and, yes, sad photos of the abandoned hydrofoils further in this article.

Further research led me to The Liquid Highway

The Raketa(Rocket) style hydrofoils were operated on the Thames by Speed Hydrofoils (Airavia LTD). Speed Hydrofoils owned three Raketa style which operated between Gravesend and Westminster pier via Greenwich and Tower under the names of Raketa Greenwich, Raketa Westminster and Raketa Thames. As well as this style of vessel Speed Hydrofoils also operated a Kometa style hydrofoil which was much larger and was used for private charter as well as trips to Southend pier. The vessels operated up until 10th September 1976.

However, I can find nothing more about their use in London, except a very brief Pathé clip.

I moved away from London in 1974, and even then was only four, so never got to see them. Does anyone remember them?

I know they still operate in Turkey, Greece, Finland and some other areas, but would really like to find out more about their use in the UK.

 

[theageofthetra]

The title sequence of series 5 of 70's sitcom Man About the House feature a hydrofoil, is that the one you mean? Have a look on You Tube

 

[westcoaster]

I remember as a kid seeing hydofoils plying there trade on red funnel between southampton and cowes.

 

[EM2]

The title sequence of series 5 of 70's sitcom Man About the House feature a hydrofoil, is that the one you mean? Have a look on You Tube

That's exactly the one! That's a Raketa, the original type. What I'm really interested in is what they were like to travel on.

 

[fowler9]

There was a Boeing Jetfoil service from Liverpool to Dublin in my youth.. Didn't last long though. (Apologies, I am of course aware with it being Boeing it wasn't Russian).