World's fastest ferry route
Last summer, I was impressed by the speed of the Norwegian hurtigbåt M/S Fjordprinsessa, operating near Tromsø, travelling so fast that travellers are not allowed on-deck and are recommended to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts. I don't recall the actual speed, but another of their boats does Tromsø – Harstad in 2h40m, a distance of around 160 km, meaning an average speed of 60 km/hour including one stop. Googling told me that the Fjord Cat on Kristiansand–Hirtshals does 45 knots or 83 km/hour, while the Shinas in Oman does 51 knots (94 km/hour), but I think those are maximum speeds and not average speeds. The Oman article claims "the world's fastest diesel-powered passenger ferry", but "fastest" can have several definitions, which leads me to my question:
What is the world's fastest point-to-point scheduled ferry route? By fastest in this context, I mean the distance divided by the time according to the timetable, similar to this Wikipedia table for trains.
Best Answer
Hovertravel operates hovercraft from Southsea, Portsmouth to Ryde, Isle of Wight. One of the types of hovercraft they are using is BHC AP1-88, which has 50 knots (93km/h) top speed.
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How fast can Ferries go?
We get that question a lot; humans can be very curious, especially when it comes to how quickly you'll get to your destination. Hy-Line's fast ferries can go at speeds of up to 34mph, which if you're talking in proper seafaring terminology is 30 knots an hour (1 knot = 1.151 mph)!What is the largest ferry in the world?
Stena Hollandica is the world's biggest ferry in the world and operates under the Swedish, Stena Line. The ship was launched on 16th May 2010 and in one year of its launching, has become a very popular retreat for tourists. The ship was built in the Nordic yards in Germany.What states have ferry systems?
States including Alaska, Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington rely on vehicle ferry operations to support their coastal communities. One ferry carries cars and passengers nearly 600 nautical miles (1,111 kilometers) from Bellingham, WA, to Ketchikan, AK.USA For Africa - We Are The World (HQ official Video)
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Answer 2
I remember that back in the day, some high speed boats were used to go from France to Corsica. I could find some archives about these boats{french} (now they are too expensive to run because of oil prices).
So it says that Nice-Calvi took 2h45 at a speed of 37 knots (70 km/h). Using Google Maps, the distance of current route is 208 km (which would mean the speed is 75km/h). So I suppose it means that the route is probably now longer but yeah, the average speed was at least 70km/h at that time.
Answer 3
The Ekranoplan is probably the fastest ferry, managing well over 400 knots. http://www.travelcentre.com.au/travel/airshows/Russian/russia_ekranoplan.htm
I am not sure whether they have them as scheduled ferry trips any more or whether they are charter trips, but what a stupendous craft!
Answer 4
The high-speed ferry operated by Buquebus travels between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. It achieves a high speed of 58 knots (107 km/h) and a travel speed of 51 knots (95 km/h). https://www.ship-technology.com/projects/francisco-high-speed-ferry/
Answer 5
Most answers here cite top speed, which isn't really what the OP has asked. So rewriting this we get
- The HSC Franciso between Montevideo and Buenos Aires has a scheduled trip time of 2h 15m and the distance is 203 km, which makes for an average speed of 90.2 km/h.
I coudn't find a time table for the Hormus, assuming that either it's not running anymore or is suspended due to Covid.
Answer 6
The HSC Fransico (a catamaran ferry) has a top speed of 58 knots (107 kmh), however I don't know if she does that in regular service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incat#Products
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