Reaction ferry

Reaction ferry crossing the Rhine at Basel, Switzerland

A reaction ferry is a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of a river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the water. Such ferries operate faster and more effectively in rivers with strong currents.

Some reaction ferries operate using an overhead cable suspended from towers anchored on either bank of the river. Others use a floating cable attached to a single anchorage that may be on one bank or mid-channel. Where an overhead cable is used a "traveller" is usually installed on the cable and the ferry is attached to the traveller by a bridle cable. To operate the ferry either the bridle cable is adjusted or a rudder is used, causing the ferry to be angled into the current, and the force of the current moves the ferry across the river.

The ferry may consist of a single hull, or two pontoons with a deck bridging them. Some ferries carry only passengers, whilst others carry road vehicles, with some examples carrying up to 12 cars.

Worldwide usage[]

Austria[]

• Ferry from Weißenkirchen in der Wachau to St. Lorenz across the Danube
• Ferry from Korneuburg to Klosterneuburg across the Danube 12 km north of Vienna

Canada[]

The Lytton Ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada, is a reaction ferry using an overhead cable and traveller, visible in the upper right corner.

At one time over 30 reaction ferries crossed the rivers of British Columbia, primarily the Fraser River and the Thompson River. Those still operating include:

• Big Bar Ferry, across the Fraser River at , British Columbia
• Little Fort Ferry, across the Thompson River in British Columbia
• Lytton Ferry, across the Fraser River at Lytton, British Columbia
• McLure Ferry, across the Thompson River in British Columbia
• Usk Ferry, across the Skeena River in Usk, British Columbia

In Quebec, the small Laval-sur-le-Lac–Île-Bizard Ferry operates seasonally across the Rivière des Prairies from Laval-sur-le-Lac to the Île Bizard.

Croatia[]

Reaction ferries cross the rivers Sava and Drava.

Czech Republic[]

• Dolní Žleb Ferry crosses the Elbe at near Děčín. with lower (underwater) cable
• Vrané nad Vltavou – Strnady, Vltava river before Prague, with overhead cable

The Aken Ferry, Germany

Germany[]

A number of reaction ferries operate in Germany, particularly across the rivers Elbe and Weser. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, they were quite common on the Rhine. Currently operating ferries include:

• , across the Elbe at Aken (Elbe) in Saxony-Anhalt
• Barby Ferry, across the Elbe at Barby in Saxony-Anhalt
• Coswig Ferry, across the Elbe at Coswig in Saxony-Anhalt
• Rathen Ferry, across the Elbe at Rathen in Saxony
• , across the Elbe between and Havelberg in Saxony-Anhalt
• Rothenburg Ferry, across the Saale at Rothenburg in Saxony-Anhalt
• Sandau Ferry, across the Elbe at Sandau in Saxony-Anhalt
• Veckerhagen Ferry, across the Weser between Veckerhagen in Hesse and Hemeln in Lower Saxony
• Westerhüsen Ferry, across the Elbe at Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt

The Westerhüsen Ferry across the Elbe in Germany is a reaction ferry using a floating cable attached to a mid-channel anchorage, to the right of the boat.

Italy[]

The  [it] is a historic reaction ferry across the Adda River at Imbersago. It is reputed to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Traghetto di Leonardo, Italy

Lithuania[]

• across the river Neris, connecting in Kaunas County with in Vilnius County
• 

  Uperis - small river ferry in Vilnius, Lithuania
  across the river Neris, connecting with the district of Vilnius, opened in 2018^[1]

Netherlands[]

• Culemborg ferry [1]
• Ferry service Doornenburg crossing the Pannerdens Kanaal

New Zealand[]

• , in [2]

Poland[]

A number of reaction ferries operate:

Ferry in Czeszewo, Poland (Warta river)

Ferry in Gniew, Poland (Vistula river)

• , across the Warta between and Piersk^[2]
• , across the Vistula between Borusowa and Nowy Korczyn road no. 973^[3]
• , across the Oder at Brody road no. 280^[4]
• , across the Oder between Brzeg Dolny and Głoska
• , across the Vistula between Tarnobrzeg and Ciszyca road no. 758
• , across the Dunajec between Czchów and
• , across the Warta at Czeszewo
• , across the Warta between Dębno and
• , across the Vistula between Gniew and Janowo road no. 510
• , across the Oder between Grzegorzowice and Ciechowice road no. 421
• , across the Warta at Kozubów
• , across the San between Krzemienna and Jabłonica Ruska
• , across the Oder between Milsko and Przewóz road no. 282
• , across the San between Nozdrzec and Dąbrówka Starzeńska
• , across the Vistula between Opatowiec and Ujście Jezuickie
• , across the Dunajec between Otfinów and Pasieka Otfinowska
• , across the Warta between Pogorzelica and Nowa Wieś Podgórna
• , across the Vistula between Połaniec and Gliny Małe
• , across the Oder between Połęcko and Chlebowo road no. 138
• , across the Oder at Pomorsko road no. 281
• , across the Dunajec between Siedliszowice and Wietrzychowice
• , across the Warta between Sławsk and
• , across the Vistula between Baranów Sandomierski and Świniary Stare road no. 872
• , across the Warta at Waki

Slovakia[]

Border-crossing ferry, Záhorská Ves in Slovakia and Angern an der March in Austria

• , across the river Váh, between Strečno and Nezbudská Lúčka in Žilina District
• , across the river Váh, between Vlčany and Selice in Šaľa District
• , across the river Morava, between Záhorská Ves, Malacky District in Slovakia and Angern an der March, Gänserndorf district in Lower Austria, Austria

Spain[]

• on the Ebro river, in Flix in the Catalonia region of Spain.
• on the Ebro river, in Miravet in the Catalonia region of Spain has been operating since the Middle Ages, and continues to use a traditional wooden ferry boat design.

Switzerland[]

Four ferries which carries passengers only cross the Rhine in Basel.^[5]

Hampton Loade Ferry, England

United Kingdom[]

The Hampton Loade Ferry, which carried passengers only, crossed the River Severn at Hampton Loade in Shropshire until 2017. It was operated partly by the current and partly by punting.

United States[]

Several reaction ferries crossed rivers in the Ozark Mountains of the central United States during the first half of the 20th century. The across the Current River near Salem in Missouri remains in operation.

See also[]

• Cable ferry
• Chain boat
• Ferry
• Pontoon (boat)

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reaction ferries.

• BC Ministry of Transportation Marine Division
• Picture of the ferry at Lytton across the Fraser River.
• Commemorating the centennial of the McLure ferry
• History of current-powered ferries in the Ozarks
• Catalonia historical and tourist information site