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Background
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The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Ferry Feasibility Study in 2000 identified five significant barriers to using the Potomac for mass transit.
- The river is too shallow for the majority of its width
- The river freezes two to five weeks a year preventing reliable year round service.
- Collision hazards presented by Floating Debris (i.e. trees).
- Wake Wash damage by conventional vessels traveling at the speed necessary to compete with Train, Bus or Car transport.
- Connectivity to existing Metrorail service – how do you get from the boat to the Metro?
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The solution to each barrier is to use modern Passenger Hovercraft, like Hoverworks, Ltd.’s BHT-130, now being manufactured in the U.S.A. by Kvichak Marine Industries , one of the many
Griffon Hovercraft models, or the ABS M-10 Hovercraft from EPS Navy Systems
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Special purpose BHT-130, named “SUNA X” built to carry 49-passengers and 2-ambulances in Alaska. Vessel’s top speed is 60 knots. |
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Hovercraft:
- Flyover almost any surface no matter how deep the water.
- Flyover water – whether liquid or solid.
- Flyover floating debris at speeds approaching 50 m.p.h.
- Create little or no Wake Wash as long as they are operated above “hump-speed” [Hump Speed is the speed at which the vessel ceases to make a wake. Usually, between 10 and 15 m.p.h. depending on the size of the vessel]
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ABS M10 in Italy.
Now available from USA-based EPS, Inc.
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For Connectivity to D.C.s Metrorail, Hovercraft are the solution!
We can discharge passengers between 50’ and 100’ from
pedestrian entrances to three Metrorail stations – that’s better
than the Pentagon Bus Station’s connectivity!
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BHT-130 Constructed by Kvichak Marine, Images used by permission from Kvichak Marine |
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- THEY DO IT...in Scotland! - ALMOST 900,000 people a year would cross the Forth using a new hovercraft service between Leith and Kirkcaldy, according to transport chiefs.
- THEY DO IT...in England - Here is an example of the type of vessel used for high speed ferry service.
- Video of Isle of Wight Ferry - Hovertravel operate the hovercrafts which cross the Solent in just 10 minutes, between Ryde on the Isle of Wight and Southsea near Portsmouth on the mainland
- Video of Solent Express - This is HoverTravel's new Hovercraft "Solent Express" strutting it's stuff on Ryde seafront.
- THEY DO IT...in Japan - Hovercraft for passengers between Ohita AP and port of Ohita city
- Hovercraft to Airport drifting an S-Shaped curve
- THEY DO IT...in Norway - this is a good example of the environmental issues Hovercraft avoid by a Swedish hovercraft company
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