Hong Kong Ferries & Boats

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By algg from a Hong Kong photography forum :

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By germosome from a Hong Kong photography forum :

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image hosted on flickr

DSC_0270 by wanso119, on Flickr

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Ding ding, first introduced in 1904. One of the
earliest forms of public transport in Hong Kong.

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^ That boat is over a hundred years old?

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Originally Posted by hkskyline

^ That boat is over a hundred years old?

Yes, as it was introduced in 1904 so it will definitely be 108 years old up till now.

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Originally Posted by printingray

Yes, as it was introduced in 1904 so it will definitely be 108 years old up till now.

That is the Wing On cruise boat, used for harbour tours. It is most definitely not 108 years old. Are you referring to the "ding ding" trams?

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image hosted on flickr

DSC_0857最後正爆00 by wanso119, on Flickr

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Cotai Water Jet carries 28 million passengers since 2007
03/12/2012 08:38:00
Macau Daily Times

Cotai Water Jet has served nearly 28 million passengers over the last five years since its maiden voyage on November 30, 2007. The company announced the figure over the weekend, and said with predictions estimating 30 million visitors to Macau in 2013, Cotai Water Jet will continue “providing transportation accessibility to travellers with a comfortable, secure and convenient journey”. At the beginning of its operations, Cotai Water Jet’s three-vessel fleet provided 20 daily sailings between Macau and Hong Kong. The company has since expanded to its current fleet of 14 high-speed catamarans, ferrying passengers between Hong Kong and Macau an average of 83 times per day. Last Friday marked the fleet’s five-year anniversary. Cotai Water Jet runs routes from the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, Kowloon’s China Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong International Airport’s Skypier. In its efforts to continually improve the travel experience of its passengers, the company is undergoing several enhancements for 2013, including updated service quality training and new uniforms for its staff and crew.

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Ferry disaster probe in Hong Kong rejects adjournment: official

HONG KONG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Lamma ferry disaster inquiry has refused an application to adjourn the hearing until next month, the commission of inquiry's chairman Michael Lunn said here on Friday.

The application was made by the director of Public Prosecutions Kevin Zervos, who argued that evidence given to the hearing could prejudice any criminal case that might be brought against the crews of the two vessels involved.

Lunn said if there is a trial, the presiding judge could direct jurors to base their verdict only on the evidence heard in court. The inquiry will begin its hearings next Wednesday

Thirty nine people were killed when a Hong Kong Electric vessel sank following a collision with a ferry off Lamma Island on Oct. 1, the National Day.

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Steering head on to disaster
The Standard
Thursday, December 13, 2012





Crews on the two craft involved in the horrific night smash off Lamma Island on October 1 did not take evasive action though they should have seen three minutes before the crunch that they were on a collision course.

Going straight to the business of determining why 39 lives were lost, Paul Shieh Wing-tai, the senior counsel for an inquiry commission, started the probe yesterday by saying that radar data showed the three-minute window for action by crews on either a Lamma- bound ferry or an excursion launch leaving the island for a National Day fireworks show in Victoria Harbour.

And according to the Hong Kong Observatory, the visibility was clear, the wind was light and the tide off west Lamma was not a challenge.

Shieh's opening statement came before witnesses began to be called to testify on one of Hong Kong's worst sea disasters in 40 years.

Shieh said the main the main points to be investigated are the reasons behind the collision and why the launch Lamma IV sank so quickly after the collision. All the people lost were on that craft.

The Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry catamaran Sea Smooth had sailed from Central at 8.04pm with four crew members and 62 passengers.

Hong Kong Electric's Lamma IV left Lamma's typhoon shelter at 8.16pm with three crew members and 124 passengers - company staff and their families heading for the fireworks show.

At 8.17pm, Shieh said, the crews on both boats should have been able to see each other. That was three minutes before the collision.

On scenes after the collision, Shieh told the inquiry that some seats on Lamma IV were ripped from decking, trapping people. It sank minutes after the collision, killing 39 people including eight children.

Shieh also said evidence would be given about the state of the life jackets on board the Lamma IV and problems in putting them on.

According to one of four radar- recording discs available to the inquiry, the boats were set to smash yet there was no sign of course changes.

Still, the first witness was Yim Kit- ming, an electronics engineer with the Marine Department's Vessel Traffic Centre, and he said radar tracking could not be relied on entirely.

The closer ships are, the more time is needed for radar to process data, Yim said in response to barrister James McGowan, who represents Hongkong Electric and the crew of the Lamma IV.

According to the Marine Department recorded data, Sea Smooth had six potential collision alerts at 8.14pm for about 12 seconds, although Shieh said it was unlikely to be related to Lamma IV as that boat only sailed at 8.16pm.

"A red signal will be displayed if two ships are too close," Yim said. "Regulators at the Vessel Traffic Centre will be alerted to the situation and provide traffic information and advice to mariners by very high frequency communication."

Yim also said he knew Sea Smooth and Lamma IV did not participate in the Vessel Traffic Services system. The system is only compulsory for certain types of ships and other craft.

Both captains and five crew members were arrested following the incident for endangering the safety of others at sea.

The inquiry continues today.

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27 injured as jetfoil heading to HK hits buoy
31/12/2012
Macau Daily Times

Twenty-seven people were injured on Saturday when a Hong Kong-bound jetfoil hit a signal buoy near Macau’s Outer Harbor. The 183 passengers and crew members all escaped without serious injuries but Macau authorities have been criticized for the late rescue efforts. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the accident that reminded many of the fatal October marine accident in HK that killed 39 people. All injured passengers were discharged from hospital after treatments.

The ferry crashed into the floating marker for marine traffic roughly twelve minutes after leaving the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal at 12:15pm.

Passengers told the media that many people who did not wear a seat belt were thrown onto the floor and that the ship came to a complete halt after a loud crash. TV footage shows that passengers were sent ashore with bloody mouths or noses. One passenger told the media that the scene of people scrambling to put on life jackets reminded him of the tragic Lamma Island accident which took place in HK last October. In that case it was a high-speed ferry which collided with a boat carrying approximately 120 passengers on a trip to watch National Day fireworks resulting in the deaths of 39 people.

The 27 passengers injured last Saturday were taken to the CHCSJ hospital to be treated. The injuries were minor for the majority of the passengers who were hurt and they were discharged after treatments. However, two remained under observation in stable conditions, and were discharged from hospital on Sunday. Four of the victims were Macau residents while two were foreigners, the remaining ones mainland and HK visitors. The unhurt passengers were immediately transferred to another ferry to HK.

Passengers told the media that rescuers did not came until 30 minutes after the collision, and that some seat belts were out of order, leaving passengers unprotected. The Maritime Administration said that they were in close contact with the ship and learnt that it had lost power after the collision but did not have any water leakage nor suffered the risk of sinking, so the authority decided to tow it back to the terminal instead of launching an immediate relief action on the site.

Initial investigation showed the boat went off course before crashing into the buoy but the authorities have said that it was not immediately clear if it was the result of poor visibility at only 0.8 nautical miles. There was no evidence that the ferry was speeding.

Ferry operator TurbotJet said jetfoils do deviate from course occasionally, and would follow up claims by individual passengers that some seat belts were out of order. The company said the head of the ferry suffered slight damage and that one of its underwater wings had fallen into the sea. The authorities are examining the records of the ferry’s course and operation to determine the real cause of the collision. The waterway near Outer Harbor was closed for approximately one hour for rescue on Saturday, and another short interval on Sunday to retrieve the ship’s sunken wing, and to replace the buoy damaged in the collision.

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By 詩芬尼厄 from a Hong Kong discussion forum :

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Tragedy firms missed safety meeting
The Standard
Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Representatives of the two companies involved in the tragic ferry collision off Lamma Island on October 1, in which 39 people died, were either not invited or were absent from a meeting on safety measures a month earlier.

And while the Marine Department claimed that minutes of the meeting were sent to all companies intending to sail vessels on that day, the captain of a rescue vessel told the inquiry into the disaster that he had never seen them nor had he received any of the safety directions.

The department's senior marine officer, Ivan Shuen Chi-keung, told the inquiry, which resumed yesterday, that Hongkong Electric had not been invited to the August 28 meeting while Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry, which had, was absent.

However, the minutes of the meeting and a department notice on safety directions for the National Day's fireworks display were sent to both companies, he said.

Shuen said the department has been notifying Hongkong Electric - owner of stricken ship Lamma IV - about safety measures to be adopted for special events, such as fireworks displays, by e-mail or fax since 2006.

"We will review our meetings' list to include Hongkong Electric, which arranges boat tours for employees and their families."

He said crews and owners of the vessels were reminded to advise passengers of safety measures.

But these reminders were only of an advisory nature and not mandatory, he said, including the one issued before the fireworks on New Year's Eve, the first display since the Lamma tragedy.

Cheng Muk-hee, who captained rescue vessel Lamma II but is an employee of Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry, said he had not seen the minutes of the meeting which Shuen said had been sent to his company.

"I have not seen the notice nor was I instructed by anyone of the safety directions," Cheng said. "We were not given a passengers' list either."

He said it was not the first time he had been asked to captain vessels owned by Hongkong Electric, having done so on 20 to 30 previous occasions.

Cheng recalled that he received a radio call from the captain of Lamma IV, three to four minutes after he had sailed away from the Hongkong Electric pier at 8.16pm. He was on his way to rescue the passengers, when he saw the stern of the Lamma IV sink quickly and Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry's Sea Smooth sailing away from her.

Lamma II rescued 17 passengers, but 39 out of the 127 passengers on board Lamma IV died after it was struck by the Sea Smooth. The inquiry continues today with rescue teams from the Fire Services Department scheduled to give evidence.

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Lack of kids' life jackets raised
The Standard
Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A general manager of Hongkong Electric was criticized yesterday for failing to provide children's life jackets on the ill-fated Lamma IV despite knowing there would be many youngsters aboard.

Francis Cheng Cho-ying, of the generation division, was also asked why there were no life jackets under benches on the upper open desk as claimed by witnesses to the October 1 sinking in which 39 people died.

Cheng told Commission of Inquiry chairman Michael Lunn he believed life-saving facilities on board were sufficient for all passengers and crew.

He said there were life buoys, life rafts and life jackets stored inside the upper and main decks of the company-owned boat.

However, Lunn and barrister Roger Beresford, representing the commission, criticized Cheng for not answering directly, resulting in them having to ask their questions repeatedly.

"The location and distribution of life- saving facilities are arranged by the Cheoy Lee Shipyards and approved by the survey officers of the Marine Department," Cheng said. "It is believed that such a distribution is enough to cater for all the passengers and crew members on board the vessel.

"The survey officers must have considered this point in granting their approval."

Cheoy Lee Shipyards was last week criticized by Australian naval architect Tony Armstrong for not meeting the structural requirements.

Cheng said new life jackets with buckles will replace the old ones with strings on the latest vessels, but they are yet to be installed on the existing Lamma II.

"We have also drastically reduced the number of passengers who can be taken for visits to power stations. Those under 15 years of age will not be allowed to join such events," he added.

Furthermore, seating has been upgraded to the standard found on high-speed craft with added reinforcement to prevent them from collapsing.

Earlier, Cheng told how the department did not give any reason why it suddenly changed the minimum crew capacity of Lamma IV from two to four after 2008.

The minimum capacity for Lamma II remains at two, he said.

"Our marine manager, Tang Wan-on, told me the department had said `This is the way it is.' But they did not provide any reason."

Cheng said the company did not ask for this to be put in writing, because it feared this would have an affect on its relationship with the department.

The Lamma IV was in collision with Sea Smooth, a catamaran belonging to Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, while on its way to see the National Day fireworks.

The hearing continues.

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By 康夫 from a Chinese photography forum :

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By stephencntse from dcfever :

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Vessels need time on disaster rules
The Standard
Friday, April 26, 2013

Operators of commercial vessels want more time in order to comply with new conditions set out in the aftermath of the deadly collision off Lamma Island.

Conditions spelled out by the Marine Department include installing automatic identification systems, deploying crew for night lookout duty, providing children's lifejackets and increasing third-party insurance cover.

Operators were told they face having their vessel certificates revoked if they fail to meet the conditions, according to a newly formed alliance of sea trade operators - the Marine Joint Conference.

The alliance of more than 50 representatives petitioned the department and Transport and Housing Bureau yesterday.

They asked that the government understand their difficulties in complying with the latest terms.

The alliance claims operators will have trouble meeting the cost of rules such as vessels being equipped with a certain percentage of lifejackets for adults and children - even on non-passenger vessels.

Convener Wong Yiu-kan, also the chairman of the Hong Kong Cargo-Vessel Traders' Association, called for a period of transition to enable operators to meet requirements.

They follow the October 1 collision last year between Hongkong Electric launch Lamma IV and a Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry catamaran, Sea Smooth, in which 39 people died.

The fatalities were passengers on Lamma IV which was taking families to see National Day fireworks in the harbor.

A report into the disaster by a commission of inquiry was handed into Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying a week ago.

Although the alliance is unable to say how long it requires for members to comply with the conditions, it says the department usually grants them the time until vessel certificates have to be renewed.

Meanwhile, agriculture and fisheries sector lawmaker Steven Ho Chun-yin has described the disaster as an isolated case and wants the government to reconsider whether all the requirements are necessary.

A department spokeswoman said the certificates of eight launches have been suspended since the tragedy for failing to provide the required number of lifejackets.

Suspensions have been lifted on seven craft with one still in place.

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Tragedy `reveals flaws in maritime industry'
The Standard
Monday, May 06, 2013

The inquiry into the Lamma ferry disaster has not only revealed problems in the Marine Department but also in the industry as a whole, the transport chief said.

Anthony Cheung Bing-leung was speaking on a radio program, where he said it has become clear that operators should also bear responsibility for keeping their vessels safe.

"For instance, if a vessel has been passed and allowed to sail, the operator's responsibility is not over. They must still check to see if all the life jackets are in working order," Cheung said. "We need all operators to be conscientious and responsible."

He added that society cannot be maintained only by rules or law enforcement. The ferry disaster on October 1 last year, between Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry catamaran Sea Smooth and Hongkong Electric launch Lamma IV, in which 39 people died, has also shown that there are problems in the building and inspection of vessels and provision of children's life jackets.

Cheung said he still feels sad about the disaster, though he expects the director of marine, Francis Liu Hon-por, to feel even sadder since his department has been accused of making many human errors.

Following the inquiry, the Transport and Housing Bureau set up a committee to oversee reform of the department.

Cheung said the committee will look into whether there were any human errors and if there are loopholes in the system.

It will also investigate whether anyone should take executive or legal responsibility for the tragedy.

Meanwhile, some vessel operators are concerned at the limited time they have been given to comply with new requirements - such as life jackets and the installation of CCTV in steering rooms.

But Cheung said there will be no going back on safety measures.

"I understand some requirements will affect their operations," he added.

"But I believe we can find a way by communicating with the industry."