@@brianhepke7182 The channel tunnel happened. Hovercraft where expensive. When the other option was a traditional ferry then some customers chose speed over cost, but when the tunnel opened it was just as fast but cheaper.
I remember going to France on a school trip on one of the big ones and the captain welcoming us life a plane captain “… and today we will be cruising at a height of approximately 6 inches” always loved that.
I first travelled by hovercraft to the isle of Wight in 1968 a few days before the assassination of Robert Kennedy. My mother had just remarried and was on her honeymoon and I went to stay with my godfather and his wife. We went over to the isle of Wight several times either on the ferry or using the hovercraft. A few years later I crossed the English Channel by hovercraft although like Lindsey I'm not happy on the sea so my favourite way of travel is the Euro tunnel. I've also travelled in a commercial catamaran across from Croatia to Italy and back again. Not a fan of that way of traveling in a heavy sea
Many years ago I took the hovercraft from Calais to Dover. It was known as "The Time Machine" because the crossing took 45 minutes but the time difference in the UK is 1 hour behind French time so you arrived 15 minutes before you left.
I'm so sorry, I also did that then committed the classic sci fi sin of stopping myself leaving. Everything that has happened since 1997 is me trying to fix the paradox I created. I do apologise.
We did the same in the early 80's, soon after one hit the harbour wall in rough conditions and I think someone went overboard..? Just googled it... 2 killed 50 injured..!
The Isle of Wight is my home and Hovertravel is my public transport ..it’s fast and is for foot passengers…for use when you don’t want to take your car …I use it most weeks for trips to the mainland and I get excited every time …it’s marvellous ❤😂
Not to disparage them (from Portsmouth and have used it myself), but I was born not long after that accident and grew up with people telling me about it. They are so much better now, and a lot safer, not to mention not running in high winds anymore
@@DylRichoI pay £16:50 for a day return as a senior and a regular traveler with the hoverblue card ..check it out online ..A standard day return is at present £32:50
I also as a kid travelled Dover to Calais on the fabulous Hoverspeed. I still remember that feeling of raising upwards when the skirt filled with air. Fantastic experience, and miss it. This was a large Hovercraft that also took cars. Check it out.
OMG I'm strangely excited to see you guys doing something on the island! Proud islander here who loves your channel! ❤ It's strange to me to watch people reacting because to islanders the hovercraft and the ferries are just another form of public transport. It is speedy though. On a rough weather day it does feel a bit like being on a rollercoaster. 😊
Travel on this regularly. Can recommend the Isle of Wight. Moved here over 30 years ago from what could be considered an exotic and warmer location and never looked back. It's beautiful on the Island - we'll see out our days here.
I moved from the Island to Portsmouth and parents are still in Ryde. I use the cat, though, just because of the bus route taking me straight to Portsmouth Harbour from the end of my road!
@@TheRockbird1 Used it on that rare sunny day this winter that we had earlier this week. On a whim we just decided go to Gunwharfe for a little retail, lunch and then wandered around old Portsmouth and walked down to Southsea, then the common and back. Lovely little change of pace and scenery from the Island and the sun shone all day for us. Parking at the old Ice rink costs a 2nd mortgage nowadays but nice to get off the Island for the day and just as nice to get back to it in the evening.
I live on the Isle of Wight . The hovercraft was developed here and they were built here . They are brilliant. My late father in law made parts for them
Interestingly, an ex-Isle-of-White hovercraft used to run from from Freetown Airport, Sierra Leone, to the Aberdeen peninsula in the city. It ran for a couple of years before unresolved technical problems put it to bed. It was one of the more comfortable and very convenient ways to travel, I remember.
Haven't you seen military hovercrafts? They can carry tanks and troops. They don't set off mines, can traverse water, bogs and low lying land with no change in speed, and as landing craft they are fast, mobile and can hover above any underwater or ground ordinance. In short they are very useful, but notoriously difficult to control, although automated intelligent control systems can drastically reduce the complexity, just like on aircraft. The beauty of a hovercraft is you don't need a pier, bay or any special facilities to operate one. Short of high winds they are reasonably practical. Especially over uneven terrain, shallow water or anywhere with under water obstacles.
@@heraklesnothercules. it's a very special tactical vehicle, as a transport medium it's now quite rare, but there are entertainment mini hovercrafts, and huge large scale military hovercrafts - most don't advertise how they use them... You can see their advantages when they can traverse mined waters and move heavy armour from ship to shore in a quick and direct fashion.
The US military hovercrafts are cool, but I've never seen them used in actual deployments in any of the wars, are they practical or are they kinda niche and seldom used? I guess the days of beach landings are long gone in military tactics so probably has no major use.
if you search "Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek" on google maps you can see them parked up on the concrete to the right of the harbour entrance. Part of Nolfolk Navy base.
Steve, this hovercraft service is the last surviving of many on the south coast of England. There were Bigger craft that carried vehicles as well as foot passengers across the Channel to France. Original hovercraft were built by Saunders Roe and designated SRN1, SRN2 & SRN4. Do a search for the SRN4 that is the big one with 4 engines and fans that carried vehicles to France, a real monster of a hovercraft.
I remember going on those in the early 70s. I think it took about half an hour to get from Dover/Ramsgate to France. Then we’d pile back into our camper van and drive through France & over the Pyrenees into Spain a couple of days later. Much better than those old ferries 🤮
Go to the Hovercraft museum at Lee-on-the=Solent near Gosport, Hampshire, where you can see many hovercraft and hundreds of models. They have an SRN4 - Princess Anne - which you can walk round. It is enormous - it took 91 cars and 400 passengers. Also the one that was in the James Bond film, Die Another Day, I think.
I once spoke to a ferry captain in the solent near Portsmouth. He told me the company that makes the Isle of Wight hovercraft ferry also makes military hovercraft, including some used by the US. He also said the company manufactures and subsidizes the hovercraft ferries partly as a demonstration for potential military clients.
Some context for when I spoke to this captain: my son was on deck on the St Clare Isle of Wight ferry crossing back to Portsmouth about 5-6 years ago. We looked up to the bridge and the captain waved at us. A member of staff then met us and took us up to the bridge for the crossing. We spent the whole crossing chatting to the captain and other staff. At one point my son had a go steering for a good 5-10mins and the helmsman was set the task of compensating for my son's erratic steering. It worked as this ferry has two wheels as it can steer at both ends. When we walked back down at the end of the crossing all 800_ passengers had absolutely no idea they had been steered across the Solent by an 8-year-old! It was the highlight of our trip!
In the early days ,my brother and his family had driven to the coast for the day somewhere and was approached in a very embarrassed way by some Military Officer in charge .He explained that their hovercraft had broken down and could my brother give them a tow!
My first trip abroad (To France) was in one of these. Waves feet above us at times because of the poor weather. Looking back it was a brilliant experience.
Nothing EVER has gone wrong in all the years since the Hovercraft was first brought into action. Imagine you need to go to the Isle of Wight and the sea is rough! The hovercraft skims over the waves instead of plunging through them. Before the Channel Tunnel was opened this was a quick and very popular way to go from England to France. An amazing invention.
From many years of commuting on the hovercraft I can tell you rough sea is rough sea, even the hovercraft isn't completely immune from it, you can tell the commuters from day trippers and tourists when it's rough, they nearly 💩themselves, and we all used to just sit there roll our eyes and complain that we might get delayed.
You mention this hovercraft is big. However, this only carries foot passengers, but the SRN4, which many years ago crossed the English Channel was very much larger, carrying both passengers, cars and coaches. It also had four fans. Unfortunately, the Channel Tunnel put paid to this service.
Before the building of the Channel Tunnel between England and France, there used to be GIGANTIC hovercraft ferries taking cars and vans over as well as hundreds of passengers - I travelled in one in 1973. I also travelled in one in 1982 between 2 of the islands in Madeira (Madeira to Porto Santo and back)
You can still feel like a bit of a celebrity as you disembark on Southsea beach! No matter how many years this service has been in operation, during the summer months it still draws a crowd of onlookers when it's coming ashore.
Southampton mention! But to answer your question, hovercraft literally do a U turn on the ramp to go bacj out to sea. The hover doesn't work as fast on land from what I understand but it can still move fine
It's not like a rubber raft. The rubber thing around it is a curtain that just stops the air spilling out around the sides of the craft, there's literally nothing under the craft but air. They use the thrust to turn on a dime on land. So when they turned to re-enter the water it would've just spun on the spot to face the sea.
@@MrJohnyysmithThe hull floats in water even when the lift is off. Its a safety feature. The skirt is just a down and up loop (so basicly folded double) of heavy canvas type material (similar to bouncy castles) with holes at the bottom for the air to flow underneath. That's the secret to a hovercraft's lift that its inventor discovered, its a thin ring of high pressure air around the sides contained by the skirt, which feeds into the gap underneath the craft and lifts it up, then finally escapes out under the edge of the skirt. The original prototype was the SRN1, which didn't have a skirt but it still generated that ring of air around the edge.
The sheer looks of amazement on your faces made this video a treat to watch. I love hovercrafts but watching your faces was as compelling as the actual footage.
The hovercraft is approx 28 pounds day return , and takes just 10 mins to cross. The normal ferry is approx 20 pounds day return and takes approx 22 mins. Used this a lot as a child to go on days out to the I.O.W , as lived very close to southsea.
Still the most expensive stretch of water in the world, sadly. I’m from Portsmouth and would use the catamaran as it was cheaper to go and visit family over there
Went on the big version of this back in the late 80's with my car from Dover to Calais, was a fantastic experience, lot quicker than the ferry but couldn't compete on price and it use to get cancelled in stormy weather.
The UK used to also have a Hovercraft service across the English Channel between England and France. It was enormous and even carried cars. I travelled on it once. Very fast service. It was replaced by a Catamaran service which was also extremely quick, but I think cost was high for both services, so now we're back to the sluggish old ferries again, and the high speed Eurostar train service.
You take a flight but the pilot sits in a wheelhouse! Today’s diesel hovercraft, with better fan blade technology and needing less power because of better skirt technology are so much quieter than the deafening original gas-turbine powered SRN6s built at East Cowes IOW. In the 70s, I lived in Cowes about a mile from the sea, yet I could use the first hovercraft of the day to Southampton at 7:25 as a time check, it was so loud! You can also now see out of the windows - the originals produce nothing but blinding salty spray. The Griffon hovercraft appear to be more seaworthy - okay in a force 7 wind rather than a 6, which was the limit of the SRN6s, so less cancellations.
I've travelled on this last year. I used to travel on the cross Channel ones in the 70s and 80s so it was a real nostalgic trip to go to the Isle of White and back.
The Princess Anne is the largest hovercraft ever built; and could indeed carry cars...60 of them, as well as 400 passengers. The cross-Channel hovercraft were discontinued after the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994.
A slight correction. The SRN4 Mountbatten class was the largest civilian hovercraft. The Russian Zubyr class military hovercraft is the largest of all hovercraft weighing in at nearly 100 tons heavier than the Princess Anna and a little bit longer.
Have been on this a couple of times and is a fun experience, was also lucky enough to ride the much bigger cross channel hovercraft from Calais to Dover when they were running years ago
I live further up the river from the rnli station at new Brighton (widnes) we very often see their hovercraft under the bridges, sadly its usually when somebody has jumped from the bridge so they have to search the river for them, they make great rescue craft
I have been on the cross channel hovercraft years ago. I was 2 years old and the absolutely awe inspiring sight of that thing coming up onto land out of the sea is actually one of my earliest memories. Just so you know, a hovercraft balloon is not a solid rubber dinghy under there, it's more like a rubber curtain. The hovercaft is basically an air-hockey puck, and I think it is technically an aircraft.
I live on the Isle of Wight and have used the hovercraft many times. A thick leather skirt is attached to the base huge fans inflate the base & you lift off. On your ticket it states your flight times. TBH it works perfectly but it is not a perfectly smooth ride but it is impressive. 😊 when your flight ends the craft lowers by about 1- 2 feet.
Plan on taking this hovercraft to Isle of Wight for a family trip this year. When there used to be big car carrying hovercraft between Dover and France, my uncle brought us back from a holiday, taking the car on the hovercraft. On that, as it was pretty open water, imagine sitting on a washing machine during a spin cycle. Using the hovercraft was about a quarter of the time of the ferry.
Steve, Lindsey, when I a teenager back in 1974, I went on an exchange camp with the Scouts to a group of German Scouts and we travelled on a hired coach all the way from West Yorkshire down to Dover and then our coach was driven aboard one of several giant hovercraft that served as cross channel ferries on three or four regular routes to Calais from places on the British coast such as Dover and Ramsgate. Once the cars and coaches were loaded onto the hovercraft we were lead from the terminal building onto one of the two large passenger cabins about the size of the cabins in a jet aircraft. When everything was ready the engines were started and the skirt filled with air and the hovercraft reared up raised by approximately 8 feet and it swung around to face out to sea. Very quickly we were out to sea , speeding along on a super calm sea. After some time the state of the sea developed into a slight chop, which caused some passengers some discomfort due to the way the hovercraft rode the waves in a very jerky motion , crashing down into each trough then slowly rising up on the next wave. After a couple of hours we arrived in France and we were gathered in the arrival lounge while the vehicle’s were unloaded then we were allowed to resume our journey. My story is in order to tell you both to be aware that travelling on a hovercraft can be very uncomfortable but it is over pretty quickly.
I live 5 mins down the road from these. It's awesome seeing them go out. They are SO loud. Proud to have been the creators of it too. They were invented in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The US navy is a big proponent for hovercraft. They are used in landings, can carry tanks. We used to run a MASSIVE one between dover and calais. It could take cars!
They were not invented on the Isle of Wight. They were invented by Chris Cockerill at Ripplecraft boatyard in 1949 at Somerleyton in Suffolk, where there is a large monument to the fact. I went on the original service in 1964 when they ran SRN2 hovercraft. As often happens, the British invented and then didn't develop it properly (like the jump jet and the linear motor railway) as nobody wanted to put the money in. They were sold as being go-anywhere vehicles - over land, water, marshland etc but were a bit vulnerable to getting the skirt split and also are not that good in stormy weather. The military used them until they found the problems with the skirt getting damaged.
They were even louder at one time when they ran aero engines you could here them in Commercial road shopping center.now they have much quieter Diesel engines.
my dad put on the hover pad at cowes, isle of wight. i was about 8yrs old. the craft came up the ramp straight in front of me. i could reach out and stroke the skirt. it was deafening and awesome at the same time. I'm 50 now. i close my eyes and i can still feel and hear it like it was yesterday.
Many years ago I was teaching, and as an out of school activity we obtained a hovercraft. It was a kit that had been started by its previous owner, but not very well done and not finished. We spent months rebuilding it. It was quite large; about 12 feet by 6 feet, made of plywood and fibreglass with one central petrol engine for lift, and a smaller one at the stern for propulsion. It was INCREDIBLY noisy! Only room for one small person on board. It lifted ok although it threw out a continuous cloud of muck and dust from under the skirt. But it wouldn’t move forward at anything above a slow crawl. It had its premiere at a school open day when the kids pulled it across the school field on a rope! I guess these days health and safety would prohibit such a venture, but in those days things were different. If I can dig out any photos of it I will send them to you guys.
There was a hovercraft service across the Channel from Dover to Boulogne from 1968 to 2005 using larger craft (185 feet long and 78 feet beam, 3,800 hp) that could carry up to 418 passengers and 60 cars and was capable of speeds up to 70 knot (130 kmh). The service was eventually wound up because of competition from cheaper cross channel ferries and the Eurotunnel.
If you think that is a big hovercraft, I have news for you... the craft on this video only hold about 80 passengers. Back in the day, the cross-channel hovercrafts (SR.N4 mountbatten class) used to hold over 400 passengers before they were retired.
I took the hovercraft from Dover to Calais in the 1980s, on one of the big car-carrier ones. It was a shockingly bad day and the sea was very rough. Like on an aircraft, there was a drinks service, and I swear most of that drink ended up on the floor. Noisy, bumpy, but so quick. These days they're much quieter and smoother because of all the improvements the pilot pointed out.
I remember a kid in the 70’s/80’s my grandfather used to take me on the hovercraft a lot. It was much bigger than the one in the film, but they were mostly stopped as they were expensive to run.
It's a hovercraft - a craft that hovers above the water or the land. No wheels, no floating (unless it breaks down, just fans at the back to propel it forward and fans beneath to lift it from the surface. In the 1980s I went on the hovercraft run by Hoverspeed, to France. That was a MASSIVE craft!
I used to live on the Isle of Wight for the first 21 years of my life (in my 40s now) and I got to use the hovercraft service a few times. It's quite the experience.
I just loved your faces watching this!! Like it was an alien spacecraft! I remember when the idea was being trialled, decades ago. A very useful rescue craft around the coast where we have dangerous shifting sand and mud. Keep going - love your channel! Nana Karen UK
There used to be a super hover craft called the Mountbatten class that carried cars, people, and goods from Dover England to Calais in France it had 4 gas turbine engines driving 4 lift fans and 4 thrust propellers, The SR.N4 hovercraft was a combined passenger and vehicle-carrying class of hovercraft. The type has the distinction of being the largest civil hovercraft to have ever been put into service. Work on the SR.N4 was initiated in 1965 by Saunders-Roe. In service: 1968 retired 2000.
Before the channel tunnel opened there was a commercial hovercraft service across the Channel from Dover to Calais. It was much larger than the Isle of Wight hovercraft and took cars as well as passengers. It was also very loud and quite bumpy when there were waves. The advantage of the hovercraft is you don't need a deep-water port, just a flat beach is good enough at low tide and the concrete apron up by the terminal. But they're load and expensive to run so operators went for ferries instead.
Hi. When I was a kid we used to travel as a family of 4 with our car on the big hovercrafts across the English Channel to France to drive to either Italy or Spain on our summer holidays. Not as comfortable as the cross channel ferries, but much quicker.
I live on the Isle of Wight. It’s amazing to think how lucky we are to get to see the hovercraft on a regular basis. We are as far south as you can get (certainly not north 😂) I recommend you watch some videos about the island. It’s an amazing place with some great countryside and coastlines. Great video as always 👍🏻
In the late 70s we went on a school day trip to Calais by Hovercraft. It was much bigger than the one in the video and I think could also take cars onboard. Although it was a sunny day it was quite choppy on the way over and it felt like we bounced all the way to France as we hit all the tops of the waves. One of our teachers was violently seasick and throwing up in sick bags for much of the journey. The return journey was very smooth as the wind had died down and the sea was calm. At the time we enjoyed the experience, but didn’t think too much of it, as we assumed, wrongly, that they’d always be around. Now I realise how privileged I was to ride in one of these amazing vehicles as I’m the only person I know, apart from my classmates, who has ever been on a large Hovercraft.
On a booze trip, we'd take the ferry to Calais and back, unload,, then take a trip on the hovercraft pick up more booze. Brilliant. Especially if you had A wedding, or Anniversary coming up.
@Punchgirl14 ... Yes there were hovercraft that could carry cars, vans and coaches as well as passengers. The larger ones could take up to 60 vehicles and over 400 passengers.
Years ago they used to have a hovercraft service across to France, I went on it once as they had taken the ferry off because of choppy seas, it was quite an experience! That was when riding on a hovercraft was reasonably new, I think it was sometime in the seventies!
In the 70's my family and I once crossed the English channel to France in a hovercraft. Outward journey was fine. Return journey was a nightmare. A major storm caused hugh waves to pummel our craft. The pilot had his work cut out that date to bring us back to shore, but due to his skill we made it back eventually. I will never forget that return journey, everyone on board was ill and all were praying for survival.
Took my grandson on this hovercraft service a few years ago. He absolutely loved it. Living as close as I do to Dover, my wife and I regularly took the hovercrafts to France for an afternoon which cost us just one pound. We qualified for full duty Free allowance which was one of the draws. The Dover Calais service ws killed off by the removal of Duty Free and The Channel Tunnel. Those Hovercraft carried cars and were probably fout times the size of this on on the Southsea IOW route.
@@m101ist the map is correct, the image from his camera is reversed. You will notice in some of his videos, the image is the correct way round, it just depends which camera he uses at the time, hth.
Because any movement is up and down rather than side to side on a boat, the hovercraft that used to go from the uk to France is the only time I haven’t been seasick crossing the channel!
I always got sooo seasick crossing the channel to go the th UK... Never took the hovercraft but regular ferries, and I'm so thrilled about the tunnel nowadays. Hop on the train and off you go.
They used to be common in the UK in the 1970s, and the largest service hovercraft was the Sr N4, which could seat 254 passengers and also carry 30 cars! They are loud and while they skirt across the water they are a bit bumpy if the waves are high but they are well worth going on for the experience. I remember it well, I went on the large ones as well as some of the smaller ones, they are extremely fast! They stopped running in the year 2000 (apart from that service you are watching) It was largely because Hovercraft were expensive to run! They used jet fuel and that was not cheap, the Channel Crossing Tunnel further eroded their need and then Duty-Free shopping was removed so it ate away at the viability. The other main issue was spare parts, the fleets of the SR N4 were 40 years old and getting replacement parts was not cheap, and yes, it was pilots, not Captains of Ships who took to the controls! They are amazing machines and it's nice a couple of the smaller ones are still being used. However, you do have them in the US as the Navy uses large hovercraft for moving military kit and personnel around! Only the NAVY does not call them hovercraft but LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion) Which sounds like a pretty stupid name, to be honest! Also, the Japanese defence forces use them for similar roles.
Why do Americans think about all the things that could go wrong! I don’t understand that. Otherwise love you, Lindsay and Sophia! Watch all your videos. Take care! X
Southsea is on the island of Portsea, as is the city of Portsmouth. Southsea is the main centre for the Royal Marines and Portsmouth is the headquarters of the Royal Navy. Portsea Island is linked to the mainland by a landbridge. It is north-east of the Isle of Wight and east of Southampton. I have travelled on these many times. The original Hovercraft ferries were the SRN4s, you can still see these at the museum a few miles away. The SRN4 was much bigger than the one in this video. The location of the Isle of Wight is on the coast of Hampshire - it isin the south central part of England. The water seen here is part of the Solent and forms a part of the English Channel. The Hovercraft, many were buoilt in Southampton at their factory adjacent to the old Supermarine works (home of the Spitfire) and also in the factory on the Isle of Wight. These craft have been adopted by the militaries of many countries and at different sizes for different purposes. The largest can carry vehicles, the smallest are used to travel over marshy areas for landing personnel.
The weight of the hovercraft is sprad so evenly by the air-skirt that they can run over an egg without breaking it. There is a video about that on YT. The benefit of this on this route is the speed. and also even if the sea is choppy, it is a very smooth ride. Also, because they can operate on water or on land, they would be ideal for somewhere like the Florida Everglades where the water is so shallow preventing an ordinary boat operating, but also this can float over the dry bits as well. Also, they can be used over land where landmines have been planted because they exert so little pressure on the surface.
It wasn't always smooth sailing! In the mid 70s, a group of us 20yr old lads hired a minibus and went To France on one of the biggest hovercraft that carried cars and lorries as well as having seating for 400 passengers in glass walled lounges. From Dover to Calais the trip was very smooth on a calm sea. However, on the way back the weather was stormy with giant waves. A ship can plough through waves relatively smoothly, but the hovercraft rode on top of the water and went up and down like a giant rollercoaster all the way to Dover. Loads of people were seasick!
One advantage the hovercraft has at this location was the fact it didn't require any harbour or pontoons to be built, as it can come right up onto the beach only really needing some concrete apron to sit on. So it could take the shortest route without the issues that would be obstacles for a normal ferry. When the tide is out (twice a day) and any normal boat wouldn't be able to dock without some kind of channel being cut, or a pontoon to moor alongside, the hovercraft can just ride over the sands until it comes ashore. This section of the Solent, separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland is quite narrow and while there are a number of conventional ferry services to the island, this is the fastest way to cross the solent, as long as you don't need a car. There are car parks and buses from the hovercraft terminals so it is easy to get around. I live in the area and when I have visitors from overseas I usually try and take them to Southsea to see the Hovercraft coming in. I dont usually tell them what to expect and they are usually amazed when it doesn't slow down but instead revs up its engines and glides up onto the beach! 🙂 If you want to visit the Isle of Wight for a day and visit places like Osborne House or the Botanical Gardens, a day return ticket is £31.50 (March 2024) Family ticket is 2 adults and 3 kids for £78. Not the cheapest way to get there, but quick and definitely a unique experience.
Yeah, if you happen to be down that way and the Hovercraft is coming in, you have to stop and watch - it never gets old ! I'm ancient enough to remember when the service started - (If you think they're loud today - with the right conditions, I often heard them from my garden in North End) IIRC, they came up onto Southsea's luxurious shingle beach before they built the concrete ramp - blew up a lethal hail of seaweed and stones ! .
Interesting fact. To the left of the hover centre is the very spot lord nelson left to board HMS Victory for what would be his last battle. If you want to see more of the hovercrafts ( the only hover ferry service in the world ), the isle of white ryde live cam covers a good view of them and portsmouth.
Please note this was an uk invention which the vehicle floats on a cushion of air across both water and land. The pilot therefore flies the vehicle.The sensation is like a magic carpet. These hovercraft are built locally are really fantastic,traveling at a very high speed, The marine core do have some for assault landings. Jet boats in Florida are not a patch on these planes.
I grew up on the Isle of Wight - lived just up the hill from where the hovercraft come in, so they were literally an everyday thing! They are still really cool, though! You should definitely have a look at the Island. Beautiful scenery, great beaches, a castle with a donkey well, Queen Victoria’ house, one of the world’s top music festivals, the Needles, and dinosaurs!
The Romans divided it up and assigned large portions to Roman army officers to farm. The remains of such a mansion is literally "housed" i.e. a museum, and the inside equipped with "catwalks" for the tourists who watch the diggins and the ongoing restaurations by archeologists of these Roman ruins. More fun to learn history that way!
in the 1960s my father commuted by hovercraft from Stokes Bay to Southsea. The service ran from the beach at the end of my road. In the evening he came back via the Isle of Wight as that was the round trip the hovercraft ran.
@8:59 - 'can't carry cars'. Nope, but the huge Mountbatten Class, the SRN-4, could carry 60 cars or up to 609 PAX, depending on configuration. The VERY largest ever were the Soviet-era AIST type - humungous beasts. They carried tanks. Check 'em out!
Oh, wow. Memories. I used to live in France for a few years in the mid seventies and came home a couple of times on one of these. It said you 'floated' but I seem to remember you could feel every wave!! I preferred the ferry to be honest.
I remember in the late 90's when I was around 14 my Granddad took me on a weekend drive across to France, and back then the hovercrafts across the channel were still being operated and driving the car onto and off of the hovercraft to get across (I think the Channel tunnel had been opened and operating to the public for around 4-5 years at that point). Was hugely impressive to see them in action, the sheer scale of them and all the vehicles loading on and off at each end was incredibly impressive. As my Granddad put it at the time "Sure we can go through the tunnel and it might be quicker, but all you'd be seeing is a tunnel and a lot of dark. You can get that on any train. But this actually gives you something to experience along the way".
I love to ride this Hovercraft and have done so many times. Great experience. One did turn over many years ago with the loss of life. Now they never go out in bad weather.
They used to run them from where I live in Kent, across the channel to France. They were amazing. They stopped them back in the 90s but they were great to watch. They were huge. Google the Kent hovercrafts
Brit here. I rode on this thing during my holiday this month. It's awesome to ride, gets you to the Isle of Wight in 5-10 minutes and it's no more noisy on board than a jet airliner. My Dad rode one of the Giant cross-channel hovercrafts in the '70s. He said those were noisy as hell and vibrated a lot. They also used high-grade jet fuel (one of many reasons why they were unprofitable and got phased out), unlike this modern diesel version. There is talk of hovercrafts making a comeback worldwide though. And they are in service with many of the world's militaries, including the US Navy and Marine Corps, I believe.
We have used this means of transport a few times. Once, when we were on holiday on the Isle of Wight my grandson was getting baptised at Portsmouth Cathedral, we caught the hovercraft, went to the service and back on the hovercraft to finish our holiday. Happy days.
I live in Northern Ireland - I remember back in the 90s there was a Hovercraft between Northern Ireland and Scotland. That was my first and only experience on one of these.
Take a piece of paper and put it on a table, now put your head level with the paper. Blow gently and watch the paper rise and move across the table. You now know what was the start of the Hovercraft invention.....Nice video DG. Uk.
Many years ago a couple of my friends made a hovercraft in their garage. The principle is basically simple and it was made of plywood and reinforced rubber fabric, using small two stroke motors, mower engines as I recall, for lift and power. It carried two people and much fun was had until a new project came along.
I crossed from south English coast to France with my family as a child. It was on a similar sized craft as this one and was faster and smoother than the ferry. The ferry has to cut though or over the waves but the hover craft literally hovers a few inches above the sea/land (no wheels) which is why it is so smooth sailing/flying. I didn't get sea sick (which was new for me). I don't think they go to France anymore, must have been for just a few short years. (Just looked it up 1960's until 2000, around the date the Channel Tunnel opened), And, just to make you jealous, we went for my Mum's birthday so she could eat snails for lunch and then came back after lunch. There are smaller hovercraft in WA, Australia which do tours off the beach near a town called Broome. Great fun and less noisy than I remember as a child.
I got taken on one as a child - 50 y ago. Last year I did a "day trip" to revisi the experience. They are fascinating too - simply riding up into the beach.
I've ridden these hovercraft between South sea *whixh is great, it has it's own fairground attraction) and the Isle of Wight and back 4 times, asbd it's great; it's SO much faster than a ferry. There is a lot more seats inside than appears on the outside; the bits on the side you ask about at 7:54 is where the lifeboats are kept; and if i remember correctly, there is one on the other side of the hovercraft also.
I've been on this service many times. Great way to travel. It never gets old. Not great in bad weather. But in good weather, it's quick and flexible as it can go anywhere. Like a sports car on the water.
Each crossing is referred to as a flight - it skims over the water, then when it comes to a halt the rubber curtain deflates and it touches land. I moved to the Island when I was 8 and remember seeing trial runs at Puckpool of the first Hovercraft. The best thing is they’re fast. The stretch of water is called The Solent
My first ever job when I was 16 (back in 1985) was as a cleaner for Hoverspeed in Dover. I worked on all their hovercrafts at the time and it was a temporary job to tide me over until I joined the army in September that year. I remember getting £60 per week lol Btw, they are noisy, bumpy af modes of transport. They only thing they had going for them was the 45 min crossing, vs the 90 minutes it took on a ferry. They went out of business once the Seacat Catamaran ferries came on the scene - same time to cross and much more comfortable
I lived on the Isle of Wight in the late 90s. Back then, you could by a train ticket from Rhyde (on the Isle of Wight) to London & the ticket would include the Hovercraft. Back then, it would take 17 mins but it was an older model hovercraft. I loved using it!!
Dude, this one is a baby. You should have seen the ones that used to operate from Dover and Ramsgate to France carrying cars. They were monsters!
What happened to those?
Costs stopped the huge hovercraft
I did a day trip to Calais back in 1979. Princess Anne over and Margaret back. Great experience.
@@brianhepke7182 The channel tunnel happened. Hovercraft where expensive. When the other option was a traditional ferry then some customers chose speed over cost, but when the tunnel opened it was just as fast but cheaper.
Or hear them. I'd imagine you could hear em before you could see em :D ..
They went and canned the service before I got the chance to ride it.
Hovercrafts were invented in 1955 by Englishman Christopher Cockerell!
And after the demonstration, was instantly slapped on the Secrets List.
Um, Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell CBE RDI FRS
🙂
@@ruthb7605 Shhhhhh!
Used to live in a village called Hythe in Hampshire.
I live in Hythe ,a five minute walk from his house which is now being renovated.
I remember going to France on a school trip on one of the big ones and the captain welcoming us life a plane captain “… and today we will be cruising at a height of approximately 6 inches” always loved that.
Me too, approximately 1984 for me. 🙂
Family holiday to France summer of 1980
Same here for a day trip to Calais.
We used to go on day trips to Calais. My stomach didn't like it 🤢
I first travelled by hovercraft to the isle of Wight in 1968 a few days before the assassination of Robert Kennedy. My mother had just remarried and was on her honeymoon and I went to stay with my godfather and his wife. We went over to the isle of Wight several times either on the ferry or using the hovercraft.
A few years later I crossed the English Channel by hovercraft although like Lindsey I'm not happy on the sea so my favourite way of travel is the Euro tunnel.
I've also travelled in a commercial catamaran across from Croatia to Italy and back again. Not a fan of that way of traveling in a heavy sea
I'm from Portsmouth and I live in Southsea. I have travelled on this hovercraft many times and it still gives me the thrills, even as an adult.
In the words of Al Murray, another beautiful British invention!
Many years ago I took the hovercraft from Calais to Dover. It was known as "The Time Machine" because the crossing took 45 minutes but the time difference in the UK is 1 hour behind French time so you arrived 15 minutes before you left.
Coor!!!
I'm so sorry, I also did that then committed the classic sci fi sin of stopping myself leaving. Everything that has happened since 1997 is me trying to fix the paradox I created. I do apologise.
It's like that going to the Isle of Wight, only in that case you arrive 20 years before you left.
Yep Ive been on that too
We did the same in the early 80's, soon after one hit the harbour wall in rough conditions and I think someone went overboard..? Just googled it... 2 killed 50 injured..!
The Isle of Wight is my home and Hovertravel is my public transport
..it’s fast and is for foot passengers…for use when you don’t want to take your car …I use it most weeks for trips to the mainland and I get excited every time …it’s marvellous ❤😂
Not to disparage them (from Portsmouth and have used it myself), but I was born not long after that accident and grew up with people telling me about it. They are so much better now, and a lot safer, not to mention not running in high winds anymore
My patents lived in front of his house when he was working on them and used to see him trialling a smaller model one on his lawn .
How much is the fare?
I live on the island as well. I know the hovercraft is the more expensive option but it brings a lot of tourists to the island which is always good 👍🏻
@@DylRichoI pay £16:50 for a day return as a senior and a regular traveler with the hoverblue card ..check it out online ..A standard day return is at present £32:50
I also as a kid travelled Dover to Calais on the fabulous Hoverspeed. I still remember that feeling of raising upwards when the skirt filled with air.
Fantastic experience, and miss it. This was a large Hovercraft that also took cars. Check it out.
My mam got horrendous sea sickness ridning on hoverspeed, "never again" she said!
I think it was the Saunders-Roe SR.N4
Loved those.
@@grahamstubbs4962 I remember we were the last one across one trip due to how rough it was getting. That was an experience :D
up until the much later military US LCAC and the Russian Zubr class, the various SR N were the largest hovercrafts operating.
I used to love watching them inflate and take off from Dover. Great fun to travel in...not so much if you get sea sick!
OMG I'm strangely excited to see you guys doing something on the island! Proud islander here who loves your channel! ❤
It's strange to me to watch people reacting because to islanders the hovercraft and the ferries are just another form of public transport. It is speedy though. On a rough weather day it does feel a bit like being on a rollercoaster. 😊
12:20
Currently, a day returm costs about £32 ($41) per adult. It takes like 10 minutes to get to the Isle of Wight, super quick.
I live on the Isle of Wight. We are just off the south coast. Seeing the hovercraft is 2nd nature to me. Love seeing people excited to see it
I lived on the Isle of Wight for 13 years and never once used the hovercraft. It was more convenient to get the car ferry for me. 😂
Travel on this regularly. Can recommend the Isle of Wight. Moved here over 30 years ago from what could be considered an exotic and warmer location and never looked back. It's beautiful on the Island - we'll see out our days here.
I moved from the Island to Portsmouth and parents are still in Ryde. I use the cat, though, just because of the bus route taking me straight to Portsmouth Harbour from the end of my road!
@@TheRockbird1 Used it on that rare sunny day this winter that we had earlier this week. On a whim we just decided go to Gunwharfe for a little retail, lunch and then wandered around old Portsmouth and walked down to Southsea, then the common and back. Lovely little change of pace and scenery from the Island and the sun shone all day for us. Parking at the old Ice rink costs a 2nd mortgage nowadays but nice to get off the Island for the day and just as nice to get back to it in the evening.
@@Scaleyback317 My sister moved out there a couple of years ago and I'm always blown away how beautiful the island is every time I visit her
My Dad as young mechanical engineer worked with Sir Christopher Cockrell on the development of the hovercraft something he was very proud of.
WOW!
Brilliant 👍
Cool claim to fame!
I live on the Isle of Wight . The hovercraft was developed here and they were built here . They are brilliant. My late father in law made parts for them
I live in Portsmouth, isle of wight is beautiful 😍
@@thyra_UKi moved but was born and live there for 40 years and i worked on the isle of wight ferries when they were sealink owned by british rail
The isle of wight is beautiful .
I live in the west wight and fly with hovertravel everyday along with going on a double decker bus as well
I live on the island too
It's been running for a long time, I went on it when I was a schoolboy in the 1970s - loved it.
Interestingly, an ex-Isle-of-White hovercraft used to run from from Freetown Airport, Sierra Leone, to the Aberdeen peninsula in the city. It ran for a couple of years before unresolved technical problems put it to bed. It was one of the more comfortable and very convenient ways to travel, I remember.
Haven't you seen military hovercrafts? They can carry tanks and troops. They don't set off mines, can traverse water, bogs and low lying land with no change in speed, and as landing craft they are fast, mobile and can hover above any underwater or ground ordinance. In short they are very useful, but notoriously difficult to control, although automated intelligent control systems can drastically reduce the complexity, just like on aircraft.
The beauty of a hovercraft is you don't need a pier, bay or any special facilities to operate one. Short of high winds they are reasonably practical. Especially over uneven terrain, shallow water or anywhere with under water obstacles.
Does anyone use them other than the US Marines?
@@heraklesnothercules. it's a very special tactical vehicle, as a transport medium it's now quite rare, but there are entertainment mini hovercrafts, and huge large scale military hovercrafts - most don't advertise how they use them...
You can see their advantages when they can traverse mined waters and move heavy armour from ship to shore in a quick and direct fashion.
The US military hovercrafts are cool, but I've never seen them used in actual deployments in any of the wars, are they practical or are they kinda niche and seldom used? I guess the days of beach landings are long gone in military tactics so probably has no major use.
@@daveofyorkshire301 Indeed.
if you search "Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek" on google maps you can see them parked up on the concrete to the right of the harbour entrance. Part of Nolfolk Navy base.
Steve, this hovercraft service is the last surviving of many on the south coast of England. There were Bigger craft that carried vehicles as well as foot passengers across the Channel to France. Original hovercraft were built by Saunders Roe and designated SRN1, SRN2 & SRN4.
Do a search for the SRN4 that is the big one with 4 engines and fans that carried vehicles to France, a real monster of a hovercraft.
I remember going on those in the early 70s.
I think it took about half an hour to get from Dover/Ramsgate to France.
Then we’d pile back into our camper van and drive through France & over the Pyrenees into Spain a couple of days later.
Much better than those old ferries 🤮
Yes, they took cars and coaches over to France as well as people.
Sounds like an awesome experience!
Unfortunately the channel tunnel put an end to the cross channel ones
Go to the Hovercraft museum at Lee-on-the=Solent near Gosport, Hampshire, where you can see many hovercraft and hundreds of models. They have an SRN4 - Princess Anne - which you can walk round. It is enormous - it took 91 cars and 400 passengers. Also the one that was in the James Bond film, Die Another Day, I think.
I once spoke to a ferry captain in the solent near Portsmouth. He told me the company that makes the Isle of Wight hovercraft ferry also makes military hovercraft, including some used by the US. He also said the company manufactures and subsidizes the hovercraft ferries partly as a demonstration for potential military clients.
And 50 plus cars
Some context for when I spoke to this captain: my son was on deck on the St Clare Isle of Wight ferry crossing back to Portsmouth about 5-6 years ago. We looked up to the bridge and the captain waved at us. A member of staff then met us and took us up to the bridge for the crossing. We spent the whole crossing chatting to the captain and other staff. At one point my son had a go steering for a good 5-10mins and the helmsman was set the task of compensating for my son's erratic steering. It worked as this ferry has two wheels as it can steer at both ends. When we walked back down at the end of the crossing all 800_ passengers had absolutely no idea they had been steered across the Solent by an 8-year-old! It was the highlight of our trip!
In the early days ,my brother and his family had driven to the coast for the day somewhere and was approached in a very embarrassed way by some Military Officer in charge .He explained that their hovercraft had broken down and could my brother give them a tow!
Been on this service a few times, it's excellent! Hovercrafts are ingenious machines and a great British invention. That's why the US Navy use them!
My first trip abroad (To France) was in one of these. Waves feet above us at times because of the poor weather. Looking back it was a brilliant experience.
Nothing EVER has gone wrong in all the years since the Hovercraft was first brought into action. Imagine you need to go to the Isle of Wight and the sea is rough! The hovercraft skims over the waves instead of plunging through them. Before the Channel Tunnel was opened this was a quick and very popular way to go from England to France. An amazing invention.
Whilst problems are very very rare, there was a fatal accident in the 70s that killed 5 passengers, one of whom was a young child.
I was on that hovercraft, a coach came unleashed and caused many vehicles to get badly damaged. We were told some deck hands were seriously injured.
From many years of commuting on the hovercraft I can tell you rough sea is rough sea, even the hovercraft isn't completely immune from it, you can tell the commuters from day trippers and tourists when it's rough, they nearly 💩themselves, and we all used to just sit there roll our eyes and complain that we might get delayed.
You mention this hovercraft is big. However, this only carries foot passengers, but the SRN4, which many years ago crossed the English Channel was very much larger, carrying both passengers, cars and coaches. It also had four fans. Unfortunately, the Channel Tunnel put paid to this service.
Sorry you are wrong there. One of the earlier models turned over in high seas. Don't think many got out. Must have been in the 70's
Before the building of the Channel Tunnel between England and France, there used to be GIGANTIC hovercraft ferries taking cars and vans over as well as hundreds of passengers - I travelled in one in 1973. I also travelled in one in 1982 between 2 of the islands in Madeira (Madeira to Porto Santo and back)
Remember them well.
I went once just before the service finished. The only problem was bad weather.
I have fond memories of going on the SRN4 as a kid to France, it was like the Concord of the Sea
I remember travelling on them in the 70s and I got more seasick than when I travelled on a normal ferry
th-cam.com/video/Jge5TGc_5E0/w-d-xo.html
You can still feel like a bit of a celebrity as you disembark on Southsea beach! No matter how many years this service has been in operation, during the summer months it still draws a crowd of onlookers when it's coming ashore.
We built a single seater hovercraft at school in the 70's had a Flymo lift engine and a 2CV drive engine.
Southampton mention!
But to answer your question, hovercraft literally do a U turn on the ramp to go bacj out to sea. The hover doesn't work as fast on land from what I understand but it can still move fine
It's not like a rubber raft. The rubber thing around it is a curtain that just stops the air spilling out around the sides of the craft, there's literally nothing under the craft but air. They use the thrust to turn on a dime on land. So when they turned to re-enter the water it would've just spun on the spot to face the sea.
It better be like a rubber raft if the engine fails 😁
@@MrJohnyysmithThe hull floats in water even when the lift is off. Its a safety feature. The skirt is just a down and up loop (so basicly folded double) of heavy canvas type material (similar to bouncy castles) with holes at the bottom for the air to flow underneath. That's the secret to a hovercraft's lift that its inventor discovered, its a thin ring of high pressure air around the sides contained by the skirt, which feeds into the gap underneath the craft and lifts it up, then finally escapes out under the edge of the skirt. The original prototype was the SRN1, which didn't have a skirt but it still generated that ring of air around the edge.
The sheer looks of amazement on your faces made this video a treat to watch. I love hovercrafts but watching your faces was as compelling as the actual footage.
haha, glad we could bring some entertainment! We were definitely surprised
The hovercraft is approx 28 pounds day return , and takes just 10 mins to cross. The normal ferry is approx 20 pounds day return and takes approx 22 mins. Used this a lot as a child to go on days out to the I.O.W , as lived very close to southsea.
Still the most expensive stretch of water in the world, sadly. I’m from Portsmouth and would use the catamaran as it was cheaper to go and visit family over there
@@LiveDonkeyDeadLion Do IoW residents still get a discount when using any crossing service?
@@chrisperyagh I know. My dad used to work for wightlink and still gets free crossings
Went on the big version of this back in the late 80's with my car from Dover to Calais, was a fantastic experience, lot quicker than the ferry but couldn't compete on price and it use to get cancelled in stormy weather.
The UK used to also have a Hovercraft service across the English Channel between England and France. It was enormous and even carried cars. I travelled on it once. Very fast service. It was replaced by a Catamaran service which was also extremely quick, but I think cost was high for both services, so now we're back to the sluggish old ferries again, and the high speed Eurostar train service.
Hello form Portsmouth /Southsea. I see the this hovercraft all the time when taking walks along Southsea beach 😄
Hello from portchester sometimes I see them in the factory in portchester when the doors are open on way back from work.👍
I've been on the Dover (UK) Calais (France) Hovercraft quite a few times with our car before it stopped running.
They are the same hovercrafts, they moved them to the Isle of white from Dover.
@@robertkirk4387The ones that go between Southsea and Ryde are a lot smaller than the cross Channel ones, and they don't take cars.
There was also another Hovercraft service that left Pegwell bay near Ramsgate
You take a flight but the pilot sits in a wheelhouse! Today’s diesel hovercraft, with better fan blade technology and needing less power because of better skirt technology are so much quieter than the deafening original gas-turbine powered SRN6s built at East Cowes IOW. In the 70s, I lived in Cowes about a mile from the sea, yet I could use the first hovercraft of the day to Southampton at 7:25 as a time check, it was so loud! You can also now see out of the windows - the originals produce nothing but blinding salty spray.
The Griffon hovercraft appear to be more seaworthy - okay in a force 7 wind rather than a 6, which was the limit of the SRN6s, so less cancellations.
Peace love from England ❤
You can get two seater hovercrafts for sport racing or just for fun
I've travelled on this last year. I used to travel on the cross Channel ones in the 70s and 80s so it was a real nostalgic trip to go to the Isle of White and back.
My grandparents lived on the Isle of Wight and I have travelled on the hovercraft loads of time, they are great fun to be on!!
The Princess Anne is the largest hovercraft ever built; and could indeed carry cars...60 of them, as well as 400 passengers. The cross-Channel hovercraft were discontinued after the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994.
A slight correction. The SRN4 Mountbatten class was the largest civilian hovercraft. The Russian Zubyr class military hovercraft is the largest of all hovercraft weighing in at nearly 100 tons heavier than the Princess Anna and a little bit longer.
I travelled on the SRN4 but it was called Princess Margaret.
@@davidboult4143 There were two.
@@tonygreenfield7820The zubr are Ukrainian. the ruZZians cannot build new ones. They were made in Crimea
The cross channel one was affectionately known as "The Vomit Comet"
Have been on this a couple of times and is a fun experience, was also lucky enough to ride the much bigger cross channel hovercraft from Calais to Dover when they were running years ago
I travelled to France on a Hovercraft many years ago now. I remember not much of a view from the small windows due to the spray 😂
@julialk4536 true but still fun, especially as a kid
Yes, same here.
Travelling on this service is on my bucket list.
SRN-4 capable of 70 knots. One crossed the channel in 15 minutes once.
RNLI in Merseyside use a hovercraft to get across the mud flats - glad you don't sound like the exorcist anymore x🏴
They use hovercraft as rescue craft on the mudflats at Burnham-on-Sea on Sea as well.
I live further up the river from the rnli station at new Brighton (widnes) we very often see their hovercraft under the bridges, sadly its usually when somebody has jumped from the bridge so they have to search the river for them, they make great rescue craft
I have been on the cross channel hovercraft years ago. I was 2 years old and the absolutely awe inspiring sight of that thing coming up onto land out of the sea is actually one of my earliest memories.
Just so you know, a hovercraft balloon is not a solid rubber dinghy under there, it's more like a rubber curtain. The hovercaft is basically an air-hockey puck, and I think it is technically an aircraft.
I live on the Isle of Wight and have used the hovercraft many times. A thick leather skirt is attached to the base huge fans inflate the base & you lift off. On your ticket it states your flight times. TBH it works perfectly but it is not a perfectly smooth ride but it is impressive. 😊 when your flight ends the craft lowers by about 1- 2 feet.
I was like like a very bouncy bus when I've been on it 🙂 The Solent can get a bit choppy.
Plan on taking this hovercraft to Isle of Wight for a family trip this year.
When there used to be big car carrying hovercraft between Dover and France, my uncle brought us back from a holiday, taking the car on the hovercraft. On that, as it was pretty open water, imagine sitting on a washing machine during a spin cycle. Using the hovercraft was about a quarter of the time of the ferry.
Steve, Lindsey, when I a teenager back in 1974, I went on an exchange camp with the Scouts to a group of German Scouts and we travelled on a hired coach all the way from West Yorkshire down to Dover and then our coach was driven aboard one of several giant hovercraft that served as cross channel ferries on three or four regular routes to Calais from places on the British coast such as Dover and Ramsgate. Once the cars and coaches were loaded onto the hovercraft we were lead from the terminal building onto one of the two large passenger cabins about the size of the cabins in a jet aircraft. When everything was ready the engines were started and the skirt filled with air and the hovercraft reared up raised by approximately 8 feet and it swung around to face out to sea. Very quickly we were out to sea , speeding along on a super calm sea. After some time the state of the sea developed into a slight chop, which caused some passengers some discomfort due to the way the hovercraft rode the waves in a very jerky motion , crashing down into each trough then slowly rising up on the next wave. After a couple of hours we arrived in France and we were gathered in the arrival lounge while the vehicle’s were unloaded then we were allowed to resume our journey. My story is in order to tell you both to be aware that travelling on a hovercraft can be very uncomfortable but it is over pretty quickly.
I live 5 mins down the road from these. It's awesome seeing them go out. They are SO loud. Proud to have been the creators of it too. They were invented in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The US navy is a big proponent for hovercraft. They are used in landings, can carry tanks. We used to run a MASSIVE one between dover and calais. It could take cars!
The Chinese and Russians use them too.
They were not invented on the Isle of Wight. They were invented by Chris Cockerill at Ripplecraft boatyard in 1949 at Somerleyton in Suffolk, where there is a large monument to the fact.
I went on the original service in 1964 when they ran SRN2 hovercraft. As often happens, the British invented and then didn't develop it properly (like the jump jet and the linear motor railway) as nobody wanted to put the money in. They were sold as being go-anywhere vehicles - over land, water, marshland etc but were a bit vulnerable to getting the skirt split and also are not that good in stormy weather. The military used them until they found the problems with the skirt getting damaged.
They were even louder at one time when they ran aero engines you could here them in Commercial road shopping center.now they have much quieter Diesel engines.
I travelled across the channel on the giant SRN4 many years ago.
It was quite exciting with the 6 foot swell, like a stone skimming across the sea!
my dad put on the hover pad at cowes, isle of wight. i was about 8yrs old. the craft came up the ramp straight in front of me. i could reach out and stroke the skirt. it was deafening and awesome at the same time. I'm 50 now. i close my eyes and i can still feel and hear it like it was yesterday.
Many years ago I was teaching, and as an out of school activity we obtained a hovercraft. It was a kit that had been started by its previous owner, but not very well done and not finished. We spent months rebuilding it. It was quite large; about 12 feet by 6 feet, made of plywood and fibreglass with one central petrol engine for lift, and a smaller one at the stern for propulsion. It was INCREDIBLY noisy! Only room for one small person on board.
It lifted ok although it threw out a continuous cloud of muck and dust from under the skirt. But it wouldn’t move forward at anything above a slow crawl. It had its premiere at a school open day when the kids pulled it across the school field on a rope!
I guess these days health and safety would prohibit such a venture, but in those days things were different.
If I can dig out any photos of it I will send them to you guys.
There was a hovercraft service across the Channel from Dover to Boulogne from 1968 to 2005 using larger craft (185 feet long and 78 feet beam, 3,800 hp) that could carry up to 418 passengers and 60 cars and was capable of speeds up to 70 knot (130 kmh).
The service was eventually wound up because of competition from cheaper cross channel ferries and the Eurotunnel.
If you think that is a big hovercraft, I have news for you... the craft on this video only hold about 80 passengers. Back in the day, the cross-channel hovercrafts (SR.N4 mountbatten class) used to hold over 400 passengers before they were retired.
And 50 plus cars
I took the hovercraft from Dover to Calais in the 1980s, on one of the big car-carrier ones. It was a shockingly bad day and the sea was very rough. Like on an aircraft, there was a drinks service, and I swear most of that drink ended up on the floor. Noisy, bumpy, but so quick. These days they're much quieter and smoother because of all the improvements the pilot pointed out.
I remember a kid in the 70’s/80’s my grandfather used to take me on the hovercraft a lot. It was much bigger than the one in the film, but they were mostly stopped as they were expensive to run.
It's a hovercraft - a craft that hovers above the water or the land. No wheels, no floating (unless it breaks down, just fans at the back to propel it forward and fans beneath to lift it from the surface.
In the 1980s I went on the hovercraft run by Hoverspeed, to France. That was a MASSIVE craft!
I used to live on the Isle of Wight for the first 21 years of my life (in my 40s now) and I got to use the hovercraft service a few times. It's quite the experience.
I just loved your faces watching this!! Like it was an alien spacecraft! I remember when the idea was being trialled, decades ago. A very useful rescue craft around the coast where we have dangerous shifting sand and mud. Keep going - love your channel! Nana Karen UK
There used to be a super hover craft called the Mountbatten class that carried cars, people, and goods from Dover England to Calais in France it had 4 gas turbine engines driving 4 lift fans and 4 thrust propellers, The SR.N4 hovercraft was a combined passenger and vehicle-carrying class of hovercraft. The type has the distinction of being the largest civil hovercraft to have ever been put into service. Work on the SR.N4 was initiated in 1965 by Saunders-Roe.
In service: 1968 retired 2000.
Before the channel tunnel opened there was a commercial hovercraft service across the Channel from Dover to Calais. It was much larger than the Isle of Wight hovercraft and took cars as well as passengers. It was also very loud and quite bumpy when there were waves. The advantage of the hovercraft is you don't need a deep-water port, just a flat beach is good enough at low tide and the concrete apron up by the terminal. But they're load and expensive to run so operators went for ferries instead.
Hi. When I was a kid we used to travel as a family of 4 with our car on the big hovercrafts across the English Channel to France to drive to either Italy or Spain on our summer holidays. Not as comfortable as the cross channel ferries, but much quicker.
Strange how people are writing "hovercrafts" as the plural of hovercraft is hovercraft. Nobody says aircrafts.
@@arthurennimore-empties6709 you’re quite right
I live on the Isle of Wight. It’s amazing to think how lucky we are to get to see the hovercraft on a regular basis. We are as far south as you can get (certainly not north 😂)
I recommend you watch some videos about the island. It’s an amazing place with some great countryside and coastlines. Great video as always 👍🏻
In the late 70s we went on a school day trip to Calais by Hovercraft. It was much bigger than the one in the video and I think could also take cars onboard. Although it was a sunny day it was quite choppy on the way over and it felt like we bounced all the way to France as we hit all the tops of the waves. One of our teachers was violently seasick and throwing up in sick bags for much of the journey. The return journey was very smooth as the wind had died down and the sea was calm. At the time we enjoyed the experience, but didn’t think too much of it, as we assumed, wrongly, that they’d always be around. Now I realise how privileged I was to ride in one of these amazing vehicles as I’m the only person I know, apart from my classmates, who has ever been on a large Hovercraft.
On a booze trip, we'd take the ferry to Calais and back, unload,, then take a trip on the hovercraft pick up more booze. Brilliant. Especially if you had A wedding, or Anniversary coming up.
@Punchgirl14 ... Yes there were hovercraft that could carry cars, vans and coaches as well as passengers. The larger ones could take up to 60 vehicles and over 400 passengers.
Years ago they used to have a hovercraft service across to France, I went on it once as they had taken the ferry off because of choppy seas, it was quite an experience! That was when riding on a hovercraft was reasonably new, I think it was sometime in the seventies!
In the 70's my family and I once crossed the English channel to France in a hovercraft. Outward journey was fine. Return journey was a nightmare. A major storm caused hugh waves to pummel our craft. The pilot had his work cut out that date to bring us back to shore, but due to his skill we made it back eventually. I will never forget that return journey, everyone on board was ill and all were praying for survival.
I may have been on that crossing.
Took my grandson on this hovercraft service a few years ago. He absolutely loved it.
Living as close as I do to Dover, my wife and I regularly took the hovercrafts to France for an afternoon which cost us just one pound. We qualified for full duty Free allowance which was one of the draws.
The Dover Calais service ws killed off by the removal of Duty Free and The Channel Tunnel.
Those Hovercraft carried cars and were probably fout times the size of this on on the Southsea IOW route.
"I think it's down south, let us know in the comments". Dude, you literally have a map behind you 😂😂😂
We learnt anything but geography in geography class at school, in uk and us
The map is wrong way round.
@@m101ist the map is correct, the image from his camera is reversed. You will notice in some of his videos, the image is the correct way round, it just depends which camera he uses at the time, hth.
I know, it's the mirror effect, I was just pointing it out to my perspective when you mentioned the map behind.
@@m101ist ah, OK, understood 😉😁
Because any movement is up and down rather than side to side on a boat, the hovercraft that used to go from the uk to France is the only time I haven’t been seasick crossing the channel!
I nearly got crippled in the bog. It's exciting enough but it's no Citroën DS.
I always got sooo seasick crossing the channel to go the th UK...
Never took the hovercraft but regular ferries, and I'm so thrilled about the tunnel nowadays. Hop on the train and off you go.
The Condor type fast ferries have much the same effect on reducing seasickness but cannot operate in seas of over six feet at full throttle.
They used to be common in the UK in the 1970s, and the largest service hovercraft was the Sr N4, which could seat 254 passengers and also carry 30 cars! They are loud and while they skirt across the water they are a bit bumpy if the waves are high but they are well worth going on for the experience.
I remember it well, I went on the large ones as well as some of the smaller ones, they are extremely fast! They stopped running in the year 2000 (apart from that service you are watching) It was largely because Hovercraft were expensive to run! They used jet fuel and that was not cheap, the Channel Crossing Tunnel further eroded their need and then Duty-Free shopping was removed so it ate away at the viability.
The other main issue was spare parts, the fleets of the SR N4 were 40 years old and getting replacement parts was not cheap, and yes, it was pilots, not Captains of Ships who took to the controls!
They are amazing machines and it's nice a couple of the smaller ones are still being used.
However, you do have them in the US as the Navy uses large hovercraft for moving military kit and personnel around! Only the NAVY does not call them hovercraft but LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion) Which sounds like a pretty stupid name, to be honest! Also, the Japanese defence forces use them for similar roles.
I remember taking the hovercraft ferry from Southampton to the Isle of Wight in the 70s. Great fun!!
Why do Americans think about all the things that could go wrong! I don’t understand that.
Otherwise love you, Lindsay and Sophia! Watch all your videos. Take care! X
...especially as if it shut down, it would just sit there and float, awaiting rescue, unlike a plane!
Mostly because if they get hurt and end up in hospital it will bankrupt them. That's how they sold safety to USA....fear...
Just think of the Boeing 737 Max - failure is an expectation for many Americans!
America is dangerous and so it's inherent to be scared
Southsea is on the island of Portsea, as is the city of Portsmouth. Southsea is the main centre for the Royal Marines and Portsmouth is the headquarters of the Royal Navy. Portsea Island is linked to the mainland by a landbridge. It is north-east of the Isle of Wight and east of Southampton.
I have travelled on these many times. The original Hovercraft ferries were the SRN4s, you can still see these at the museum a few miles away. The SRN4 was much bigger than the one in this video.
The location of the Isle of Wight is on the coast of Hampshire - it isin the south central part of England. The water seen here is part of the Solent and forms a part of the English Channel.
The Hovercraft, many were buoilt in Southampton at their factory adjacent to the old Supermarine works (home of the Spitfire) and also in the factory on the Isle of Wight.
These craft have been adopted by the militaries of many countries and at different sizes for different purposes. The largest can carry vehicles, the smallest are used to travel over marshy areas for landing personnel.
The weight of the hovercraft is sprad so evenly by the air-skirt that they can run over an egg without breaking it. There is a video about that on YT. The benefit of this on this route is the speed. and also even if the sea is choppy, it is a very smooth ride. Also, because they can operate on water or on land, they would be ideal for somewhere like the Florida Everglades where the water is so shallow preventing an ordinary boat operating, but also this can float over the dry bits as well.
Also, they can be used over land where landmines have been planted because they exert so little pressure on the surface.
It wasn't always smooth sailing! In the mid 70s, a group of us 20yr old lads hired a minibus and went
To France on one of the biggest hovercraft that carried cars and lorries as well as having seating for 400 passengers in glass walled lounges. From Dover to Calais the trip was very smooth on a calm sea. However, on the way back the weather was stormy with giant waves. A ship can plough through waves relatively smoothly, but the hovercraft rode on top of the water and went up and down like a giant rollercoaster all the way to Dover. Loads of people were seasick!
One advantage the hovercraft has at this location was the fact it didn't require any harbour or pontoons to be built, as it can come right up onto the beach only really needing some concrete apron to sit on. So it could take the shortest route without the issues that would be obstacles for a normal ferry.
When the tide is out (twice a day) and any normal boat wouldn't be able to dock without some kind of channel being cut, or a pontoon to moor alongside, the hovercraft can just ride over the sands until it comes ashore.
This section of the Solent, separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland is quite narrow and while there are a number of conventional ferry services to the island, this is the fastest way to cross the solent, as long as you don't need a car. There are car parks and buses from the hovercraft terminals so it is easy to get around.
I live in the area and when I have visitors from overseas I usually try and take them to Southsea to see the Hovercraft coming in. I dont usually tell them what to expect and they are usually amazed when it doesn't slow down but instead revs up its engines and glides up onto the beach! 🙂
If you want to visit the Isle of Wight for a day and visit places like Osborne House or the Botanical Gardens, a day return ticket is £31.50 (March 2024)
Family ticket is 2 adults and 3 kids for £78.
Not the cheapest way to get there, but quick and definitely a unique experience.
Yeah, if you happen to be down that way and the Hovercraft is coming in, you have to stop and watch - it never gets old !
I'm ancient enough to remember when the service started - (If you think they're loud today - with the right conditions, I often heard them from my garden in North End)
IIRC, they came up onto Southsea's luxurious shingle beach before they built the concrete ramp - blew up a lethal hail of seaweed and stones !
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Interesting fact. To the left of the hover centre is the very spot lord nelson left to board HMS Victory for what would be his last battle. If you want to see more of the hovercrafts ( the only hover ferry service in the world ), the isle of white ryde live cam covers a good view of them and portsmouth.
Please note this was an uk invention which the vehicle floats on a cushion of air across both water and land. The pilot therefore flies the vehicle.The sensation is like a magic carpet. These hovercraft are built locally are really fantastic,traveling at a very high speed, The marine core do have some for assault landings. Jet boats in Florida are not a patch on these planes.
I grew up on the Isle of Wight - lived just up the hill from where the hovercraft come in, so they were literally an everyday thing! They are still really cool, though!
You should definitely have a look at the Island. Beautiful scenery, great beaches, a castle with a donkey well, Queen Victoria’ house, one of the world’s top music festivals, the Needles, and dinosaurs!
The Romans divided it up and assigned large portions to Roman army officers to farm. The remains of such a mansion is literally "housed" i.e. a museum, and the inside equipped with "catwalks" for the tourists who watch the diggins and the ongoing restaurations by archeologists of these Roman ruins. More fun to learn history that way!
in the 1960s my father commuted by hovercraft from Stokes Bay to Southsea. The service ran from the beach at the end of my road. In the evening he came back via the Isle of Wight as that was the round trip the hovercraft ran.
@8:59 - 'can't carry cars'. Nope, but the huge Mountbatten Class, the SRN-4, could carry 60 cars or up to 609 PAX, depending on configuration. The VERY largest ever were the Soviet-era AIST type - humungous beasts. They carried tanks. Check 'em out!
Yessss srn4 was a big ole unit
Oh, wow. Memories. I used to live in France for a few years in the mid seventies and came home a couple of times on one of these. It said you 'floated' but I seem to remember you could feel every wave!! I preferred the ferry to be honest.
Remember the big cross channel four prop hovercrafts which carried cars had cafes etc and were so much quicker than a standard ferry.
I remember in the late 90's when I was around 14 my Granddad took me on a weekend drive across to France, and back then the hovercrafts across the channel were still being operated and driving the car onto and off of the hovercraft to get across (I think the Channel tunnel had been opened and operating to the public for around 4-5 years at that point).
Was hugely impressive to see them in action, the sheer scale of them and all the vehicles loading on and off at each end was incredibly impressive.
As my Granddad put it at the time "Sure we can go through the tunnel and it might be quicker, but all you'd be seeing is a tunnel and a lot of dark. You can get that on any train. But this actually gives you something to experience along the way".
I love to ride this Hovercraft and have done so many times. Great experience. One did turn over many years ago with the loss of life. Now they never go out in bad weather.
I saw another video on hovercraft and a commenter said thatthe Dover to Ostend hovercraft couldhold 60 cars and 480 passengers .What a beast
They used to run them from where I live in Kent, across the channel to France. They were amazing. They stopped them back in the 90s but they were great to watch. They were huge. Google the Kent hovercrafts
I grew up on the Isle of Wight and then Southampton. Took the hovercraft quite a few times to travel back and forth. It's an awesome ride
Brit here. I rode on this thing during my holiday this month. It's awesome to ride, gets you to the Isle of Wight in 5-10 minutes and it's no more noisy on board than a jet airliner.
My Dad rode one of the Giant cross-channel hovercrafts in the '70s. He said those were noisy as hell and vibrated a lot. They also used high-grade jet fuel (one of many reasons why they were unprofitable and got phased out), unlike this modern diesel version.
There is talk of hovercrafts making a comeback worldwide though. And they are in service with many of the world's militaries, including the US Navy and Marine Corps, I believe.
I’ve been on that Hovercraft when I was younger. It’s amazing to see the sheer power coming out of the Air Cushion
Went on one to France when I was a teenager, many years ago, that service is no more, but it is something i will never forget
We have used this means of transport a few times. Once, when we were on holiday on the Isle of Wight my grandson was getting baptised at Portsmouth Cathedral, we caught the hovercraft, went to the service and back on the hovercraft to finish our holiday. Happy days.
I live in Northern Ireland - I remember back in the 90s there was a Hovercraft between Northern Ireland and Scotland. That was my first and only experience on one of these.
Take a piece of paper and put it on a table, now put your head level with the paper. Blow gently and watch the paper rise and move across the table. You now know what was the start of the Hovercraft invention.....Nice video DG. Uk.
Many years ago a couple of my friends made a hovercraft in their garage. The principle is basically simple and it was made of plywood and reinforced rubber fabric, using small two stroke motors, mower engines as I recall, for lift and power. It carried two people and much fun was had until a new project came along.
Another thing to do, to put on your list when visiting England, we went on a hovercraft, a few times years ago, wonderful experience.
When the hovercraft to IoW first started, my granny took me on it. Maybe the 60s or early 70s. One of those memories that is still vivid.
I crossed from south English coast to France with my family as a child. It was on a similar sized craft as this one and was faster and smoother than the ferry. The ferry has to cut though or over the waves but the hover craft literally hovers a few inches above the sea/land (no wheels) which is why it is so smooth sailing/flying. I didn't get sea sick (which was new for me). I don't think they go to France anymore, must have been for just a few short years. (Just looked it up 1960's until 2000, around the date the Channel Tunnel opened),
And, just to make you jealous, we went for my Mum's birthday so she could eat snails for lunch and then came back after lunch.
There are smaller hovercraft in WA, Australia which do tours off the beach near a town called Broome. Great fun and less noisy than I remember as a child.
I got taken on one as a child - 50 y ago. Last year I did a "day trip" to revisi the experience. They are fascinating too - simply riding up into the beach.
I've ridden these hovercraft between South sea *whixh is great, it has it's own fairground attraction) and the Isle of Wight and back 4 times, asbd it's great; it's SO much faster than a ferry. There is a lot more seats inside than appears on the outside; the bits on the side you ask about at 7:54 is where the lifeboats are kept; and if i remember correctly, there is one on the other side of the hovercraft also.
I've been on this service many times. Great way to travel. It never gets old. Not great in bad weather. But in good weather, it's quick and flexible as it can go anywhere. Like a sports car on the water.
Each crossing is referred to as a flight - it skims over the water, then when it comes to a halt the rubber curtain deflates and it touches land. I moved to the Island when I was 8 and remember seeing trial runs at Puckpool of the first Hovercraft. The best thing is they’re fast. The stretch of water is called The Solent
My first ever job when I was 16 (back in 1985) was as a cleaner for Hoverspeed in Dover. I worked on all their hovercrafts at the time and it was a temporary job to tide me over until I joined the army in September that year. I remember getting £60 per week lol Btw, they are noisy, bumpy af modes of transport. They only thing they had going for them was the 45 min crossing, vs the 90 minutes it took on a ferry. They went out of business once the Seacat Catamaran ferries came on the scene - same time to cross and much more comfortable
I remember crossing the channel on the large hovercraft service years ago, it was like riding a cart without suspension down a cobbled street.
I lived on the Isle of Wight in the late 90s. Back then, you could by a train ticket from Rhyde (on the Isle of Wight) to London & the ticket would include the Hovercraft. Back then, it would take 17 mins but it was an older model hovercraft. I loved using it!!
Hoverspeed used to run a vehicle carrying service to Boulogne from Folkestone, i travelled on it many times.
I remember crossing the channel with Hoverlloyd from Ramsgate to Calais with our car in one of the SRN4's back in the early 70's.