How Do Motorless Ferries Work? (Spoiler: Two Bits Of Wire & The Laws Of Physics)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ต.ค. 2022
- The Swiss city of Basel is home to four little ferries that have been shuttling across the river Rhine every day since the 1800s. But unlike most ferries, they have no engines. Or paddles. Or even sails. So how exactly do they work? I went to Switzerland to find out more...
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FURTHER INFO
The Basel ferries on www.basel.com - www.basel.com/en/activities-e...
Reaction ferries on Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactio...
Tom Scott's excellent video on the same subject - • Reaction ferries are r...
IMPORTANT NOTICE. If this video gives you a weird sense of deja vu, don't panic: it's probably because Tom Scott already did a video on the same subject! But I happened to be in Basel, and these ferries are so cool that I thought it was worth doing it again. (Tom's video was 5 years ago anyway so with a bit of luck most of you haven't seen it. Or you're now so old that you've forgotten you've seen it.)
Tom's excellent video here: th-cam.com/video/b6utGZQ9Sks/w-d-xo.html
Don’t worry mate, Tom Scott has been everywhere and done everything (the bastard). It’s a “Simpsons did it” situation.
I just rewatched Tom's video yesterday, and since I didn't bother to read the title before I clicked the video, I did get a bit confused at first ;)
You were in basel? Bummer I didn’t see you!
@@panzerveps me to, TH-cam randomly recommended it to me
that's funny cause I literally watched tom's video like half an hour ago
How bizarre that TH-cam was pushing me Tom Scott's video about these ferries just 20 minutes ago.
Same! I'd just watched the Tom Scott video when this came up, almost like it knew.
Same, like 2 hours ago TH-cam just recommended me Tom Scott video from years ago, I will watch this anyway but it's a strange feeling 'cause I know about the topic
I saw it yesterday!
Same. Tom Scott's was recommended to me ~12 hours ago.
Same for me, 20mins before this video comes out the Tom Scott video is recommended.
Fun Fact: There is a saying in Basel when one tells an unbelievable or exaggerated story which goes: "Verzells em Fährimaa." Translated: "Tell the ferry captain." Because they are all day long on the ferry and listen to every good story to fight boredom, no matter how true the story is. And also it's said if you tell a good enough story you might don't have to pay for the ride.
Hey Tim,
thanks for sharing us the story of the ferry in Basel! I always used them as a child, when I visited Basel with my parents.
Fun Fact: My father always checked the temperature of the water by holding his hand into the river while he was on the ferry. Last time he did that, he lost his wedding ring …
I assume the ring is now some sort of „Rheingold“, maybe something to claryfy in another video!
Long story short: Although my mother has never been more mad at my father than on this day, they are still happily married!
It was a tribute for your save passage XD
Cold water makes your hands shrink. Lots of rings are lost at beaches because of this. Only a tight fitting ring is safe
What a great story: equally uplifting as well as remorseful. Thanks for posting it.
You know what you can fill your time with when you retire.
"Thanks for the underwater metal detector for Christmas darling. I'm off to Basel again. Are you coming‽"
Growing up in Saxony-Anhalt in germany, where most of the Reaction Ferries in Germany are, I thought in my Childhood that this IS the way just all bigger river ferries work. It was just logical, not needing any power/gasoline to do so. Imagine my shock when I learned otherwise haha xD
It happens to be a very similar one in Spain that's able to carry cars, it is in Miravet, on the Ebro river. And very near there is the biggest collection of heritage trains in working order in Spain (Mora la Nova museum)
Biggest collection of heritage trains in working order in Spain you say...? * notes that down for future reference *
@@TheTimTraveller in 2 weeks they make the annual show, with all their trains running at the same time.
Last year was amazing, and this one promises too
@@TheTimTraveller Tim, that’s just down the road from me. If you ever do decide to come, give me a shout. I could translate for you, help with logistics or whatever. And I love Ocean Colour Scene.
Switzerland is a mine of incredible transport - it’s brilliant (if pricy!)
We traveled on the Ebro one earlier this year, it was quite bizarre seeing the VW on what looked like a wooden raft 🤭
There's one of these in Grand Teton National Park in the US! It's called Menor's Ferry and it crosses the Snake river at the south end of the park. The snake river has many of the challenges you mentioned so the ferry generally only runs mid to late summer. The ferry was built in 1894 and was the only way for residents of the Jackson Hole valley to cross the Snake river until 1927 when a bridge was constructed rendering the ferry obsolete. The ferry that runs there today is a historical recreation of the original ferry and is operated by the National Park Service.
The ones in British Columbia, Canada, are free as they are actually part of the provincial highway system! They are large enough to carry up to two cars (or other vehicle of equivalent size.)
as a person living here in Basel, i never thought of it as something special, although it seems to be to people not born here... ^^' :D
it's not really fast tbh (it heavily depends on the speed of the water obviously), so we usually don't use it that much here in modern days... but it has some sort of idyllic appeal to it and is probably the most comfortable and calm way to get over the Rhein river :)
could be an interesting challenge to a boat builder to make a fast one
@@illdeletethismusic Tim pinned his comments about a "weird deja vu" referencing Tom Scott's video of the same ferry. But your comment reminds me of Veritasium's "faster than the speed of wind". So I guess it might be possible to engineer a faster one by utilising the stream and using turbines to power propellers that move the boat sideways (still tethered to save energy)
Sort of same here. I come from Poland, I've used a number of reaction ferries from the Wiki list, yet (apart from the fact that I generally like ferries) I haven't considered them a big deal until now ;p
@@borstenpinsel since the travel direction is at a right angle to water flow, speeds exceeding flow speed should be possible without moving parts, with the right geometry.
faster than wind speed is nothing new for sailboats, with sideways winds.
the exceptional thing about the machine in that video is it travelling faster than the wind exactly in the wind direction
My Reaction to this Ferry Journey is that it really does look a nice way to cross a river. Great video Tim
Funfact: They used to have a price table just like the one you cited at the end, but there was one additional entry on it saying: "Seagulls: free"
I just saw that a ferry I knew since my childhood was missing in the English Wikipedia article, so I made an addition to the list. Germany has at least one entry more now thanks to you. 😅
Switzerland is a fantastic place. A family holiday there when I was 8 got me slightly obsessed with funicular railways. If you sort of kind of think about it and squint your logic a bit, these ferry’s are like funiculars of the water…or maybe not.
Without squinting logic the ferries in South Australia are funiculars of the water, two cables either side are pulled by motors onboard the ferry
It is more like a sail boat, except using the flow of water instead of the flow of air.
There's strong potential for a nailbiting scene in an action movie. As the hero battles the villain on board, the lever is knocked from left to right; on one bank freedom, the other certain doom as henchmen await. Ideal closer for a Bond movie if you throw in a few explosions, a helicopter and maybe bung a few sharks in the river with lasers on their heads.
You have an excellent imagination, CW.
As always, thank you so much for including wheelchair access information in all your videos 🥰 it makes such a huge difference and I wish more people would follow your example. ❤️
I've been on several of the reaction ferries here in Canada - both in Alberta and British Columbia. They're free and you drive on and drive off.
I just happened to see Tom’s video on this the other day, and I’m glad you’ve done your own video. As much as his was good, he didn’t quite explain how the lever thing worked, which you did very well. Also you can’t beat some more onboard footage!
I'm from France and everytime I go to French speaking Switzerland I find it really strange when people ask me to pay in Francs. I lived before the euro so it's always like a tiny time (with a E 😁) travel every time.
By the way, awesome video, Basel looks pretty, never been but I think I'll try it !
Fantastic and "The Riverboat song" in the background really took me back to my youth. Your videos always make me smile and as winter comes in the UK, we all need those smiles - so thank you.
The algorithm knows the future. It recommended I watch the Tom Scott video on this 10 minutes before this video came out
So great, two of my favorite TH-camrs visited my chosen home-country Switzerland shortly after another! Tom and now the Timtraveler 😊
What a fantastic little trip to Basel, thank you!
Loved the "We ♥ Timetables" Swiss stamp of approval. Excellent.
I was absolutely amazed when I saw this ferry in Basel. Unfortunately, I didn't had time to try it for myself.
Basel is one of the most underrated cities in Europe! Absolutely loved it!
Cool that you featured Basel. Lovely city of CH. I crossed the Rhein several times with that ferry, it’s such a fun experience.
magic fondu ferry....hmmmmmm. made my day Tim....fab piano music
There was a ferry like that in the village where I lived (central US) when I was in my teens, but it had closed a century before when the logging industry petered out (because they had cut all of the trees). Apparently it was only able to run when there were breaks in the logs being floated downstream, and when the mills had shut down, most of the population moved away, so it was no longer worth maintaining.
I’m betting there are similar stories elsewhere - changes in demand, replaced by a bridge, etc. And of course the ferry owner could set up business elsewhere pretty easily if a different location was more lucrative and they could get access to spots on either side of the river.
Wonderful. The same technique - known to boat skippers as Ferry Gliding - is used by rowing ferries to reduce effort. You use the oars to keep the boat pointing upstream but slightly across the river and row into the stream. As long as you do, the boat will move sideways across the river. It can be used even with a motor and is very useful seamanlike and controlled. Well done the Swiss and the River Rhine!
I have been living in Basel for 50 years, never used those ferries in my life. And I'm surprised they are still around....
They are more of a tourist attraction ... since Basel residents use the many bridges with tramways across the river.
There are actually a lot more of these reaction ferries in Switzerland than the 4 in Basel mentioned in this Video and the Wikipedia article. There are a lot of them on the Aare too.
Well, time to add them to the Wikipedia list then ;)
@@FlorianWendelborn Someone (you? :-) in the meantime added the ferries in Bern to the english Wikipedia article. In the german Wikipedia you can find a complete list for the swiss ferries (as far as I know).
@@JulianRyf Not me, you can check the History tab on the article to see who did it
Love the use of The Riverboat Song there, a brilliant touch
Oh this is so cool! I lived near one of the German ones (the one in Rathen, crossing the Elbe) and I never knew there were ones with a wire hanging above the river! This makes it much easier to understand how they work! Thanks!
Some years ago me and my car used such a ferry on the Elbe at Wörlitz-CoswiginAnhalt. Nicht zu verwechseln mit Coswig/Elbe :-)
Loving the Ocean Colour Scene’s ‘Riverboat Song’. I love the backing tracks to your uploads almost as much as the content.
My great-grandfather also operated a reaction ferry across the Itoupava River in Brazil from the 1930s to 1950s when a bridge was built. My grandfather became a successful businessman because of this ferry since he set up a store in one of the landings for waiting passengers, which later grew as a general store even after the ferry service ended. I remember seeing the cable in place around the 90s.
Did anyone notice that he played The Riverboat Song by Ocean Colour Scene towards the end when the conditions were being read out (3:00). It's the finer details which make this channel so great!
This is the first time I don't have to watch your video because I know the answer. I used to live in Basel. But I will watch the video anyway, because your videos are so entertaining.
These are cool - 15 years ago I used one when I was in Basel, the operator shifted and got back to reading the newspaper 😅
Great job, Tim! Just because Tom covered this before, doesnt mean one cant ever talk about it again on TH-cam 😉
The music 😁at first I thought, why stereo MCs, and then I remembered the lyrics "to the left, to the right" and obviously the riverboat song needs no explanation 👍
I wasn't the only one recognising 'Step It Up', haha
Good job on the pronunciation in the intro, correct dialect and everything.
It would only take 1.5 hours to get to a ferry in Basel from where I live. But there's also a cable ferry less than 10 kilometers from where I live, but it is a lot smaller, and so is the river. But it's operated by volunteers and free to ride.
Bis bald bim Fährimaa!
As a canoer (canoeist?) in an earlier stage of life, this is the exact way that we used to cross rivers, although we'd have to paddle at a just off parallel angle to flow to do it rather than using a nifty set of cables. Technical term is ferry gliding for this kind of motion in a boat with something providing forward thrust (human or mechanically powered).
Always love a mode of transit that is reliable but a little relaxed. I feel like the mode forces you to take a chill pill, enjoy the scenery and maybe some fondue :)
So great to see a new upload! Thank you! 🙃
There's always something interesting on your channel, Tim! What a brilliantly simple idea this is.
Funnily, the algorithm brought both you and Tom's video up side by side on my playlist.
Great Video ! Keep up the great work Tim !
Lovely! I always admired the magic, err, ingenuity of these ferries. Thanks for making a video about them.
So lovely to hear from you again.What an interesting ferry.
As per your request, when I was watching your video, it really struck a cord with me for the several septic systems, and sewer lines I put in many years ago. My comment was intended to be merely a quip, and probably too unthought out to remain. I do enjoy your videos.
These videos make me so happy. Great mini doc!
Great to have you in my home town Tim, wonderful video as always.
Just want to say, I appreciate the subtitles! It really makes a difference.
I've just finished my journey through all your videos so far. As a fan of (not necessarily modern) football and a keen visitor to weird places I'm lost for words. Thank you, Tim. It's been marvellous so far. Keep it up!
Absolutely brilliant video and ferry thanks so much for sharing Tim. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you Tim. You always have the most interesting videos!
Your videos are always so joyful and wholesome
'The power of basic physics'
[on-screen clarifying pointer dings into existence, helpfully labelled 'Magic']
That got me, I laughed.
You had me at Fondue!!! 🤠👍
Tim, thanks for this video. I really liked the presentation and the whole idea. (I spend too much time checking to see if you've done something new...)
Definitely gonna put this on my bucket list, thank you for the upload!
The music at 2:00 is awesome!
Thanks for the cool video Tim!
Here in Calif, we have nothing even close to this... lot's fun info and beautiful scenery. Thank you, and cheers!
How cool you are staying in my city! Thanks for all your videos and have a nice trip!
Wonderful,simple idea. And looks like a beautiful way to get to work,if you live there.
So simple, yet so brilliant.
In Northern Germany there is a special, hand pulled ferry called "Pünte". It is pulled by hand by 2 ferrymen, the boat is loosely attached to a steel cable crossing the river Jümme (near the larger town of Leer). The river at this point is tide affected, there is a changing incoming - still standing - outgoing stream. Very interesting to watch, also the changing pull technique depending on the water flow and high.
I never miss a Tim upload. Thanks from America!
Actualy not all are motorless, the Ueli (St. Johann) Ferry, the one furthest downstream, cheats with a motor.
Due to the big harbour further down the rhine has been dug out, affecting the current, so the Ueli Ferry requires a bit of help sometimes
It appears that the TH-cam algorithm is alive and well since I was another who had Tom Scott's version recommended yesterday (23rd). Between the two of you, I am now fully conversant with reaction ferries. One thing you did not mention was how long this period of calm and quiet lasted. Keep up the good work.
This is a really common method used all around Central and Eastern Europe. Good for the Swiss to still have one functioning. The one i have used was on a river in Romania, near the border with Hungary. The river is Mures (Maros in Hungarinan). Cheers mate!
Wow, I'm Hungarian and I didn't know about this. Actually I didn't know (and still don't know) whether we have any of this type of ferries in Hungary. Great to read that you guys in Romania keep these running!
The Swiss seemingly have four functioning in Basel alone.
Finally someone who's not from Basel that's able to say Griezi perfectly. Thank you!
Great video! Childhood memories came back of when I used this ferry with my grandmother :D
Wanted to mentioned these ferries are quite popular on Polish rivers. However you said that in the end of your video 😁 Interesting videos as always 👍👍
LOL I just watch Tom's video yesterday ... both videos are great 🙂
I'm pretty sure there's a similar ferry in the Wachau, Austria; since the danube is bigger, it can actually carry cars. plus there's a statue of a nose on one side
That’s so clever how it works! Will definitely have to go on it if ever in Basel.
I once saw someone try to explain how it works with words and arm-waving. Your words are better and the diagrams great: today I actually understand it! Thank you.
Great vid on a startlingly simple ferry...
My favorite Tim, been looking for a good Tim,and no, one Tim is not as good as another.
If you ever find yourself in California, I highly recommend checking out the Howard Landing Ferry and the Ryer Island Ferry. Both carry cars and are free to ride. They effectively serve as bridges on a pair of state highways!
You should have mentioned Rhine-swimming, which was the other surprising phenomenon there.
People bobbing along the river, with their clothes in a watertight bag.
I bought a bag and went along too.
hmm,... nice video.. but the looong trams on the bridge. just wow too :)
for those wondering the piano piece is called: By the Sleepy Lagoon - Eric Coates
I watched the tom scott one the other day lol, but this video explains it a lot better tbh :)
Love the video, including the Stereo MCs reference: ‘Step It Up’ was part of the soundtrack to my year studying in Germany, 1993/4.
I haven't seen Tom's video! I think it's super cool! It's also very cool that it's super old.
I hear what you did, Tim! Love the quote of Ocean Colour Scene's "Riverboat Song"!
Thanks for another interesting video.
Cheers
Thank you for the stop in my hometown.
AND ; Basel always worth a Stop !
Ueli- Leu -Wide Maa & Vogel Gryff…
Reaction ferries were very common in BC, Canada, and many are still in use. I've been on 5 or 6 and a couple of them, dozens of times. All of these carry vehicles.
My goodness, this video made my day and I mean that sincerely: I keep thinking about it, and then I think, "hot damn!" or something similar with stronger swears. Such an unexpectedly delightful tidbit, thank you, Tim!
Love, love, love your videos but oh so short. Thank care stay safe.
amazing. Your videos are the best. Cheers.
This is one way to go much greener. Very Interesting. 👍
We have plenty of these reaction ferries here in British Columbia in Canada. Most were built to serve small riverside communities along the Fraser River.
Some of those reaction ferrys don't have the cable overhead moving with the ferry, but a really long cable that goes up the river (with some buoys to keep it on top of the water). These ferrys have to be on the one side of the river where the cable is mounted upstream for any ships / boats to pass.
This might be the first video from you of a place that I've been to!
I've been on several, one in Thailand (I think). I already kinda knew how they work (observation) but it was good to get validation as a result of your video. Plus it's always fun to watch you explain such things in an entertaining way.
Another great video thank you again.
Wonderful. Especially the Eric Coates.
That's interesting. In Germany, you find reaction ferries in the three saxonies. All three saxonies have at least one, but none other state has.