Latest news with #hovercraft
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Lifeboat crew rescues two sailors in dinghy stuck in mud in heavy rain
Two people have been rescued by a lifeboat crew after their dinghy got stuck in the mud in a river after heavy rain and strong RNLI said a distress call was sent at 16:30 BST on Sunday after the vessel was "stranded in the mud flats" in the River Lune near said the situation was "urgent" as the sailors "had been in difficulty for an extended period".They were rescued by the hovercraft team and they received medical attention at nearby Glasson Dock before being taken to hospital. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Coast Guard hovercraft grounded
Coast Guard hovercraft grounded A pair of highly specialized vessels that serve public safety on the West Coast have been grounded by a lack of staff.
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft grounded in B.C. due to crew shortages
The Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft CCGS Moytel off Spanish Banks in Vancouver's outer harbour, Vancouver, B.C., February 7, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Bayne Stanley A pair of Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft that serve the south coast of British Columbia are temporarily grounded due to staffing shortages at the marine safety and security agency. A lack of qualified personnel at the coast guard's Sea Island station in Richmond have left the air-cushioned vehicles without crews to operate them since last week, the agency confirmed to CTV News on Thursday. 'Hovercraft piloting requires officers be certified in the operation of air-cushioned vehicles,' coast guard spokesperson Anna Muselius said in an emailed statement Thursday. 'An unanticipated crewing shortage at the Canadian Coast Guard Sea Island Station has temporarily limited hovercraft operations since Friday, June 13.' The two B.C.-based hovercraft, CCGS Moytel and CCGS Siyay, are commonly called upon for rapid, shallow-water responses at beaches and other areas that are otherwise inaccessible to rigid-hulled boats. Open-source vessel-tracking websites showed both hovercraft parked on the shore at the Sea Island station Thursday morning. The coast guard says search-and-rescue operations in the region are being maintained by fast-rescue inflatable boats while the hovercraft are out of service. The agency says volunteers with the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue are also 'at the ready and able to assist in the event of an emergency in the area.' The coast guard did not have a timeline available for when the hovercraft would return to service.
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hovertravel awarded red plaque for 60 year transport service
The world's longest running commercial hovercraft operator has been recognised for its importance in the history of transport in the UK. Hovertravel, which runs ferries from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight, has been given two Red Wheel plaques by National Transport Trust at its Southsea and Ryde Red Wheel scheme has been given to the service to commemorate the work it has done to connect communities across the Solent since intended as a seasonal tourist attraction, it evolved into a vital year-round link between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. Loretta Lale, head of marketing at Hovertravel, said: "We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition from the National Transport Trust. "For 60 years, Hovertravel has been more than just a mode of transport; it has been a lifeline for communities, a draw for tourists, and a symbol of British innovation. "These Red Wheel plaques are a testament to the dedication of our team and the enduring support of our passengers."Stuart Wilkinson, Chair of the National Transport Trust said the Solent's hovercraft were "brilliant examples of a transport solution".He said the trust hoped it would inspire young people to consider a career in transport and engineering."Maybe there is a young person out there whose idea will become as important in the future as these hovercraft routes are today," he said. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
New details released of proposed hovercraft service between downtown Toronto and Niagara Region
A rendering of a hovercraft that an Ontario company says can travel from Toronto to Niagara Region in 30 minutes is seen here. (Hoverlink Ontario Inc.) New details are emerging about a proposed hovercraft service that aims to transport tourists and commuters alike across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Niagara Region in just 30 minutes. At an event at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Wednesday, officials with Hoverlink Ontario explained how the service, which recently cleared a significant hurdle, will alleviate congestion along one of province's busiest highways and make it more attractive for people to travel to two of Ontario's largest tourist destinations. Last month, officials confirmed that a 30-year agreement had been signed with Ports Toronto, bringing the service one step closer to reality. Chris Morgan, the founder and CEO of Hoverlink, called the development 'the beginning of a new era of rapid transit.' 'This is not just a rapid transportation project. It is an economic development catalyst, a tourism accelerator,' he said. How will the service work? Passengers will travel by hovercraft between Billy Bishop Airport and a facility that will be built at Port Weller, St. Catharines. The total trip time is estimated to be 30 minutes. The amphibious vehicle is designed to travel over land, water, ice, and other surfaces. Blowers produce a large volume of air below the hull of the vessel to create an air cushion, allowing it to float 1.8 metres above the surface. Additional fans and propellers move the craft forward. Hovercrafts are currently used by the Canadian Coast Guard for rescue and icebreaking missions. Officials say that while the vessels have been used for decades to transport people in the United Kingdom, a similar passenger service does not yet exist in North America. 'We intend to make it a way of life here on Lake Ontario,' Erika Potrz, the president of Hoverlink Ontario, told CTV News on Wednesday. Who is the target market for the service? The company says both tourists and commuters will benefit from the Hoverlink. 'Hoverlink would allow Torontonians to quickly visit the wineries and the beautiful hinterland of Niagara-on-the-Lake, or unleash new possibilities for regional tourism, employment, and housing between Toronto and St. Catharines,' Morgan said. Operating at full capacity, the company says Hoverlink would result in 8,000 fewer cars on the QEW each day. When will the hovercraft service launch? No official timeline has been announced for the launch of service but Potrz said Hoverlink has done everything it can to facilitate getting the service up and running as soon as possible. How many passengers can the hovercraft hold? The craft can hold 180 passengers plus crew. How frequently will it run? The company says it is capable of making 48 trips daily and will operate 365 days a year. How much will it cost to ride the hovercraft? Ticket pricing has not been released but the company says it will be 'comparable to other existing ground public transit option fares in the region.' How will I get to my destination after I arrive at the Hoverlink terminal in St. Catharines? Potrz said Hoverlink will operate its own shuttle buses in St. Catharines with limited stops. It will take passengers to the Fallsview Hilton, downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort George, and Niagara College. 'We will invite some of our key partners to have their shuttle buses come and pick up folks,' she added. 'We are looking at how do we package up tickets with entities in Niagara Region, as well as in Toronto, to encourage and ensure that all of our businesses win.' Has this been tried before? There have been two previous attempts to connect Toronto to other regions via Lake Ontario, including a short-lived ferry service to Rochester, N.Y. and a previous project that used hydrofoils. 'People often say, 'This has tried before and it's failed,'' Potrz said. 'Failure predicates success.' She said the previous two attempts were 'marred with issues,' adding that there has 'never been anything like' the Hoverlink service on Lake Ontario before. 'They (previous projects) were marred with issues because the craft competency was not available. They were hydrofoils. Hydrofoils cross Lake Ontario maybe six months of the year, create a really uncomfortable experience for consumers, and they really are not competent to craft in all weather types,' she said. 'There was a ferry to Rochester, and that was predicated on cargo movement, very different than a commuter and tourism strategy. We have 40 million tourists between Niagara Region and Toronto. What a better market to launch a marine transit service into with a craft that is military grade.' Potrz said the company wants to make transportation 'fun again.' 'Somebody's coming in to see a concert at Live Nation, we are going to have a DJ on board. We are going to make this fun,' she said. 'There is going to be an experiential portion to what we do everyday to make sure people want to ride on the hovercraft.'
