Could hydrogen-powered passenger ferries operate between Cardiff and Bristol?

[anthony263]

Another option for commuters between Cardiff and Bristol ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53337557

Water taxis powered by green energy could soon start running between Cardiff and Bristol.

Plymouth-based luxury boat firm Patriot Yachts is developing two hydrogen-powered passenger ferries to operate on the route.

The boats, which cost a total of £1m, will be able to transport about 100 people across the Bristol Channel between the two cities.

They will use solar panels and wind turbines, making them self-sufficient.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Another option for commuters between Cardiff and Bristol ?

Water taxi plan for Cardiff to Bristol green energy ferry

Two boats could soon start running between Wales and England, with other routes on the horizon.

www.bbc.co.uk

At the risk of going way off topic, it's hard to see how any kind of regular timetable would work given the tidal nature of the river Avon. I suppose if the rail link to Portishead eventualy re-opens you could have some sort ot rail/ferry link.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Another option for commuters between Cardiff and Bristol ?

Water taxi plan for Cardiff to Bristol green energy ferry

Two boats could soon start running between Wales and England, with other routes on the horizon.

www.bbc.co.uk

Not going to happen.
For a start the rail service is quick enough and usually reliable enough that I don't see how a water based service could compete.
But also, where in Cardiff and Bristol would it actually dock? Even with Temple Meads being a bit outside the city centre in Bristol (though that is changing, the centre certainly is shifting further east than what it was), I can't imagine the options for a boat will be at all convenient for people travelling between the city centres.
Plus - specifically around Ilfracombe to Cardiff / Swansea - that was mooted at least a decade ago and nothing came of it.

 

[anthony263]

A better riverbus service from penarth to cardiff would be better but I think would need a good amount of marketing etc to get it up and running

 

[Oscar46016]

Harbourside in Bristol is a good destination in Bristol and certainly the Bay in Cardiff - although the gates would delay things.

 

[Llanigraham]

Not going to happen.
For a start the rail service is quick enough and usually reliable enough that I don't see how a water based service could compete.
But also, where in Cardiff and Bristol would it actually dock? Even with Temple Meads being a bit outside the city centre in Bristol (though that is changing, the centre certainly is shifting further east than what it was), I can't imagine the options for a boat will be at all convenient for people travelling between the city centres.
Plus - specifically around Ilfracombe to Cardiff / Swansea - that was mooted at least a decade ago and nothing came of it.

Considering that Cumberland Basin locks can only be operated at certain states of the tide, and certainly not at low tide, I suspect this service would only go to Avonmouth, and then you would have get from there into the city.

 

[Dai Corner]

I think the only time when money has been made carrying passengers across the Bristol Channel in boats was when the pleasure steamers connected the various cities and resorts on high days and holidays.

(I regard the Aust ferry as crossing the River Severn )

 

[Brissle Girl]

I'd agree it's not going to happen. Ignoring the Cardiff end for the moment, on the English side the options are a) to moor at Avonmouth, which then means some sort of transfer into the Centre, b) moor maybe adjacent to the P&R just east of the Avonmouth bridge, which would be interesting at low tide (and the tidal range will make any sort of facility quite tricky), or head all the way under the Suspension Bridge, which even if not going into or beyond the Cumberland Basin, still leaves you well short of the City Centre.

So how would that compete with a twice hourly rail service which takes around 50 mins?

 

[jopsuk]

so I found the facebook page of the company and one of the most recent posts by them (from late June) is one of those mad copy-paste chain messages saying they don't consent to Facebook using their images.

All the other posts, apart from one about this supposed ferry, are about a supposed luxury cruise yacht being launched in 2024, or calls to invest in the company.

"Patriot Yachts Limited" (company 11552920) was incorporated in 2018 and dissolved in February 2020. "Patriot Yachts Internationl Limited" ( 11812102 ) was incorporated on 7th February 2019.

They have a website full of stock photos of super yachts, and addresses at mailbox locations in London & Florida.

I don't believe any of this is "real", as such.