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Galveston Island |
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Photo by Nolan Bailey |
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Galveston Island to Port Bolivar Ferry
The ferry service is critical to the residents of Bolivar Peninsula
when a hurricane threatens. The ferries are the primary means of evacuation
through Galveston to the causeway and the mainland. Ferries continue crossing
the channel until high winds and tides make their mission unsafe. The boats
are then secured in their moorings at the Galveston landing facility. The 2.7 mile trip takes approximately 18 minutes to cross one of the
busiest waterways in the world. Through the Bolivar Roads Channel flows the
commerce of the Port of Houston, the nations largest inland port, as well as
other Galveston and Trinity Bay communities. Approximately 7,000 ships visit
the Port of Houston each year. The ferry operation consists of five boats, each of which can carry
approximately 70 vehicles, 500 passengers and six crewmembers. Each ferry is
capable of carrying eight 18-wheel trucks weighing 80,000 pounds each. All of
the boats are double-ended with a pilothouse on each end, and the Captain
changes from one pilothouse to the other to go in the opposite direction. The Gibb Gilchrist is a traditionally powered and steered
vessel. The R.C. Lanier, D.C. Greer, Ray Stoker, Jr. and
R.H. Dedman, the four newest ferries, employ a "cycloidal
propulsion" system. Instead of conventional propellers and rudders,
power is obtained from two vertical cycloidal propulsors, one at each end of
the boat. This technology allows the ferry to make 360 degree turns or to
move sideways with no forward or backward movement. It also allows the
Captain to make quicker stops or slow the vessel much more rapidly than
conventionally propelled boats. Hours of Operation
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Photo by Nolan Bailey |
The Galveston Island to Port Bolivar Ferry is an easy and entertaining way to visit restaurants and beaches in Crystal Beach. |
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Photo by Nolan Bailey |
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According to several sources, there are some good
restaurants in the Crystal Beach area. |
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