A Ferry and a Method of Operating a Ferry

The present disclosure relates to a ferry with at least one loading port allowing vehicles to roll onto a ferry deck, and to a method of operating the ferry. The ferry may be configured for port landing and/or for beach landing.

Traditionally, ferries are vessels used to transport passengers, and sometimes vehicles, and cargo. Loading and unloading should be carried out in an efficient and safe manner, e.g., via a ramp at the bow or at the stern of the ferry, or at both the bow and the stern at double ended ferries. The ramp may be a power operated ramp which both serves the function as protection against water intrusion and serves the function as a ramp for loading and unloading passengers, vehicles, and cargo.

It is an object of embodiments of the disclosure to provide an improved ferry with a loading port allowing vehicles to roll onto a ferry deck.

It is a further object of embodiments of the disclosure to provide a ferry where the ferry deck may be protected from water spray.

According to a first aspect, the disclosure provides a ferry with a first loading port defining a first portion and a second portion, the loading port allowing vehicles to roll onto a ferry deck, the first portion being closable by a first closure and the second portion being closable by a spray cover, wherein the first closure is movable between an open position in which is opens the first portion of the first loading port and forms an extension of the ferry deck and a closed position in which it extends in an upright direction from the ferry deck to a frontal position at which is terminates and closes the first portion of the first loading port, and wherein the spray cover is movable between an open position in which it opens the second portion of the first loading port and a closed position in which it extends from a central roof position to the frontal position and closes the second portion of the first loading port.

The first closure forms an extension of the ferry deck in the open position whereby it may, in the open position, define a ramp onto the ferry deck allowing vehicles to either roll on or roll off the ferry deck, or both.

The ferry may as an example be a cargo ship for carrying wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using an assistance vehicle; i.e. a roll-on/roll-off ship. Alternatively, the ferry may be a vessel for carrying passengers and vehicles, and sometimes cargo. In a further alternative, the ferry may be a landing craft. To allow loading, the ferry comprises a first loading port allowing vehicles to roll onto a ferry deck, when at least the first closure is in the open position. The first loading port may additionally be used to clear the ferry.

The first loading port is closable by a first closure and a spray cover, i.e., by two separate elements which may be independently operated, where the first portion is closable by the first closure and the second portion is closable by a spray cover. When the first closure and the spray cover are in their respective closed positions, the first loading port is fully closed. When the first closure and the spray cover are closed, water may still reach the ferry deck, as the closed first closure and spray cover not necessarily provides a water-tight seal. Water may reach the deck, e.g., along an edge portion of the first closure and/or the spray cover. To provide a water-tight seal of the first loading port, a sealing element may be provided along an edge portion of the first loading port. The first closure and the spray cover may each abut onto the sealing element. In an alternative embodiment, a water-tight seal may only be provided along the first closure which may abut onto the sealing element. The sealing element may be a frame, such as a protruding element, arranged along an edge portion of the first loading port. When arranging the first closure in the closed position it may abut onto the frame to thereby provide a water-tight seal. In one embodiment, the first closure, but not the spray cover could seal water-tight against the frame around the first loading port.

The first closure is movable between an open position in which it forms an extension to the ferry deck whereby it may define a ramp onto the ferry deck and a closed position where it extends in an upright direction from the ferry deck to a frontal position at which is terminates and closes a first portion of the first loading port. It should be understood, that the upright position may be a substantially vertical position. However, the upright position may be a position being +/−30 degrees from vertical.

The ferry deck may terminate at an edge portion, which edge portion may define the outermost part of the ferry deck in a loading direction of the ferry. To allow the first closure to move between the open position and the closed position, the first closure may be pivotally attached to the ferry deck along a pivot axis extending along the edge portion of the ferry deck. The first closure may extend from an attachment edge along the edge of the ferry deck and may terminate in a free edge opposite to the attachment edge. The attachment edge and the free edge may be substantially parallel. In the closed position, the first closure extends from the ferry deck to the frontal position, whereby the free edge may be at the frontal position where the first closure thereby terminates. Movement of the first closure between the open position and the closed position may be a pivotal movement around the pivot axis.

In the open position, the first closure forms an extension to the ferry deck, and may be arranged in a substantially horizontal position to facilitate vehicles to roll onto the ferry deck. It should, however, be understood, that the first closure may extend downwardly to touch a quay below the ferry deck and may extend upwardly to touch a quay above the ferry deck to thereby be able to cope with tide. Vehicles may additionally use the ramp to roll off the ferry deck. Thus, the first closure may form a ramp allowing vehicles to roll onto and/or off the ferry deck, when arranged in the open position.

In the open position where the first closure may define a ramp allowing vehicles to move onto the ferry deck, it may thus be arranged at an angle of +/−5 degrees from horizontal.

The spray cover is movable between an open position where it opens a second portion of the first loading port and a closed position where it extends from a central roof position to the frontal position and closes the second portion of the first loading port. The spray cover may terminate at the frontal position in the closed position. In an alternative embodiment, the spray cover may in its closed position extend beyond the free end of the first closure which in its closed position terminates at the frontal position. The central roof position is located closer to the centre of the ferry in the loading direction than the frontal position. The central roof position may also be denoted an inner roof position.

As the first closure forms an extension to the ferry deck in the open position and closes the first portion of the loading port in the closed position, the first portion may be a lower portion of the first loading port extending from the ferry deck to the frontal position, whereas the second portion may be an upper portion of the first loading port extending from the frontal position to the central roof position, where upper and lower portions refer to positions relative to the ferry deck. By application of two separate elements, it may be achieved that only one section/portion of the first loading port must be opened when loading vehicles onto the ferry, i.e., when loading vehicles having a height being lower than the height of the first portion of the first loading port.

A vertical distance from the ferry deck to the central roof position may be denoted a first height h, whereas a vertical distance from a plane defined by the ferry deck to the frontal position may be denoted a second height h. The height hmay be larger than the second height h. Accordingly, the spray cover follows a non-horizontal curve from a position at height hand downwards to the lower level h. Thus, when loading vehicles having a height being lower than the height honly the first closure needs to be in the open position, whereas the spray cover may be in the closed position closing the second portion of the first loading port. It should be understood, that both the first closure and the spray cover may be arranged in their respective open position even though vehicles rolling onto the ferry deck has a height being lower than the second height h.

It may thus be achieved, that the spray cover may only open to the extend necessary for higher vehicles to roll onto the ferry deck. In one embodiment, the spray cover may be moved stepless from the closed position towards the open position, and it may be possible to stop the movement at a plurality of intermediate positions between closed and open, such as stop the movement at any position intermediate position therebetween.

As the height hmay be larger than the second height h, the spray cover may in the closed position extend in an at least partly inclined position from the central roof position to the frontal position. In one embodiment, the spray cover may, in the closed position, extend in an inclined direction from the central roof position to the frontal position. In an alternative embodiment, the spray cover may in the closed position extend horizontally along a first part and extend vertically along a second part. It should thus be understood, that the spray cover in the closed position may extend at least partly horizontally and/or at least partly vertically and/or at least party inclined, and that different combinations hereof may be applicable.

The first closure and the spray cover may be controlled individually. The control may be carried out manually or automatically. When controlling the first closure and/or the spray cover automatically, it may be possible to manually override the automatic control.

When moving the first closure and when moving the spray cover between an open position and a closed position, respectively, the first closure and the spray cover may each be arranged in intermediate positions, i.e., in positions where the first closure and the spray cover, respectively, are in a partly open position. It may be possible to first move the first closure, and subsequently move the spray cover, or vice versa. It may further be possible to simultaneously move the first closure and the spray cover, e.g., at the same speed or at different speeds.

The first closure has a lengthbeing defined as the dimension of the first closure in a loading direction, where the loading direction is the direction in which the ferry can be loaded. To facilitate closing of the first portion of the first loading port, the lengthmay be of the same size as the second height hor larger than the second height hand smaller than the first height h.

The lengthmay correspond to the dimension of the first closure from the attachment edge along the edge of the ferry deck to the free edge at which the first closure terminates. When opening and closing the first closure, the first closure may pivot around a pivot axis extening along the attachment edge.

The spray cover may comprise at least one sliding panel, which sliding panel(s) may be configured to slide in a direction towards the central roof position and towards the frontal positions. When sliding towards the central roof position, the at least one sliding panel may in one embodiment be configured to pass the central roof position to thereby slide further away from the frontal position.

The at least one sliding panel may span from one side of the ferry deck to the opposite side of the ferry deck above the ferry deck to thereby provide a panel or a plurality of panels which can close the second portion of the first loading port up to the full width of the ferry deck, where the width of the ferry deck is defined as a distance between two oppositely arranged sidewalls of the ferry.

In one embodiment, the spray cover may comprise at least two sliding panels arranged to move into a stacked configuration in the open position of the spray cover. When arranging the panels in the stacked configuration, the panels may be arranged on top of each other whereby they may overlap each other partly or fully. It should, however, be understood that a panel may telescopically be slided into a cavity of another panel to thereby arrange the panels in a stacked configuration. When providing the at least two panels for sliding movement, the panels may be arranged with an overlap along adjacent edges in the closed configuration to decrease the risk that water flowing downward from an upper panel to a lower panel does not flow between the panels and onto the deck. An upper panel may additionally be arranged above a lower panel, when the upper and lower panels are slided relative to each other, as this may further decrease the risk that water flowing downward from an upper panel to a lower panel flows between the panels and onto the deck.

The spray cover, such as the at least one sliding panel may span between side-tracks on opposite sides of the ferry deck creating an entrance opening larger than the second height hto thereby allow passage of higher vehicles; i.e., vehicles with a height being larger than the second height h. By arranging the side-tracks, as an example attached to oppositely arranged sidewalls facing each other, the at spray cover extending in an inclined direction and/or horizontally and/or vertically may be moved from the closed to the open position without any additional support between the side-tracks. Consequently, may the size of the opening of the loading port increase when moving the spray cover from the closed position.

The spray cover may as an example comprise a plurality of wheels which may be arranged in the side-track to thereby facilitate movement of the spray cover, such as the at least one sliding panel along the side-tracks.

In one embodiment, the movement of the spray cover from the closed position to the open position may be a continuous movement which may provide a continuous increase of the height of the opening of the loading port. Alternatively, the movement of the spray cover may be a stepwise movement, thereby providing a stepwise increase of the height of the opening of the loading port.

As an alternative to sliding panel(s), the spray cover may comprise a membrane which can be rolled. By rolling the membrane along an edge extending between two opposite sides of the ferry and by rolling the membrane from the frontal position towards the central roof position, the configuration of the spray cover may change from the closed position to the open position.

In a further alternative embodiment, the spray cover may comprise a panel which can be slided along the ferry deck when moving the spray cover from the closed position to the open position. The panel may be moved along the ferry deck at a distance over the deck allowing vehicles to drive below the panel, where the distance may vary during the movement between the closed and the open position. The panel may be bendable, as this may facilitate moving of the panel being arranged at an inclined angle in the closed position to an open position in which it may be substantially horizontally arranged above the ferry deck, such as substantially parallel to a ceiling over the ferry deck.

Contrary to the first closure which may be arranged for pivotal movement, movement of the spray cover between the open position and the closed position may be a movement along a path which may be a straight path or a curved path. If the spray cover comprises one or more panels, the panel(s) may be slided along the path when changing between the open position and the closed position. If the spray cover comprises a membrane, the membrane may be rolled and un-rolled along the path when changing between the open position and the closed position.

In an even further alternative, the spray cover may comprise a folding hatch, whereby the spray cover may be arranged in the open position by folding. When arranging the spray cover in the closed position, the folding hatch may be unfolded.

A spray cover comprising a membrane and/or a spray cover comprising a panel and/or a spray cover comprising a folding hatch may likewise span between side-tracks on opposite sides of the ferry deck creating an entrance opening allowing passage larger than the second height. Movement of the membrane and/or movement of the panel and/or movement of the folding hatch may likewise be a continuous movement or a stepwise movement.

In the closed position, the spray cover may extend in an inclined direction from a central roof position to the frontal position and closes the second portion of the first loading port. The inclined direction may extend along straight path or a curved path, whereby the spray cover may be arranged for movement along a straight or a curved path.

To reduce the risk of water-spay onto the ferry desk, the first closure in the closed position and the spray cover in the closed position may engage each other. This may be achieved by providing matching engagement structures on the first closure and the spray cover. The matching engagements structures may be provided along an edge portion of each of the first closure and the spray cover. The respective edge portions may extend transverse to the ferry desk at an outermost portion of the first closure and the spray cover, respectively. By engagement between the first closure and the spray cover, the spray cover may additionally be structurally supported by the first closure when arranged in the closed position.

A bending stiffness of the spray cover may be lower than a bending stiffness of the first closure. Consequently, the spray cover may transfer forces to first closure, whereas transfer of forces from the first closure to the spray cover may substantially not take place. The lower bending may partly be counteracted by engagement between the spray cover and the first closure in their closed positions.

The ferry may further comprise a top opening arranged between the central roof position and a top roof position. The top opening may be opened and closed independently on opening and closing of the first closure and/or the spray cover. The top opening may as an example facilitate ventilation of the ferry deck, when opening the top opening while the first closure and the spray cover are in their respective closed positions.

In one embodiment, the top opening may be closed by moving the spray cover towards the central roof position and pass the central roof position to thereby slide further away from the frontal position to a position, where the top opening is covered by the spray cover being in the open position. Alternatively, or additionally, the top opening may comprise a separate closing member, such as a plate arrangeable over the top opening, a hatch, or the like.

In one embodiment, one or more temperature sensors and/or one or more pollution sensors may be arranged on the ferry deck, such as on a sidewall hereof. The sensor(s) may be configured to transmit a signal to a controller which may open and/or close the top opening in response to the received signal. The top opening may alternatively or additionally be manually operated.

In case the ferry is used for transportation of dangerous goods, trucks transporting the dangerous goods may as an example be arranged below the spray cover at the stern of the ferry.

If the spray cover at the stern of the ferry is arranged in the open position, and if a top opening at the bow is arranged in the opening configuration, the ferry deck may be ventilated, and leakage from the dangerous goods may be ventilated out of the ferry deck.

The ferry may comprise an additional closure and an additional spray cover to provide a second loading port at the opposite end of the ferry relative to the first loading port. This may be particularly relevant for double ended ferries to allow vehicles to roll onto the ferry at both ends. It should be understood, that an additional closure and an additional spray cover arranged to provide a second loading port at the opposite end of the ferry relative to the first loading port may also be provided at a single ended ferry, as a single ended ferry in one embodiment may also be loaded and unloaded from both ends (bow and stern).

The spray cover may be arranged only as a cover, e.g., arranged to protect vehicles from water spray and to take pressure from water spray. The spray cover may be dimensioned to carry the weight of itself and additionally carry the weight of water/snow on the spray cover. As the spray cover may extend in an inclined direction, ramping of water may be facilitated.

In one embodiment, the length of the ferry along the ferry deck may be below 100 m.

According to a second aspect, the disclosure provides a method of operating a ferry according to the first aspect, wherein the spray cover is moved independent on movement of the first closure. By moving the spray cover independent on movement of the first closure, it may be possible to only open the first closure to allow vehicles to roll onto the ferry deck, if all vehicles are below the second height hbeing a vertical distance from a plane defined by the ferry deck to the frontal position, or at least only open the spray cover to allow higher vehicles to roll onto the ferry deck. When such higher vehicles are on the ferry deck, the spray cover may be closed again, while lower vehicles can still roll onto the ferry deck.

In one embodiment, the ferry may be sailed with the spray cover in the open position or in an at least partly open position and the first closure in a closed position. This may be particularly relevant during weather conditions with no or at least very little water spray. The ferry may additionally be sailed with the first closure in an open position. This may be particularly relevant at short distances and/or in calm weather and/or at areas with low current.

The spray cover may be moved, while the ferry sails. As an example, the spray cover may be moved from the closed position to the open position or a partly open position, when the ferry approaches a quay. Additionally, or alternatively, the spray cover may be moved from the open position to the closed position, while the ferry sails to avoid water spray during sailing. In one embodiment, it may be preferred to sail the ferry having the spray cover in the open position. A rain sensor and/or a humidity sensor may be arranged on the ferry, where the sensor(s) may be configured for transmitting a rain/humidity signal to a controller. The controller may be configured to close the spray cover in response to the received rain/humidity signal.

The method may further comprise a step of determining a height of a vehicle, and a step of moving the spray cover in the direction of the central roof position in dependency of the determined height to thereby open or partly open the spray cover. The step of determining the height of a vehicle may as an example be carried out by measuring the height, e.g., automatically when the vehicle passes a sensor at the harbour, by reading the height from a corresponding ferry ticket, by data typed in by a driver entering the ferry area, etc. Subsequent to determining the height, the spray cover may be moved in dependency of the determined height to thereby provide a height of the opening of the loading port large enough to allow the vehicles to roll onto the ferry deck. Accordingly, the spray cover may be moved based on data generated outside the ferry.

It should be understood, that a skilled person would readily recognise that any feature described in combination with the first aspect of the disclosure could also be combined with the second aspect of the disclosure, and vice versa.

The remarks set forth above in relation to the ferry are therefore equally applicable in relation to the method of operating the ferry.

It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.