Pattaya-Hua Hin Ferry Service At Last !

[Road Runner]

(EyeMahk @ Nov. 25 2010,07:48) An overpriced "Pattaya to Hua Hin" boat that doesn't go to/from Pattaya OR Hua Hin.

Their best bet to sell this would be on speed  -  get there faster than the minibuses  -  but the ticket price would need to be only a few percent higher.

I wonder if either berthing costs or vested interests prevented them from the using the pier at Pattaya or maybe it's just not suitable.
I never bothered to look at it with that in mind.   I don't even know what is at HH.
The minibus pick-up will add extra costs on top of running the boat  -  probably about 200-300 baht/passenger and I agree will tend to put people off.

It looks from the timings that the crossing is about 4 hours if the trip length is 105 km. then the service speed is about 25 km/h.
That would add up with the length and means it's got moderate power and therefore moderate fuel consumption.
That is always a balancing act and one that is not easy to master  -  Stena Line (the biggest ferry company in the world) f*#ked it up big time with their HSS.

I suspect they should have made it longer and faster to get the crossing time to a little under 3 hours  -  from a study done in Europe the magic figure is 2.5 - 2.75 hours maximum.
Making it faster would allow 2 round trips per day which allows for better utilisation but the demand would need to be there.
Making it longer should also reduce the draft giving a wider choice of places to berth - maybe even straight off a beach with a portable gangway.
Making it longer it would make it more comfortable in short steep waves and with a wave piercing hull it would heave less (go up and down like a lift) which is the motion that makes the passengers heave-up!

The other consideration is passenger numbers/comfort.   Comfort is fairly easy as they just need to offer something better than a minibus or coach.
Numbers......  that is what I think will kill them.  I guess it will either be a big success and the boat will prove to be too small.
Or more likely the timings, pricing and inconvenience will mean they will struggle to fill it and cover their costs.

RR.


Realised I'd missread the timetable and the crossing is probably 4 hours with a 1 hour window in HH to cover turn around/delays due to bad weather.