Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
SS Manly
Manly (II) was a ferry that served on the Sydney to Manly run from 1896 to 1924.
Designed by renowned naval architect Walter Reeks, Manly was the first double-ended screw ferry on the Manly run. She, along with Kuring-gai (1901), were the archetypes for the long run of Manly ferries for most of the twentieth century.
In the 1880s, the Port Jackson Steamship Company Limited had been expanding its paddle steamer fleet and services to Manly from Sydney (Circular Quay). Without competition, fares also rose. In response, local interests set up the Manly Co-operative Steam Ferry Limited in 1893 that ran a service with chartered single-ended screw steamers. While a price-war ensued, the new company's smaller and open vessels (Cygnet, Admiral, Conqueror, and Marramarra) could not match Port Jackson's larger vessels, which included Brighton, Fairlight, Narrabeen. However, patronage for both companies increased significantly.
To entice a bigger share of the expanding market, the Manly Co-op ordered a 700-passenger steamer to be named Emancipator. The company commissioned renowned naval architect Walter Reeks to design her. But by 1896, when the older company dropped prices to threepence return and the high cost of building the new Emancipator, the Manly Co-Op collapsed. The Port Jackson Co took over the Manly Co-op's interests (including the nearly completed Emancipator) and changed its name to Port Jackson Co-operative Steamship Co. Ltd. The name of the near complete "Emancipator" was dropped in favour of "Manly".
The new ferry boat was built by Young, Son & Fletcher in Balmain, New South Wales. She was a double-ended double-screw vessel of wooden-construction. A product of the competitive market and designed to capture the market, she was an innovative vessel. She became the archetype for the familiar Manly ferries throughout the twentieth century. She had high forecastles at either end to run at speed through the deep-sea conditions across the Sydney Heads. Her basic design was further refined with the subsequent steel and larger ferry Kuring-gai (1906), the six Binngarra-class vessels, culminating in the Scottish-built Dee Why and Curl Curl and South Steyne. Unlike her predecessors, Manly had two wheelhouses both placed immediately fore and aft of her funnel. She had an open promenade deck and an enclosed lower deck.
She measured 44.8 m (147 ft 0 in) long (only two-thirds the length of Brighton) with a beam of 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in). At 229 tons, she was approximately half the size of the Binngarra-type ferries. Her 100 hp engine, built by Fawcett, Preston and Company (of England), was the first triple expansion steam engines in a Manly ferry. Capable of over 14 knots, she could carry 820 passengers. Her wooden construction allowed the continuous propeller shaft to lose its alignment resulting in severe vibration. This was relieved when her three-bladed propellers were replaced with four-bladed ones.
Ordered by the Manly Co-op, she was to have been named Emancipator and she was not christened at her launch due to the merger negotiations following the Manly Co-o'ps failure. Two days after her launch, on the 14 of June 1896, the two competing companies began the process to amalgamate and shortly thereafter she received her name, "Manly".
After a period of fitting out, Manly ran her trials on 30 October 1896 where she covered the measured mile in a little over 4 minutes, exceeding expectations. Her trials were run under Captain Clark of the Balmain Ferry Company.
Hub AI
SS Manly AI simulator
(@SS Manly_simulator)
SS Manly
Manly (II) was a ferry that served on the Sydney to Manly run from 1896 to 1924.
Designed by renowned naval architect Walter Reeks, Manly was the first double-ended screw ferry on the Manly run. She, along with Kuring-gai (1901), were the archetypes for the long run of Manly ferries for most of the twentieth century.
In the 1880s, the Port Jackson Steamship Company Limited had been expanding its paddle steamer fleet and services to Manly from Sydney (Circular Quay). Without competition, fares also rose. In response, local interests set up the Manly Co-operative Steam Ferry Limited in 1893 that ran a service with chartered single-ended screw steamers. While a price-war ensued, the new company's smaller and open vessels (Cygnet, Admiral, Conqueror, and Marramarra) could not match Port Jackson's larger vessels, which included Brighton, Fairlight, Narrabeen. However, patronage for both companies increased significantly.
To entice a bigger share of the expanding market, the Manly Co-op ordered a 700-passenger steamer to be named Emancipator. The company commissioned renowned naval architect Walter Reeks to design her. But by 1896, when the older company dropped prices to threepence return and the high cost of building the new Emancipator, the Manly Co-Op collapsed. The Port Jackson Co took over the Manly Co-op's interests (including the nearly completed Emancipator) and changed its name to Port Jackson Co-operative Steamship Co. Ltd. The name of the near complete "Emancipator" was dropped in favour of "Manly".
The new ferry boat was built by Young, Son & Fletcher in Balmain, New South Wales. She was a double-ended double-screw vessel of wooden-construction. A product of the competitive market and designed to capture the market, she was an innovative vessel. She became the archetype for the familiar Manly ferries throughout the twentieth century. She had high forecastles at either end to run at speed through the deep-sea conditions across the Sydney Heads. Her basic design was further refined with the subsequent steel and larger ferry Kuring-gai (1906), the six Binngarra-class vessels, culminating in the Scottish-built Dee Why and Curl Curl and South Steyne. Unlike her predecessors, Manly had two wheelhouses both placed immediately fore and aft of her funnel. She had an open promenade deck and an enclosed lower deck.
She measured 44.8 m (147 ft 0 in) long (only two-thirds the length of Brighton) with a beam of 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in). At 229 tons, she was approximately half the size of the Binngarra-type ferries. Her 100 hp engine, built by Fawcett, Preston and Company (of England), was the first triple expansion steam engines in a Manly ferry. Capable of over 14 knots, she could carry 820 passengers. Her wooden construction allowed the continuous propeller shaft to lose its alignment resulting in severe vibration. This was relieved when her three-bladed propellers were replaced with four-bladed ones.
Ordered by the Manly Co-op, she was to have been named Emancipator and she was not christened at her launch due to the merger negotiations following the Manly Co-o'ps failure. Two days after her launch, on the 14 of June 1896, the two competing companies began the process to amalgamate and shortly thereafter she received her name, "Manly".
After a period of fitting out, Manly ran her trials on 30 October 1896 where she covered the measured mile in a little over 4 minutes, exceeding expectations. Her trials were run under Captain Clark of the Balmain Ferry Company.