Why is the first vehicle on not the first one off ?

We load the ferries in the most efficient way possible to achieve the scheduled number of crossings per hour, carrying the maximum number of vehicles. We do not intentionally operate a “first on – nearly last off” system but we appreciate that it can sometimes appear this way! There are a number of factors and reasons that dictate the way ferries are loaded.

Sometimes ferry users may appear to ‘gain’ and sometimes they may appear to ‘lose’ but overall, we aim to load, move and unload all vehicles safely. The process is dictated by level of demand whilst always aiming to maintain scheduled service.

To achieve the required crossing time we generally have to start loading while vehicles are still leaving a ferry.

From Torpoint, vehicles access the ferry on the north (up-river) side of the slipway. To load these vehicles in the quickest possible time, we empty that side of the ferry deck first. This enables us to simultaneously load this area while disembarking other traffic from the southerly side of the ferries. The south (down river) side of the ferry is then loaded last.

When the ferry arrives at Devonport, the first vehicles to disembark will be on the southerly side (down-river) creating the reverse effect to the Torpoint operation. As a result, the first to board on the north side of the ferry may be some of the last off.