Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if
they wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising
ferry crossing distance.

Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

On 2015\03\27 07:00, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each
other and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the
abandoned railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes
to the south pier.

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 07:00, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream? That way,
they're more controllable. In the same way, river boats normally moor
facing upstream.

On 2015\03\27 13:12, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 07:00, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

In message , at 13:26:14 on Fri, 27 Mar
2015, Basil Jet remarked:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

From Teddington to the North Sea.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:26:14 on Fri, 27 Mar 2015,
Basil Jet remarked:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry
crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

From Teddington to the North Sea.

And obviously at Woolwich.

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 13:12, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
On 2015\03\27 07:00, Recliner wrote:
Basil Jet wrote:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

Yes, I know, but on average the water flows downstream, so the ferries will
most often be powering towards the dock, rather than resisting the current.
That makes them more controllable, and less likely to smash into the dock.

Incidentally, I notice that, slightly downstream, there's an old, derelict
pier just opposite the old North Woolwich station -- was this used by the
ferries in the past? Or was it to serve passengers who arrived at the
station?

Recliner wrote:
Incidentally, I notice that, slightly downstream, there's an old, derelict
pier just opposite the old North Woolwich station -- was this used by the
ferries in the past? Or was it to serve passengers who arrived at the
station?

It's marked as 'LNER pier' on this map:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/north_woolwich/
adjacent to the 'Free Ferry' which goes from what looks to be the current
pier. According to the text, the Great Eastern ran a North to South
Woolwich ferry competing with the free ferry which closed in 1908, but the
pier was then used for river steamers. Looks like the pier has been there
since 1847.

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:
Looks like the pier has been there since 1847.

Some pictures:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n...index122.shtml

Theo