Condor Ferries used to run hydrofoils between the Channel Islands, the UK and France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condor_Ferries. However they retired their last hydrofoil in 1993.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJLnJx9SzR8
https://thesarnian.com/guernsey-history/condor-1-hydrofoil-f...
I went on one once. It was disappointing. Going above decks was no longer allowed, so it was a bit like a very bumpy airplane ride with everyone sitting in their seats and nervously eyeing the sick-bags.
Unless it changed recently, there is a regular hydrofoil line linking Vienna to Bratislava on the Danube. I rode it in 2015, it's a wonderfully kitsch piece of Soviet era kit, but does this beast fly!
I rode one 20 years ago to islands off the coast of Greece. One of the trips was rough though due to choppy seas. I recall seatbelts were required and barf bags were utilized by a few passengers.
At sea, sure, but on a large river like the Danube it'extremely smooth, hardly any wave :)
Re:Foiling Electric Boat
by sandworm101 on Thursday August 20, 2020 @10:11AM
(#24223415)
Every hit the wake from a larger boat? That a river is generally flat doesn't mean that you won't occasionally hit a freak wave.
Regardless of type of boat, waves need to be considered and managed. Most of the time speed needs to be reduced. The same for Candela, when a wave is to high it works to operate just like a regular boat.
Re:Foiling Electric Boat
by julienfr112 on Thursday August 20, 2020 @09:46AM
(#24223151)
Rode one between HK and Macao. Turbine driven, airplaine seat with seat belt fasten !!
For a limited definition of bad sea states--the FAQ says the limit before you might unexpectedly land is about 1m wave height, which wouldn't be a serious issue for an ordinary boat almost 8m in length [1].
That said, I do think there's a place for hydrofoils on sheltered bodies of water. There is (or was, 10 years ago) a regular hydrofoil ferry service that runs between Petrozavodsk and the island of Kizhi [2], which cuts travel time dramatically compared to a traditional ferry.
[1] https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/safety-rules/before-boat...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kizhi_Pogost