Searoad ferry

Industry	Shipping
Founded	1983
Headquarters	Queenscliff, Australia
Area served	Port Phillip Bay
Services	Passenger transportation Freight transportation
Website	www.searoad.com.au

Searoad Ferries (formerly known as Peninsula Searoad Transport) is an Australian company that operates a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry service between the heads of Port Phillip, near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The route operates between terminals at Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. It is serviced by two ships, currently the MV Queenscliff and the MV Sorrento. Dolphins are often seen following the ferries during their crossing.

The ferry service runs every hour during the day, and makes a crossing in approximately 40 minutes. The single journey cost for a car and driver is A$62, with an additional charge for passengers. The alternative drive from Queenscliff to Sorrento via road is approximately three hours during non-peak traffic conditions.

Three sea pilots, Paul Ringe, Keith Finnemore and Maurie Cobal founded Peninsula Searoad Transport Pty Ltd (PST) in 1983. They believed that a vehicular ferry should run between Queenscliff and Sorrento. There were mixed opinions about this from the public. Some people thought that the novelty would wear off and then business would fail. However, the various tourism boards in Victoria were excited about the prospect of having a vehicular ferry, linking the two peninsulas and would also create tourism jobs.

After various planning, on 19 June 1987 the Peninsula Princess was launched in Carrington, New South Wales. She underwent sea trials before moving to Port Phillip Bay. Her crew boarded her in Geelong, Victoria to get a feel for the vessel. She had to wait there for the Queenscliff berth to be completed.

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Wikipedia