A Yaumati Ferry

The photos show a model of the type of ferry which ran between Yaumati to Wanchai in the 60’s. On my way to school every morning, I boarded the ferry at Wanchai Ferry Pier which was just two streets away from where I used to live.

HYF (printed at the funnel) represents Hong Kong Yaumati Ferry Company Limited. In the past, the company provided the people of Hong Kong ferry services between various parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

This ferry was a double-decker which narrowed down at its two ends like a leaf. On the upper deck, the central portion was a closed cabin, which provided a shelter for passengers from wind and rain. On each side was a wooden white door which could be lowered through ropes by a sailor as a gangway. The two sharper ends were wide open with railings at sitting levels. Canvases are lowered when there were winds and rain. The seats were long wooden benches with movable backs. At the centre of the ferry was the big funnel which came from the engine room through two decks and out of the top of the ferry, so it was warm when one was standing near the funnel.

The lower deck was not so comfortable as the upper because it was noisier (closer to the engine) and very often strong ropes were laid at the aisles which made walking over them difficult. Moreover, one may get wet when sea water splashed overboard at times of huge waves and strong winds. The large wooden rafts hanging at the sides of the ferry usually blocked parts of the beautiful scenery around. After all, the only advantage of sitting on this deck was the cheaper fare.

The ferry could move forward and backward easily because it had two propellers, one at the front and the other at the back. The pilots could navigate the ferry at either bridge at the roof-top. Each time when the ferry embarked at a pier, we could see the pilots walk to the other bridge to steel the wheel for the next journey.

In speed comparison, this type of ferry ran a little faster than a giant vehicular ferry because it was much lighter. In terms of time, the ferry journey between Yaumati and Wanchai took about twenty minutes.