Any Ferry Attempts On Rio De La Plata Below Buenos Aires?

[yd_mtl]

Can you mention your source link ???? Did you see a Buquebus Terminal in Punta Del Este ?

Regarding Punta del Este: The Bradt Travel Guide to Uruguay from 2010 (by Tim Burford) says the following: "Buquebus...runs both fast ferries and traditional slower ships from Buenos Aires; these no longer go directly to Punta del Este, but connecting buses go there from both Colonia and Montevideo." (emphasis mine)

As for Piriapolis, if you look at the Buquebus website, you'll see that place alongside Colonia and Montevideo on the list of Uruguayan terminals. See here: http://www.buquebus....ales_A_pol.html

 

[sleslie23]

They don't call it BuqueBUS for nothing. My guess is it's more cost effective to run a short ferry from BsAs to Colonia and run buses everywhere else.

 

[Matt84]

it's actually an estuary (the estuary or fjord or ria) of the Parana River.
Estuaries become exponentially longer to bridge as they go downstream.
I do remember one instance of some service (promoted, don't know if real) of a ferry going to mar del plata (which I find impossible as most of these ferries, not the catamarans, are not seagoing vessels), and also know of a real ferry service (don't know if still in operation) that goes from buenos aires to rosario and maybe even asuncion... but not sure
it's all for touristic reasons obviously as it makes no economic sense whatsoever. zarate brazo largo is an amazing feat of engineering and infrastructure in itself and it only exists because the wide distance to cover the parana continues upstream all along the greater delta and islas lechiguanas.
but as said before in the best post I have ever read in this forum: maybe Argentina can have the Chinese build a high speed railroad connecting b.a. to Rio via Montevideo and Sao Paulo in exchange for some magic beans

 

[yd_mtl]

They don't call it BuqueBUS for nothing. My guess is it's more cost effective to run a short ferry from BsAs to Colonia and run buses everywhere else.

If Argentina and Uruguay were both highly developed, First World countries, would it still be more cost-effective to run many short ferries between BA and Colonia and some ferries from BA to Montevideo, or would the economics allow for somewhat more ferry routes?

 

[Matt84]

If Argentina and Uruguay were both highly developed, First World countries, would it still be more cost-effective to run many short ferries between BA and Colonia and some ferries from BA to Montevideo, or would the economics allow for somewhat more ferry routes?

You are vert much right. Back in the late 90s I believe there was an attempt, if not a real working service from Buenos Aires to Piriapolis. It was not very cost effective (and Señor Lopez Mena already held the monopoly which might have played a factor) but it would have been for a wealthier market - of owners of one or more cars in argentina but not in uruguay. At what point taking the plane is just cheaper and faster? Carless people prefer it, and car owners who could afford the ferry to piriapolis would probably be able to afford owning or renting a car in uruguay for that matter, rendering the service useless - except for ship loving people like me who would have paid for the fun of it.
And this happens in Europe too with touristic ferries like the one from Portsmouth to Santander when a plane is so much cheaper.

 

[glasgowjohn]

Back in the late seventies there used to be a cruise to Asuncion , according to an 85 year old frined who works in PUERTO MADERO

 

[Matt84]

I think this budget cruise line tried an upper paraguai cruise but they didnt incur into argentine or braziian territory. i can't find it now, only this: https://www.expeditions.com/destinations/amazon/upper-amazon-aboard-delfin-ii/

 

[Rich One]

it's actually an estuary (the estuary or fjord or ria) of the Parana River.
Estuaries become exponentially longer to bridge as they go downstream.
I do remember one instance of some service (promoted, don't know if real) of a ferry going to mar del plata (which I find impossible as most of these ferries, not the catamarans, are not seagoing vessels), and also know of a real ferry service (don't know if still in operation) that goes from buenos aires to rosario and maybe even asuncion... but not sure
it's all for touristic reasons obviously as it makes no economic sense whatsoever. zarate brazo largo is an amazing feat of engineering and infrastructure in itself and it only exists because the wide distance to cover the parana continues upstream all along the greater delta and islas lechiguanas.
but as said before in the best post I have ever read in this forum: maybe Argentina can have the Chinese build a high speed railroad connecting b.a. to Rio via Montevideo and Sao Paulo in exchange for some magic beans

Channels exist that have the necessary depth for vessels to navigate it isn't just joining point A to point B. As you mention the ferries are catamarans not suited for open seas. ferries in the Baltic from Stockolm to Helsinki or Helsinki to Tallinn are ocean going vessels.

 

[yd_mtl]

Channels exist that have the necessary depth for vessels to navigate it isn't just joining point A to point B. As you mention the ferries are catamarans not suited for open seas. ferries in the Baltic from Stockolm to Helsinki or Helsinki to Tallinn are ocean going vessels.

I guess that, in general, the BA-Colonia and BA-Montevideo ferries follow the navigation channels outlined in the maps here?

 

[Matt84]

Channels exist that have the necessary depth for vessels to navigate it isn't just joining point A to point B. As you mention the ferries are catamarans not suited for open seas. ferries in the Baltic from Stockolm to Helsinki or Helsinki to Tallinn are ocean going vessels.

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Thank you for the maps!
Those Slija Line and similar Ferries are, statistically, the most dangerous mode of transportation of the modern World (I don't know if they factored Argentine Buses, probably not), and I love ferries! but when you have open doors in the prow and bow and baltic waves disasters happen. More recently in a similar but not quiet the same ship in Korea.
However I said those ferries meaning the old monohull ones you see rotting in Puerto Madero next to the casino. The Catamarans, in fact for being catamarans, I believe are very much ocean going vessels, the same they use to bridge Melbourne to Hobart. In fact I believe all buquebus ships are either Australian and Norwegian (maybe Finnish? that would make more sense given the consolidated Finnish-Uruguayan Alliance ) and designed for the sea.
They use similar ferries in the Canaries and Malta too.