Hoverlink - Cork Harbour Hovercraft

Hoverlink - Cork Harbour Hovercraft Photographs © John H. Luxton & John Jefferies 2006
	On the first evening of my recent trip to Cóbh I spotted a small blue and whit hovercraft passing Spike Island and then between Spike and Haulbowline Islands before disappearing in the direction of Crosshaven. However, it was much too far away to photograph. I did later find the "Hovercraft Stop" - a traffic cone with a sign attached but I didn't get to see the hovercraft. However, thanks to John Jefferies of Cóbh I can now illustrate this new means of travel across Cork Harbour.
John Jefferies tracked the hovercraft down to Whitegate, on the east side of the harbour. John says: "It was laid up on the foreshore and while I was taking photos the owner came out and we had a chat. Apparently he imported it from Russia and has a Department of Marine licence to operate it as a passenger ferry. It is a Mars 700 model made in Novgorod. I checked it out and it's Russian owners have a website with photos including one of the craft gliding along the frozen Volga! The owner's name is Martin and he runs three scheduled tours of the harbour a day, calling at East Beach in Cobh. He also has it on hire for parties of up to 7 people with tours to Crosshaven and to East Ferry and around Whitegate Bay. He's setting up a website at though it's not online yet. I attach one photo of it at Whitegate, though I didn't get to see it in the water.