GEORGE TOWN: The public can now step aboard the Pulau Pinang ferry which has been transformed into a four-deck floating museum featuring artefacts, models, dioramas, and access to the engine room.
Among its centrepieces is the Voith Schneider cycloidal propeller – a unique system that combines propulsion and steering in a single unit.
Berthed at Tanjung City Marina in Weld Quay, the Penang Ferry Museum offers visitors a comprehensive showcase that traces ferry services from 1893 to the modern catamarans introduced in 2023.
In a soft launch session yesterday, two-year-old visitor Trevor Kneoh was seen exploring the captain’s cabin on the top deck.
He gleefully gripped the heavy phone receiver and fiddled with the steering dials, pretending to command the vessel.
His father Billy Kneoh, 29, said the paid experience was a bridge between the past and present.
“The old ferries were double-enders with propellers and passenger entrances at both ends.
“The wooden and metal flip seats that could face either direction are a memorable feature still retained in the museum.
“I remember the old design of the vessel – the large bolts, thick steel panels and steep staircases – typical of ships from that era.
“My son has a keen interest in marine vessels. This is a trip to relive my memories and a new experience for him,” he said.
Billy said small details like the gentle wobble of the ferry on the sea, the creaking hull and the scent of diesel fumes further heightened the nostalgia of his teenage crossings.
In the past, passengers could only access the main and upper decks.
But the four-storey ferry now allows visitors to explore the lower deck, which houses the engines, as well as the captain’s navigation cabins on the upper deck.
It also includes a history corner, showcasing ferry vessels that served in the past, featuring detailed scale models such as the Senangin ferry and Lidah ferry – both former military landing craft repurposed in 1947 to restore ferry services after World War II.
Visitors can relive pivotal moments, including the 1988 collapse of the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal bridge and experience scenes of the ferry terminals from both the past and present through multimedia and diorama displays.
The tour also offers a glimpse into the ferry’s engine room, located within the hull, to see its twin Wartsila 6L20 diesel engines surrounded by valves, hoses, narrow passageways and airtight doors.
Penang Ferry Museum director Abdul Hadi Abu Osman claimed it is the world’s first passenger ferry museum, with hopes to attract around 2,000 visitors daily once it officially opens on Malaysia Day.
“The museum aims to tell the story of Penang’s ferry service, spanning from 1893 to 2023.
“It features a diverse range of exhibits designed to engage visitors of all ages, showcasing artefacts from the ferry itself alongside items salvaged from other retired vessels,” said Abdul Hadi, who is also the chief executive officer of Printhero Merchandise Sdn Bhd, the company leasing the ferry to operate the museum.
Before the Penang Bridge was completed in 1985, the ferry service was the only direct means for vehicles and passengers to cross the Penang channel between the island and mainland.
The iconic Pulau Pinang ferry, which came into service in 1957, was built by Singapore Harbour Board to cope with rising demand then.
The 180-tonne vessel was a single prototype featuring double-ended entry and loading capabilities for faster vehicular embarkation and disembarkation.
Carrying vehicles on the lower deck and passengers on the upper level, it revolutionised cross-straits transit.
From 1893 until then, people had to cross the channel on steamers, barges and even converted military landing craft.
Works to transform the ferry into a museum began in 2022 but progress was delayed after the vessel sank at the marina.
The official launch will be held on Malaysia Day.
For locals, tickets are priced at RM29 for adults and RM15 for children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
VIP passes, which provide expedited entry and access to the engine room, are available at RM59 for adults and RM39 for children.
