Boats and Bridges Cebu

Cebu waterfront

There’s always a buzz of activity along the waterfront in the channel between Cebu City and Mactan Island. It’s the hub for transportation, shipping, and industry in the Visayas. Scrap yards full of iron to be recycled, oil tanks for Petron, fire boats, ferries, fishing vessels and bridges make it kind of interesting.

Here two police cruisers are parked up against the exit gate preventing vegetable dealers from leaving the port with their fresh produce. After a couple hour stand off, the truck drivers broke out in applause and started to exit. Possibly there was a paperwork mix-up, and the proper paper wasn’t filed into the proper pocket.

There are many little tugs working the docks.

tugboats

tugboat

Cebu Harbor

Small gypsy fishing boats, tugs,  local ferries, and international cargo ships weave between each other in the channel.

The two larger ships behind the tugboat, in the above photo, appear to be from the Sulpicio fleet which was grounded pending review after the Typhoon Frank disaster last year.  One of their ferries lost 800 people when it capsized. Most of Sulpicios fleet is at anchor in Cebu waiting for the outcome, while some speculate that they should be prevented from carrying passengers in the future due to their poor safety record.

Now Aboitiz is under review and they are grounded too, following the capsizing of Super Ferry 9 off of Mindanao earlier this week. It was reported that 10 lives were lost in that incident.

This ferry is heading to Ormoc from Cebu. It will pass under both the old and new bridges connecting Mactan Island with the mainland.

Mactan Bridge

Petron storage tank facility, just past the first bridge.

Another storage facility further down the channel.

Trans Asia Shipping is an easy way to get to Masbate.

I was taking the Lite Shipping ferry to Ormoc for the nth time.  I prefer the open air to the claustrophobic Super Cat.

Lite Shipping ferry

Fast ferry to Ormoc.

I used Roble Shipping quite a few times to get to Samar from Cebu. They make that run once a week.

Roble Shipping ferry Catbalogan to Cebu City

Cokaliong Shipping – Travel by ferry is relatively easy. Rather than study a travel guide, buy a local newspaper and check the ferry schedule. All guide books will have out of date schedules, and even sites like this are out of date as soon as you press the submit button. Schedules and route change all the time so check that newspaper to get the latest scoop.

Gothong Shipping.

Leyte to Bohol Ferry

Cebu Waterfront