[Mini Guide] Ferries - Island Coal Supply

[Silent_Shadow]

Note: This trick only works on the beta for now. You will have to subscribe to the beta or wait for the next update for this to work.

Previously, coal and other aggregates could only be brought to islands via boats, which unfortunately requires an aggregate dock and usually a separate aggregate ship. Thanks to the update, there is now a second way: ferries. Ferries don't need an aggregate dock and can be done by boats or helicopters, but unfortunately this method does need a cargo harbor with an attached space for vehicles, it cannot be automated, and it won't work when importing from beyond the borders.

Because used vehicles can be assigned to spaces for vehicles as cargo (use the "change workplace/depot" button) you can now ferry loaded trucks (and trains) between islands to get coal (and other aggregates and goods) from one island to another. This method can also be used to move waste between islands without bridges, but since it needs player input, I wouldn't recommend using this method for waste.

Concrete and asphalt can be transported in this way, but construction offices will not be able to make use of them as they need their respective source (asphalt/concrete plant) assigned, so it is rather pointless to do so. Gravel will also have to be dumped out into an aggregate storage for a CO to use it, as a CO will clear its truck's cargo (destroying the material) when it sends it on a job.

Ferry Setup Procedure

1. On each island, build a cargo harbor with a space for vehicles connected via factory connection and also build a road depot nearby. The larger the road depots and the closer they are to the harbor's space for vehicles, the better.
   
2. Get a ship for moving vehicles. The Ighnatov works well for this.
   
3. Make the following line/schedule for the ship:
   1. At coal island harbor - load vehicles with coal, unload vehicles, wait until un/loaded.
      
   2. At other island harbor - load vehicles without coal, unload vehicles, wait until un/loaded.
4. Open the line manager and create two new lines:
   Loading coal Line:
   1. Coal source - Load coal
      
   2. Coal island depot.
      Trucks should load coal and then go wait in the depot.
   Unloading coal Line:
   1. Destination - Unload coal
      
   2. Other island depot.
      Trucks should unload coal and then go wait in the depot.
5. Get some dump trucks at the coal source island. Avoid getting more than your "ferry" ship can handle. Multiples of your depot's number of parking spots (8 or 4 spots for vanilla) are more convenient too.

Ferry Operating Procedure

1. Start the ship on its line.
   
2. Reassign the trucks to the coal island depot if not there already.
   
3. Open the line manager and open the coal loading line, and then copy the line to the trucks in the road depot and then start them on this line. This can be made easier in a couple ways:
   • Open the road depot's menu and then with the line copy tool selected, click on the truck icons in the road depot's menu to quickly assign them all to the line.
     
   • If you also hold left Ctrl while clicking, the trucks will also start the line.
4. Once all of the trucks have loaded coal and returned to the depot, use the "Change depot/workplace for all vehicles" button found in the road depot's menu to move all of the trucks into the harbor's space for vehicles. The ship should automatically load them as they enter. Do not be alarmed as the coal stops being displayed; it is still in the trucks.
   
5. Once all trucks are on board, open the ship's menu and tell it to proceed to its next stop at the other harbor, where it should automatically unload the trucks into the harbor's space for vehicles.
   
6. Once all trucks are unloaded, open the menu of the space for vehicles and use the "Change depot/workplace for all vehicles" button to send all of the trucks to the other island's road depot.
   
7. Open the Unloading coal line from the Line manager window and copy it to the trucks in the other island's road depot and start them on the line. The trucks should unload their coal and return to the depot.
   
8. Once all trucks return to the depot, open the depot's menu and use the "Change depot/workplace for all vehicles" button to send all trucks to the other harbor's space for vehicles. The ship should automatically load them as they enter.
   
9. Open the ship's menu and send it back to the coal island's harbor. Once there, it should automatically unload the trucks into the space for vehicles.
   
10. Repeat steps as needed to ferry more coal.

You can swap out coal with whatever good you want to bring over (like gravel). Just ensure you have the right storage facilities over there to store the goods in.

[MrKrabs]

That sounds awesome.
To make concrete and asphalt works one could build those at an island and have a landing pad for choppers nearby. This way workers can make those two products fresh for use at one island. A small ferry jetty might do that job as well. I will give it a try.

Thanks for your Guide.

[Silent_Shadow]

You're welcome.
I would just use a helicopter CO to move concrete and asphalt over, unless I was planning on building a lot of stuff there, in which case I would just do as you said. Workers can also be delivered via helicopter CO.