Ferry Long Process

My boss dragged me along to a meeting today with the harbourmaster and the main bus company (the one that uses horses and has a man with a shotgun on the back). There are plans to run a modern catamaran across our bay to provide a fast service for commuters and shoppers. The complexity of the scheme is getting quite staggering: providing the infrastructure; having the boats built in South Africa; checking the capacity of the pontoons; the depth of the water in the harbours; placating local stakeholders (and convincing them the scheme is a Good Thing which they can use to diversify (current "heritage" boat trips); or will not endanger their safety (pleasure boats); getting it through the newly elected council; having exhibitions and consultations; making sure we, as a council, are not subsidising one operator to the detriment of others; getting the Government Office and the Development Agency on board; making sure developers (ie a planned new supermarket) will contribute through section 106 agreements; and above all, convincing the usual moaners and naysayers that it is a good plan (and that no-one has a "secret plan" or is taking a backhander in a brown envelope. (Actually "brown envelopes" are such an old concept: we all have paypal accounts at the council now. That was meant to be ironic). We have the support of the Mayor, which is a great advantage.
Lead times suggest a start of the service in 2009. Exciting stuff.
In the mean time, my colleague has just returned from the States, and he bought me this

which is a pretty cool present.