Editing Reaction ferry (section)

==Types and modes of operation==
Some reaction ferries operate using an overhead [[Wire rope|cable]] suspended from towers anchored on either bank of the river at right angles to the current flow. A "traveller" with pulleys runs along this cable and is attached to the ferry with a tether rope. This can divide into a two-part bridle which defines the angle of the ferry to the current. Sometimes two pulleys and tethers are used. Sometimes a single tether is attached to a bar that can be swung from one side of the ferry to the other. This type also uses a rudder in order to set the angle of the ferry to the current flow from zero - it is then stationary - to the best angle for maximal crossing speed. Ferries without a rudder change the relative lengths of the bridle or multiple tethers in order to steer. The lateral force of the current moves the ferry across the river.

A now rare type of reaction ferry uses a submerged cable lying on the bottom across a river or tidal water. This can be a wire rope or a chain and is pulled to the surface by the ferry or its operator. It passes through moveable pulleys or belaying points whose location sets the ferry's angle. In order to set off, manual work is required to initially pull the cable and also to manoeuvre, especially during the turning of the tide.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Luckmann |first1=Detlev |title=Prahmfähre über die Oste, Baujahr 1911, Oberndorf |url=https://av.tib.eu/media/11533 |website=German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB) |publisher=Institut for the Scientific Film (IWF) (Göttingen) |language=German |format=Video 17 Min. with transcript and article |date=1974}}</ref>

The ferry may consist of a single hull, or two [[Pontoon (boat)|pontoons]] with a deck bridging them. Some ferries carry only passengers, whilst others carry road vehicles, with some examples carrying up to 12 cars.