PROPOSED FERRY LINK BETWEEN ILFRACOMBE AND MUMBLES

LATEST NEWS ON FERRY PROGRESS 9th Feb 2008

Media Release
Dorcas Media


TOP EXPERTS SUPPORT MOR HAFREN FERRY LINK

Supporters campaigning to set up the multi-million pound route, have been given the thumbs up by leading Welsh business academic Professor Brian Morgan from the Cardiff School of Management at the University of Wales. He and his team have examined the business plan with a critical eye and concluded that the financial projections are robust.

Furthermore, the South Wales to North Devon and West Somerset ferry link are 'inevitable' claims one of Britain's top shipping experts, Professor Alf Baird, head of the Maritime Research Group at Edinburgh's Napier University.

Business leaders from across the South West and South Wales regions held two high-profile meetings in Barnstaple and Swansea last year, to develop proposals in setting up the commercial links, from Ilfracombe to Swansea, and Penarth to Minehead using fast cat ferries.

Professor Alf Baird, said: "The routes are inevitable! Many historic ferry routes are being re-started due to rising road transport costs and worsening congestion, aided by ongoing technological advances in ferry design."

Chris Marrow, who is leading the project to set up the ferry services, said: "Plans to use high-speed catamarans will bring journey times between Ilfracombe to the Mumbles (for Swansea) to just over 40 minutes and Minehead to Penarth will take little more than half an hour"

The work carried out analysed market research and looked at target populations and passenger numbers using ferry services in other parts of the UK and around the globe.

Chris Marrow, added: " Our business plan is now being finalised. A company has already been formed, and the financing of the first vessel is being actively discussed with the banks and equity partners. However, much remains to be done to set up the financial package needed to make this a reality." He can be contacted by email at themariner2008-ferryproject@yahoo.co.uk.

Devon businessman, Mr Malcolm Sherry, said: "The development of this vital strategic transport link will add millions of pounds to both regional economies, boost tourism, and more importantly, cut the two region's carbon foot-prints and save their local environment."

Ends:
Contact: Kevin Kelway
Manager Dorcas Media Tel 01752 224401 Mobile 07926 058208
www.dorcasmedia.co.uk
kevin@dorcasmedia.co.uk

 

FERRY

 

One of the vessels being looked at for possible use as the ferry

bridge of vessel cabin seating

It is proposed that a ferry service between Ilfracombe and Swansea and between Minehead and Penarth is commercially viable and would be of great benefit to the communities on both sides of the Bristol Channel.

The prime demand is likely to be for car ferries, but, in the absence of the necessary infrastructure, it is proposed to commence with a passenger only service, with a view to adding a car ferry at a later date.

The initial vessel would be a high speed craft with a speed of some 35 knots and a capacity of some 250 passengers. (similar to the one pictured above)

The passage between Ilfracombe and Swansea would be under 50 minutes, and from Minehead to Penarth under half an hour.

The prime mover of the proposal is Mr Chris Marrow.

A team of former ferry managers from Scotland, a ship builder, a former ship owner and two sets of accountants have been assisting him; (not to mention two banks and a number of other interested parties).

The team is ready to operate the ferry.

possible ferry

Chris Marrow has had experience of pioneering new ferry routes in Scotland and in Africa and continues to support vital trade links in remote parts of Africa.

A Business Plan is being prepared and the financial calculations are at an advanced stage.

The results are very encouraging, and show that a break-even can be achieved by Year 3 on a modest and achievable load factor.

As part of the pre-feasibility, a study of bodies of water with similar geography and demography was made.

No similar stretch of water could be found that did not have an active ferry crossing.

The reasons for this were also studied and were found in the history of passenger transport in the Bristol Channel.

The plan has received the strongest possible support from the communities of North Devon and West Somerset and is perceived as a key to much needed regeneration, especially in Ilfracombe.

The project will allow for joint marketing in the two regions.

Potential customers can be expected from many different sectors:

o Tourism – on both sides of the water
o Shopping in Swansea and Cardiff
o Feeder service for the Irish ferries
o Students at Welsh and SW universities (numerous)
o Visiting friends and relatives – there are very strong family links across the water that date back many years
o Sporting links
o It has even been pointed out that the quickest route from Barnstaple to London will be by taking the ferry and catching a train in Swansea.
o Etc. The possibilities are legion.

The historic links between the two sides of the Bristol Channel remain very strong.

The road links between the two region are increasingly congested and carbon emissions by vehicles are increasingly perceived as a problem.

The service will require integration with land transport, be it by bus, rail or sail/drive.
Allowance has been made for the cost of Park ‘n Ride where required and for the subsidy of integrated bus services.

It is perceived as vital that the company should be firmly implanted in the communities on both sides of the water, and the active participation of the communities on the Welsh side is strongly welcomed.
Specialists in ferries and in marine operations in the remote regions of the world

 

THE FOLLOWING IS A GUIDE TO THE TYPE OF VESSEL THAT COULD BE USED

PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS

 
Length overall
Length waterline
Beam (moulded)
Depth (moulded)
Hull draft (approx.) 		52.4 metres
45.4 metres
13.0 metres
3.8 metres
1.5 metres

PAYLOAD & CAPACITIES

  
Passengers
Maximum deadweight
Crew
Fuel 		366
75 tonnes
11
40,000 litres

PROPULSION

  

Main engines

Gearboxes

Waterjets

4 x MTU 12V 4000 M70
1,740kW @ 2,000rpm
4 x Reintjes VLJ 930

4 x KaMeWa 63 S11

PERFORMANCE (with Ride Control fitted)

  
Speed

Fuel consumption (approx.) @ 90% MCR 		(75 t DWT, 100% MCR) 34.5 knots

1,550 litres/hr

CLASSIFICATION

  

Bureau Veritas
1 3/3 E - HSC CAT B DEEPSEA - MACH - AUT-MS, F
  

SUPPORT GROWING FOR BRISTOL CHANNEL FERRY


11:00 - 19 June 2007 © mclough@westernmornnignews.co.uk
The prospect of being able to hop on a ferry in the North Devon resort of Ilfracombe and take a direct sailing to South Wales is proving increasingly popular with potential passengers. An online survey has found that 95 per cent of people who responded would welcome a ferry service between Ilfracombe and Swansea.

It's not hard to see why. A fast ferry could cover the 25 miles between the two ports in around an hour, while the quickest the road trip can be done is three and a half hours.

The second Severn Crossing has made a big difference to people driving between South Wales and the Westcountry, but when the roads are busy, such as during the holiday season, progress can be very slow.

The prospect of a ferry has been seized on by people on the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel as the ideal way of getting to the Westcountry.

The most common reasons why people would use a ferry link between Ilfracombe and Swansea were given in the online survey as visiting friends and family, holidays and days out. Business use was much lower down the scale.

Significantly, around 94 per cent of people taking part in the survey said they would definitely use the ferry service if the vessel could take cars. If it was a passenger-only ferry that proportion dropped to 63 per cent, with 32 per cent saying they would definitely not use the ferry in that case.

The prospect of a ferry service comes from by business leaders in the Westcountry as offering potentially significant economic benefits for the region.

Chris Marrow, of Mariners Marine Consultants, who has proposed the idea and has run and set-up ferries in the UK and Africa, said: "Where ferries are developed, regeneration and development will come from that service."

A meeting of business leaders held in North Devon earlier this year agreed to support the proposal, which it is estimated could cost £5 million to get going.

The meeting was told that the initial aim would be to set up a foot passenger service which, with the right backing, could be running between Ilfracombe and Swansea by the summer of 2008.

Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council and chairman of the Devon Economic Partnership, said the proposal could boost North Devon, but pointed out that it needed private sector backing.

He said: "We must not do what most big projects seem to do and wait for the public cheque book to come out."

While the link between Ilfracombe and Swansea is seen as the opening move, there have already been indications from further afield that establishing the cross-Bristol Channel link could be the first step in creating a service to Ireland, with the prospect of creating a lucrative tourist trade flowing in both directions.

June 2007: Update on plans for a fast ferry on the Bristol Channel

Chris Marrow has just sent me this update...

“While it is clear that the optimum solution to running ferries on the Bristol Channel would be to provide car ferry services, that option can only be considered if and when landing facilities for car ferries can be provided. To expect a new company to fund such infrastructure costs would make it unlikely that a company could be funded, and to call on the public purse would mean delays that would place the opening of ferry services well into the future. see the rest of this article here ©north devon ferries
ferry logo
survey link
forward on the tour RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE YOU WERE ON GO TO A - Z SITE MAP WITH LINKS TO ALL PAGES GO TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE