Thanks for posting that, Chris. I had ... wondered ... whether I should but thought I was probably the only one interested.  RONG! .. 

I wonder that they have enough ships left in the fleet - sort of TOC on water limitations, frugality and late delivery of complex new vehicles.   New Glen Sannox ... when?

The long-delayed ship at the centre of Scotland's ferries saga has been handed over by the Ferguson shipyard, exactly seven years after it was launched.

MV Glen Sannox, destined for CalMac's Arran route, is the first new large vessel for the west coast ferry fleet in nearly a decade.

The ferry operator will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in January.

From the BBC:

Islanders bid a fond farewell to MV Hebridean Isles



One of Scotland's oldest lifeline ferries has been retired after nearly 40 years of service.

With two blasts of its horn, MV Hebridean Isles bade farewell as it left the quay at Stornoway for a final time on Sunday, bound for Glasgow before it goes to the breakers.

For islanders, whose lives are so interwoven with the sea, the ships of Britain's biggest ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne are more than just large lumps of steel and aluminium.

"Heb Isles" leaves behind a ship-shaped hole in the hearts of many former passengers and seafarers who have come to regard it as a trusty old friend.

The ship was given the name of the islands it was destined to serve on a sunny day in July 1985 at the long-gone Cochrane shipyard at Selby, North Yorkshire.

It was a first on two counts - the "lady sponsor" the Duchess of Kent was the first member of the Royal Family to name a CalMac vessel.  And it was the ferry operator's first vessel built outside of Scotland.  Two pipers were sent down to play the Skye Boat Song at the launch ceremony.

Margaret Thatcher was in No 10, Sister Sledge was Number One in the charts - and health and safety rules were somewhat more relaxed than today.  Shipyard workers hammered away the last supporting "shores" and wedges, then ducked and dashed for cover as the huge vessel slid above their heads in a spectacular sideways launch into the River Ouse.

The ship had cost £5.5m - and after a few months of fitting out, it made its maiden voyage off Scotland's west coast in December.  For 15 years it was deployed on the "Uig Triangle" - between Skye, North Uist and Harris - before moving to the Islay crossing, but it has served most of Scotland's sea routes in its time.

Aside from the scheduled sailings, the crew would voluntarily give up their time to put on special "booze cruises" to raise money for island charities.  The first, in 1992, saw a country and western band perform on the car deck, as thousands of pounds were raised to help purchase a breast cancer scanner for the Western Isles.


(News article continues, with more images)

And there is a button expressly for the purpose so I've pressed it Jay

Finn and I had a couple of rides on this one last week. It was actually working for a change. Fighting a very strong current on the River Medina, I hadn't realised the chain ferry had side thrusters to help with lining up with the slipways against tidal flows.

Mods: this (and maybe some above) may be better placed in the foot ferry thread.

Add to this list the Gravesend to Tilbury Foot & cycle ferry across the Thames. Last service March 31st. Thurrock Council pulled their support & Kent couldn't afford it on their own.

https://www.jetstreamtours.com/about-us/news

Ouch, that's going to hurt.

Mark

Foot ferries were once a vital cog in the UK's transport network, but those keeping these ancient river crossings going tell of an aging workforce, rising costs and an uncertain future.

A few weeks ago, the operators of the Horning Foot Ferry in Norfolk announced the service was ending because of a shortage of volunteers and a drop in the number of people using it.

For those in the ferry world, the demise of the centuries-old crossing of the River Bure was sad but not surprising. It was, they say, emblematic of the kind of issue they face each and every day.

Department for Transport figures show a decline in river ferries usage - down more than 10% from 20.1m passenger journeys in 2012 to 17.4m in 2022.

The nation's foot ferries come in all shapes and sizes, from small rowing boats to large motor-powered vessels carrying dozens of passengers at a time.

From The BBC

Salcombe-East Portlemouth

More correctly, Torpoint.

Then there's Lymington-Yarmouth, Southampton-East/West Cowes, Portsmouth-Ryde Pier, Southsea-Ryde, Portsmouth-Fishbourne, Southampton-Hythe, Eastney-Hayling, Hamble-Warsash, Portsmouth-Gosport, Starcross-Exmouth, Teignmouth-Shaldon, Salcombe-East Portlemouth, Plymouth-Mount Batten, Admirals Hard Plymouth-Cremyll, Polruan-Fowey, St Mawes-Place Creek, St Mawes-Falmouth, Falmouth-Ponsharden, Helford Passage-Helford Village, Penzance-St Mary's, Padstow-Rock, Bideford-Lundy, Appledore-Instow, Ilfracombe-Lundy...

That'll do. Pretty much every non-international/crown dependency ferry service on the south west peninsula. Dart crossings already mentioned.

Tamar

From The BBC

We have a handful of ferries in the south west ... Sandbanks, Weymouth harbour, Tamar, Plymouth to France and Spain,  .. and I'm going to leave it at that for others to come in and add to the list. 

The ferry at the Ballachulish Narrows first carried cars in the early years of the 20th Century, at the time they were driven onto planks laid across large rowing boats, and then rowed across one at a time, straddling the boat. Of course, it was not until around 1927, or perhaps later that the current road around Loch Leven through Kinlochleven was completed, so in the earliest years of motoring the only alternative was the military road over the Devils Staircase and through the Lairig Mhor.

As the vehicle traffic on the ferry increased, so the standards of the boats improved, and by the 1960s the crossing was run by 3 turntable ferries, each capable of carrying 6 cars. These operated as roll-on, roll-off ferries, with a single ramp and without the need for reversing. The turntable did, however, need to be loaded fairly evenly to ensure that it turned smoothly.

All this came to an end, however, in 1975 when the Ballachulish Bridge opened.

Over the sea to Skye on the world’s last turntable ferry

Earlier today (Friday) members of a Facebook Group called ‘Restrictions on Isle Of Wight ferries’ sent emails to the leader of the Isle of Wight council, Dave Stewart, voicing their concerns over a possible influx of second-home owners and holidaymakers for the bank holiday weekend.

Some within the Group had tried to book ferry crossings from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight for today, but found the 1pm, 3pm and 5pm crossings were fully booked. This understandably led to concerns that people weren’t heeding the council leader’s message to ‘stay away’.

Investigating further to find out what was going on, News OnTheWight has discovered something that sheds some light.

Understanding the capacity issues

News OnTheWight got in touch with Wightlink who confirmed that capacity on their vehicle ferry crossings has been much-reduced since the Coronavirus lockdown.

An example given is that their flagship ferry, Victoria of Wight, usually has a capacity for 1,170 passengers per crossing.

Since the lockdown this has been reduced to 100, with typically there being only around 20 passengers per crossing. Most of Wightlink’s foot passengers have switched to using the Hovercraft and other passengers are required to remain in their vehicles for the duration of the crossing.

Distancing and freight

Wightlink say it’s important to factor in that vehicles comes in all shapes and sizes and although there may be capacity for say 100 vehicles, once the spacing out of those vehicles is implemented, it could take the capacity down to 50 vehicles.

In addition, freight lorries obviously take up the space of several cars and so before long, a crossing could be fully booked, but well before reaching the new reduced capacity level.

East Cowes to West Cowes

SERVICE SUSPENDED DUE TO WEATHER - We've had to suspend service for a while due to the stormy weather making it too dangerous to run

A chain ferry which helps motorists avoid a 25-mile (40km) drive has returned to service 16 weeks after being removed for repair work.

The Sandbanks Ferry, which provides a connection between Poole and the Isle of Purbeck, was taken out of service on 12 July after its drive shaft broke.

The operator said it wanted to apologise to residents and businesses who had experienced "a difficult and frustrating summer".

It resumed crossings at 07:00 GMT.

Is there a rail, sorry ferry replacement service running, able to carry, cars and buses?

Is there a rail, sorry ferry replacement service running, able to carry, cars and buses?

Backlash after Sandbanks ferry cancels services until autumn
NEWS that the Sandbanks Ferry will be out of action until October has been greeted with a barrage of criticism from residents, businesses and visitors.

The troubled Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company revealed the latest setback in a statement released yesterday.

Now Studland parish council is calling on the company to organise alternative crossings.

Ferry services were withdrawn on July 12 with users told urgent repairs were needed and that the ferry would not operate until August 12.

But now the company has delivered the blow that it will not operate until the autumn, meaning people will have to drive 25 miles instead.

Parish council vice-chairman Nick Boulter said residents are suffering during the busy school summer holiday due to traffic congestion and he said businesses in the area are losing customers.

“We are obviously shocked about the latest delay but what really concerns us is that there is no alternative provision” he said.

“The parish council is requesting that a shuttle service is operated on the route, which could be served by buses on either side. It would be very simple to do

“We have already noticed that the beach empties earlier than usual because people have a long journey home and for people who live here the traffic in Wareham, Corfe and Sandford is a lot heavier.”

He added: “It is more than an inconvenience.”

Local residents have taken to social media with Sarah Brookes saying: “This is crazy - I rely on this for work” and Anna Waymouth adding: “It is time the contract for this journey was put up for tender.”

Visitor Ann Wright added: “We are holiday makers but feel really sorry for the residents and visitors who are so badly affected.”

The ferry company statement said: “The Sandbanks Ferry was withdrawn from service on Friday, July 12 following an unexpected fracture of one of the main drive shafts and is currently at a repair facility in Southampton.

“We are working very closely with the MCA (Marine & Coastguard Agency) and Lloyds Register of Shipping (our Class Surveyors for Insurers) to ensure all repairs are conducted to Class standards and specification.”

It says a broken shaft and drive wheel have been removed and that a specialist part has been ordered from Sweden.

It added: “We are in constant communication with the manufacturers to speed this process up, as well as researching alternatives. We do not anticipate being able to resume service until sometime in October. We hope to have a much clearer picture of the return to service date next week.”

The company apologised to customers.

The announcements is the latest in a series of setbacks. The ferry was not working for three months in the winter and there were further problems in June.

There is an unemployed chain ferry sat at Gosport.

TRAFFIC chaos could put thousands of people off visiting Studland and Purbeck due to the withdrawal of the Sandbanks Ferry for most of the summer, it has been claimed.

Businesses will suffer and residents will be forced to spend hours getting to work and back every day, according to Studland parish council vice-chairman Nick Boulter.

Now he has called for more investment in the ferry and has urged the operators to be more open with the public.

The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company has announced the service will be out of action until at least August 12.

It will be towed to Southampton for “costly” repairs.

The announcement comes just days before the start of the school summer holiday.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists descend on Dorset throughout the summer holiday, many heading for popular spots such as Sandbanks and Purbeck.

The withdrawal of the service is the latest in a series of problems.

The ferry was not working for three months in the winter and there were further problems in June.

Mr Boulter told the Daily Echo: “We are very disappointed that the ferry is out of action again. It has a major impact on people coming here on holiday or for day trips but also for the local businesses. It has a very serious knock-on effect – it is a nightmare for people trying to get here so sometimes they just don’t come.”

When the ferry is not operating, motorists face a 25-mile trip by road via Poole and Wareham.

Mr Boulter added: “We are concerned as to whether the company is investing adequately in the ferry. They are also very poor at communication. They make no effort to reach out to the public and explain what is actually happening.”

The ferry was withdrawn on Friday and the operators simply said there would be a further announcement on Wednesday.

It said: “The Sandbanks Ferry was withdrawn from service on Friday July 12 following a fracture of one of the main drive shafts.”

“The ferry has two independent drive systems which consists of diesel engines driving a hydraulic pump.

“This provides the hydraulic pressure to turn a hydraulic motor which is connected to the drive wheel via a drive shaft. It is one of these drive shafts which has broken. In order to remove the drive wheel to change the broken shaft requires specialist repairers.

“In order to speed up the whole repair process we have taken the costly decision to have the ferry towed to a suitably equipped repair facility in Southampton to have the work undertaken.”

“It is difficult to put a timescale on how long this work will take but we estimate that we will be out of service until at least August 12. We sincerely apologise to all our valued customers.”

The Swedish HH Ferries Group has launched two fully electric ferries named Aurora and Tycho Brahe on the stretch between Helsingborg (Sweden) and Heldingör (Denmark). Furthermore, they renamed themselves ForSea Ferries.

The ocean straight between Helsingborg and Helsingör can be crossed in about 20 minutes with the ferries. The route is run every fifteen minutes, 24 hours a day. At each of the docks on either side of the Öresund a fully automated robot arm helps charge the ferries during loading and unloading times; a process that is supposed to take between five and nine minutes.

On board of each of the electric ferries are a total of 640 batteries, weighing about 90 kg each. They are placed in four containers between the smoke stacks on the upper decks, and yield a total capacity of 4,160 kWh, which adds a considerable 280 tonnes the ship’s weight. Each crossing takes about 1,175 kWh, according to the operators, which means that there is a comfortable buffer between battery capacity and energy requirements. As the ferries will also keep the “old” diesel engines on board, the ships would be able to switch to combustion or hybrid propulsion in an emergency. The batteries can also be charged from the on-board diesel motors.

The budget for the project has cost HH Ferries, or ForSea, as they are now named, a total of 300 million Swedish crowns, or about 29 million euros. The EU contributed about 11.5 million euros for the project. According to the operators, the new ferries will allow them to cut emissions down by about 65%. This will help Sweden’s long term goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045, meaning they plan to be mathematically emissions-free.

ForSea (formerly HH Ferries Group) completes conversion of the world’s largest battery ferries, powered by ABB

Inauguration of Tycho Brahe and Aurora marks successful completion of a high-profile conversion project with ABB’s technology at its heart.



The largest emission-free ferries in the world have been officially welcomed into service after guests boarded Tycho Brahe in Helsingborg, Sweden and Helsingør, Denmark on November 9 for a special inauguration ceremony marking completion of an all-electric conversion.

“We are delighted that the entire system is in place to support the emissions-free operations we envisaged from the outset,” said Johan Röstin, CEO, ForSea. “This is a truly groundbreaking project and the work we have done with ABB will offer invaluable lessons for those following our lead. In shipping, innovation takes time and patience, and we always kept sight of the environmental benefits at stake.”

“This project signals a profound shift for the maritime industry, and shows a path towards zero-emission operations, aligned with International Maritime Organization’s goals for decarbonization,” said Marcus Högblom, Head of Passenger, Dry Cargo and Ice Segment, ABB Marine & Ports. “We congratulate ForSea on the inauguration of these vessels, and we are proud to have worked closely with them to deliver this pioneering solution.”

Source: ABB

Full article: https://new.abb.com/news/detail/10434/forsea-formerly-hh-ferries-group-completes-conversion-of-the-worlds-largest-battery-ferries-powered-by-abb

A ferry has hit several yachts and run aground off the Isle of Wight.

The Red Falcon "came into contact" with a number of boats while trying to berth at Cowes Harbour, operator Red Funnel said.

None of the 40 passengers onboard were hurt, a spokesman said. The Coastguard confirmed nobody is missing or in the water.

Falling tide leaves historic Skye ferry high and dry

A rapidly dropping tide left a historic ferry aground on its slip on Tuesday.

The MV Glenachulish, the world's last sea-going, manually-operated, turntable ferry, operates on the Kylerhea Narrows between Glenelg and Skye.

It was left high and dry on its slip at Kylerhea in Skye during a falling tide on the fast flowing narrows.

Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig RNLI lifeboats along with two passing ships went to the aid of the ferry's crew. The boat was refloated at high tide.

Passengers rescued as ferry collides with Hythe pier


Coastguards were called at around 21:20 BST on Friday and sent rescue teams from Southampton and Lymington

Twenty passengers and three crew members have been rescued from a ferry after it collided with a pier near Southampton, coastguards have said.

The ferry struck the Hythe Pier, in Hampshire, damaging its wheelhouse, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.

Coastguards were called at around 21:20 BST on Friday and sent rescue teams from Southampton and Lymington.

Three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been notified.

Passenger Olivia Pearce said she heard somebody shouting "brace, brace" before the ferry "ploughed into the pier".

She said: "The wheelhouse completely collapsed and bits of it fell into itself. That's when we realised that actually not only had we overshot the jetty but we'd crashed into the pier and we were underneath it."

The incident involved the Hythe ferry, which runs a twice hourly shuttle service between Town Quay, in Southampton, and Hythe Pier.


Passenger Olivia Pearce said she heard somebody shouting 'brace, brace' before the ferry 'ploughed into the pier'



The vessel's wheelhouse was badly damaged in the in crash

According to the ferry's owners, White Horse Ferries, the vessel became wedged beneath the pier and the wheelhouse on top of the ferry was severely damaged.

Those treated at the scene received minor neck and back injuries.

Southampton Vessel Traffic Services, Hampshire Police, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, and South Central Ambulance Service were also involved in the rescue.

Sandbanks ferry suspended after chain break


Bramble Bush Bay is 242ft long (74m) and can carry up to 48 cars

The car ferry across the mouth of Poole Harbour in Dorset was suspended for nearly two days after one of the chains guiding it broke.

The Sandbanks Ferry was forced to halt crossings on Thursday morning.

Operators spent more than 10 hours replacing the chain and the ferry was returned to service at about 19:20 BST on Friday.

It is unclear what has caused the latest breakage but passing vessels have been ruled out.

In July, the service was put out of action when a passing cross-channel ferry was suspected of clipping and breaking a chain.


Work to install a new chain began earlier

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the incident in July although Brittany Ferries said an inspection of its ferry by divers showed no sign of an impact.

The Sandbanks chain ferry, called Bramble Bush Bay, takes four minutes to make the crossing from Sandbanks to Shell Bay. The shortest alternative road route from shore to shore is 27 miles.

Bristol will still be using a large fleet of diesel vans for the foreseeable future.

From the BBC:

Bristol hydrogen-powered ferry a 'vanity project'


The 12-seater prototype ferry operated for just six months in Bristol Harbour

A hydrogen-powered ferry in Bristol has been criticised as a 'wasteful vanity project' by Conservative councillors.

'Hydrogenesis', believed to be the first commercial fuel cell boat in the UK, was commissioned by Bristol City Council in 2010 at a cost of ^225,000.

It ran for six months in the harbour last year but has since been moored.

Councillor Richard Eddy called it a "white elephant", but Mayor George Ferguson said it had "served us well in terms of... environmental credentials".

The 12-seater passenger ferry was designed and built by Bristol Hydrogen Boats, a consortium of ferry operators and Auriga Energy.

It was operated as part of a six-month trial last year, but has not been used since.

"If you want a low-carbon boat, having a motionless boat moored up is a triumph because it's not going to create any carbon footprint," said Mr Eddy. "In my view it's been a wasteful white elephant."

Mr Ferguson, who was elected in 2012, said it would "never have happened" under his regime. "I don't think councils are here to do research and development projects but having said that it was a factor in our submission to European Green Capital," he said. "It has served a purpose but was not good value."

But Richard Rankin from Hydrogen Boats, said it would be "viable" if there was a hydrogen station "in place".

"We had to rent a filling station for six months at a cost of ^59,000," he said. "But we're converting the ferry to run on bottled hydrogen and will be running it next year."

Three passengers and a crew member on an Isle of Wight ferry were taken to hospital after the upper car deck of the ship collapsed.

The mezzanine floor, which was holding nine cars, was being lowered when it dropped about 6ft on to the deck below.



Three people in their cars and a crew member on the upper deck suffered non life-threatening injuries.

Emergency services were called to Fishbourne terminal on the island just before 22:30 BST on Friday.

Those hurt were taken to St Mary's Hospital in Newport, with the crew member later discharged.

A statement from Wightlink Ferries read: "As part of the usual disembarkation process, after vehicles on the lower deck had left the ship, the starboard forward mezzanine deck with nine cars on board was lowered.

"When it was a short distance from the deck below, it dropped a few feet and made contact with the lower deck.

"A full investigation into the incident is under way. It has been reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and Wightlink is fully co-operating with the authorities."

The ship, the St Helen, last underwent an independent engineering inspection in May, the company said.

The vessel sailed from Portsmouth Gunwharf at 21:30 with 181 passengers and 11 crew onboard.

Passengers on another ferry, the St Clare, had to wait for 90 minutes to dock at Fishbourne while the emergency services, which included police, fire crews, coastguards and ambulance service, attended the scene.

John Burrows, chief operating officer at Wightlink, said the St Helen was brought back to Portsmouth and immediately taken out of service.

He said engineers and safety officers had inspected the firm's fleet before they were cleared to sail on Saturday.

Mr Burrows, who said he has never known of any similar incidents, added he was "comfortable and confident" there will be no repeat.

The vessel, which cost ^225,000, produces no emissions

A hydrogen-powered passenger boat has begun operating in Bristol's harbour.

Commissioned for the city council's Green Capital initiative, Hydrogenesis operates 45-minute trips between the Arnolfini and the ss Great Britain.

Keith Dunstan, director of Bristol Hydrogen Boats, says the vessel is the UK's first hydrogen fuel-celled boat.

The 11m (36ft) 12-seat vessel had been due on the water last weekend but a technical fault caused a delay.

The vessel, which cost ^225,000 and produces no emissions, is starting a six-month trial in the city docks. It was designed and built by Bristol Hydrogen Boats, a consortium of local ferry operators and Auriga Energy Ltd.

"This has never been done before. This is the UK's first hydrogen fuel-celled boat," said Mr Dunstan. "We've had quite a few technical problems along the way but we've overcome them all and we're ready to go right now. We've been looking forward to this moment when we can actually say it's running and carry passengers.

"We've been running for a while, trialling it and making sure things are running properly. But I think it's finally ready to go, so we're going to keep our fingers crossed."

Mr Dunstan said a specially commissioned fuel station had been built to create hydrogen to power the ferry.

If the scheme is financially viable, Mr Dunstan hopes it can be extended with the long-term aim to produce its own hydrogen.

Condor Ferries moved its Channel Island sailings from Weymouth to Poole in February after structural problems forced the closure of Weymouth Quay.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council said it wanted to reopen the terminal by May next year.

Fast ferry services to the Channel Islands and France are set to return to Weymouth from 17 July 2013.

Sailings up to 28 March have been relocated from Weymouth to Poole due to a structural integrity issue at Weymouth Port. For more information and revised sailing times check Sailing Updates.Poole Lifting Bridge will be operating an amended schedule as of 5 March. Click here for lifting timetable.

Severn ferry plan between south Wales and Devon 'not forgotten'

Plans for a ferry service between south Wales and Devon could still happen despite setbacks, it is claimed.

Severn Link had hoped to start the route between Swansea and Ilfracombe in 2010, and sea trials had been carried out on the catamarans.

Issues over landing facilities and the withdrawal of an investor led to delays, and the vessels were sold.

However, Severn Link founder Chris Marrow said he had not given up and it was still very much a "live project".

"We are still working on it. It's not forgotten but it's quite hard to predict," he said. "I'm loath to give a date. Having almost got started and then disappointed people I'm loath to disappoint them again. We're not talking about this year but, if things fall into place, next year could be a possibility, but it's only a possibility. There's a lot of ducks to get in a row."

The original plan was for a ferry link between Swansea and Ilfracombe, but a service between Cardiff and Minehead was also being considered.

Marine specialist Mr Marrow said that all options were currently being considered.

He said there had been issues over infrastructure, such as the landing facilities in Swansea, and concerns over access at Ilfracombe when there were high winds.

"We are trying to deal with that. If we can deal with that, we could put in a car ferry," he said. "We're working on other things as well. It would be a lot easier if the infrastructure was in place. Having come within weeks of starting and not being able to do so, we have to set up a new business plan and get funding in place."

He said he believed that if the infrastructure was sorted out, then funding would follow. And although the vessels planned for the service have been sold, he added it would be relatively straightforward to buy others.

"The two catamarans were sold. They're with a Russian operator in the Black Sea," he said. "To be honest, it's a buyer's market. I'm getting four or five adverts every day at the moment for ferries. There are vessels about."

Earlier in February, the owners of the Swansea-Cork ferry announced its closure with the loss of 78 jobs, having suspended sailings in November.

Condor Ferries has announced sailings this weekend will be relocated from Weymouth to Poole.

Earlier this week concerns were raised by Condor Ferries and Weymouth Harbour regarding the structural integrity of part of the ferry berth in Weymouth Port.

An initial investigation by the Weymouth Port Engineer has been completed today, and based on this; the berth will be removed from use to allow detailed investigations to be made.

Condor Ferries is contacting passengers affected by the change of port and where necessary helping them to change their travel plans, as well as making sure that up-to-date information is available on its website www.condorferries.com.

Plans for a ^3m passenger ferry service linking north Devon and south Wales could soon be back on track after the project's original investor pulled out.

Catamaran firm Severn Link had hoped to start the route at Easter but delays in creating Swansea landing facilities led to it being put off until next year.

Then another blow was dealt when the initial investor withdrew.

However, Severn Link founder Chris Marrow has revealed that his firm is now in talks with a new backer.

Mr Marrow said: "We've had quite a bit of interest, but finalising something is pretty difficult. However, we are in the middle of talks with this new potential investor and we hope to have completed negotiations by the end of the year."

As well as wanting to run a 50-minute passenger service between Swansea and Ilfracombe, Severn Link is also considering the feasibility of a route between Cardiff and Minehead in Somerset.

The firm has already conducted sea trials of the catamarans that would be used to cross the Severn Estuary.