The planned work for the ferry refit has progressed well and is almost complete. Had it not been for the damage that occurred en route to Falmouth, we would be looking for a weather window to be towed back to Poole on time.
The repairs to the damaged areas of the ferry are progressing and the new prow arm is planned to be fitted next week. Two new prow ramp sections have been ordered and are currently being produced in Poland by the original makers.
We expect delivery of these in early February 2023, but this was the quickest option available and not the cheapest. When the new prow ramps arrive in the UK they will need to be fitted and once that is complete, we will commence with pre-service checks and sea trials.
Jason du Toit, the Sandbanks Ferry Company’s Managing Director, said “We are going as fast as we are able so as to minimise time out of service. The repairs we are undertaking are subject to various time consuming approvals for safety reasons. I share all our customers frustration at the extended absence of the service and can once again only apologise.”
We expect that the ferry service will recommence by the end of February 2023. All prepaid Sandbanks Ferry Ticket Card (SFTC) Passes will automatically have their expiry date extended by 3 months.