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Carmarthen Bay Ferries Community Interest Company known as Carmarthen Bay Ferries operates a Ferry in Carmarthenshire, Wales, offering scenic crossings and boat trips on the River Towy between the villages of Ferryside and Llansteffan.[1]. The boat "Glansteffan" is a specially designed Amphibious vehicle, which features retractable wheels for easy access to the shore[2].
History
edit | |
| Carmarthen Bay Ferries | |
| Company type | Community interest company |
| Industry | Ferry |
| Founded | 21 March 2017 |
| Founder | Professor Kenton Morgan (Chair (officer)) |
| Headquarters | Calon y Fferi, Ferryside, Carmarthenshire, Wales. SA17 5TE. |
Area served | Carmarthen Bay |
Key people | In addition to the chair, there are four other directors.
|
| Services | |
| Website | carmarthenbayferries |
Records indicate that a ferry service between the coastal communities of Ferryside and Llansteffan operated in some form or another since 1170 in the Middle Ages. The service was an important transportation link, carrying both goods and pilgrims en-route to St Davids, Pembrokeshire. Following improvements to road and rail links during the 20th century, the ferry service ceased to operate in 1948, leaving walkers and cyclists with an 18 mile trip up the estuary and down the other side[3].
The current ferry service run by Carmarthen Bay Ferries has been in operation since 2018 after the founding directors; Professor Kenton Morgan, Dr W Lesley Jones, Gerald Howells, Dr David Hunter, Robert Bamforth, Christopher Jones, and Mark Kessell[4] were successful in applying for a £300,000 grant from the Coastal Communities Fund[5].
'Glansteffan' - today's ferry
editCarmarthen Bay Ferries' boat Glansteffan, named by the pupils from the primary schools in Ferryside and Llansteffan, takes its name from the Welsh for Ferryside (Glan y Fferi) and Llansteffan[6].
The boat was designed by Edgar van Smaalen of Bruce Roberts Europe bv[7] marine architects based in Holland, she was built by Robust Boats of St Davids and utilises an amphibious wheel system supplied by Sealegs® of New Zealand and as such is a truly international collaboration to produce this unique vessel.
Glansteffan is equipped with the latest safety and navigational aids, and the ferry crossings are dog-friendly, although dogs are not allowed on the longer boat trips.
| Hull length | 8m |
| Hull beam | 3m |
| Draft | 0.5m |
| Total length (inc wheels and engines) | 9m |
| Mass (without passengers) | 2,540kg |
| Max loaded mass | 3,500kg |
| Max speed (on land) | 8kph |
| Max speed (on water) | 30 knots |
| Cruising speed (on water) | 15-20 knots |
| Range | 100 nautical miles |
| Engines (on water) | Twin Yamaha 115hp, Four-stroke engines |
| Engine (on land) | Vanguard marine 35hp engine, providing hydraulic power to raise/lower wheels and drive |
| Capacity | 2 crew, 10 passengers |
| Bikes/Wheelchairs | 5 bikes or 2 wheelchairs |
Service
editGlansteffan operates between Good Friday to October each year. Outside of school holidays, the service operates Friday, Saturday and Sunday, during school holidays, service is seven days a week.
Due to the tidal nature of the Towy estuary, Glansteffan is able to operate 2½ hours each side of High tide. Typically the first and last 45 minutes of this time are rapid ferry crossings between Ferryside and Llansteffan, passengers are not able to book these crossings. In between the two periods of ferry crossings, longer estuary and river trips are operated with durations ranging from 15 minutes to 60 minutes[9], including popular sunset trips[10].
Glansteffan is available to charter for private parties, corporate events, filming[11] and the scattering of ashes[12].
Carmarthen Bay Ferries in the media
editGlansteffan has made a number of appearances in national media including BBC Escape to the Country, ITV Wales Coast & Country and BBC Radio 4, The Patch and airing early 2025, BBC Wynne Evans and Joanna Page: Lost at Sea (featuring Joanna Page and Wynne Evans[13] and popular YouTubers, Cruising the Cut and Autoshenigans.
Awards and recognition
edit2024 - Highly Commended (Best attraction/guest experience) in the Carmarthenshire Tourism Association Awards[14]
2022 - Listed by the Independent as one of the world's most spectacular ferry crossings[15]
- ^ "Fferïau Bae Caerfyrddin". Carmarthen Bay Ferries. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "007-like ferry takes to water at Ferryside and Llansteffan". BBC News. 2018-08-10. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Ferryside". Discover Carmarthenshire. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "CARMARTHEN BAY FERRIES COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "£300,000 grant to revive Tywi estuary ferry crossing". BBC News. 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ Lewis, Ian (2018-05-02). "Ferry linking villages for first time in 60 years named". Wales Online. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ 2018-08-30T12:28:00. "Amphibious ferry for West Wales". Maritime Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Boat". Carmarthen Bay Ferries. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Fferïau Bae Caerfyrddin". Carmarthen Bay Ferries. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Ferryside". Discover Carmarthenshire. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ ukfilmlocation.com. "Small River Ferry For Filming". ukfilmlocation.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ Martin, Richard (2020-01-27). "Scattering Ashes at Sea Ferryside Carmarthen Bay, Wales". Scattering Ashes. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "BBC Cymru Wales announces Wynne Evans and Joanna Page: Lost at Sea and a host of new commissions". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "The world's most spectacular ferry crossings". The Independent. 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2024-11-15.