Ferryside & Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, Wales: Two years ago, the world as we knew it changed. We faced and continue to face uncertain times. For two whole seasons, the directors of Carmarthen Bay Ferries (CBF) took the difficult decision not to operate.
A lot has changed in the last two years, but as a Community Interest Company, we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received during this time. We cannot thank enough the communities around us for their hard work and enthusiasm.
A local group of volunteers, known as the Friends of Glansteffan have been instrumental in supporting the company and in bringing about the return of this ferry-boat – thank you! Donna Duncan of the Friends of Glansteffan said,
“It’s wonderful to welcome this unique amphibious ferry back to the estuary. Experience for yourself the excitement of a trip on this novel vessel and help secure the link between communities of Ferryside and Llansteffan for many years to come”.
Another spokesperson for the Friends of Glansteffan said,
“It’s brilliant to have the Glansteffan ferry back where she belongs, on the Towy estuary. The Friends of Glansteffan Ferry have been working hard with the directors of the Carmarthen Bay Ferry for over two years, raising funds to help get her back in action. We’ve faced interesting challenges, had fun with our projects and made new friends. It’s a perfect reward to see her back where she belongs. We are all looking forward to trips and crossings especially the sunrise and sunset outings, the views should be spectacular!”
We are very excited to confirm that Glansteffan will return to service, (if the weather allows) we will be thrilled to welcome passengers aboard from Good Friday, 15 April 2022.
“The last two years have been tough for our small Community Interest Company as we have been ineligible for government support. The return of Glansteffan is an uplifting moment and a mark of the tenacity of directors and Friends of the Ferry during a very difficult period.
We will begin operations on Good Friday offering 45min boat trips on the estuary with ferry crossings limited to the beginning and end of each tide to allow our passengers maximum time on the other shore”, said Kenton Morgan (Chair of Carmarthen Bay Ferries).
The next two weeks will be spent training skippers and crew, so we will once again become a familiar sight in the Carmarthen Bay area. We will also be publishing our operational times on our website during this time.
23 February – Saw Carmarthen Bay Ferries’ directors, Charles Etty-Leal, Andrew Kirkpatrick and Kenton Morgan (Chair of Carmarthen Bay Ferries) visit Steve Rees at Robust boats (robustboats.co.uk) to ensure that final checks and boat certifications are in place before the coming season. “We will soon be ship-shape and Bristol fashion”, said Andrew Kirkpatrick.
30 March – Steve Rees returned Glansteffan from St Davids, Pembrokeshire to her home at River Towy Yacht Club in Ferryside, arriving around 17:15. On board, were CBF directors Celia Strange and Kenton Morgan along with recently recruited skippers and volunteer crew members.
About Carmarthen Bay Ferries (Community Interest Company): carmarthenbayferries.co.uk is a not for profit community interest company operating the first amphibious ferry in the UK, ‘Glansteffan’ providing a ferry service between the villages of Ferryside and Llansteffan and other boat trips in the area.
She is a high-performance aluminium-hulled boat, fitted with a ‘Sealegs® Amphibious Enablement System’ which allows her to drive out of the water onto land.
On the water, she is driven by twin 115 horse-power Yamaha outboard engines – state of the art ultralow emission four-stroke engines. Combined with the boat’s planing hull, which help her skim over the water rather than ploughing through it, the engines can power her to a top speed of 30 knots.
On land, the boat is driven by the Sealegs® system. This comprises three deployable wheels, rather like an aircraft undercarriage. All three wheels are fitted with hydraulic motors and the front wheel is steerable.
