Falmouth & River Fal in 2008 - Ferry & Excursion Ship Postcards and Images




This page gives an overview of ferries and excursion boats in the Falmouth area operating in 2008. More detailed pages will be added on all of these operators. There is a list of operators and their boats plus an alphabetical list of all boats.

The Cornwall Ferries Group (also marketed as King Harry's Cornwall) operate four different services in the Falmouth area. The King Harry Ferry is a chain ferry across the River Fal at Trelissick. The St Mawes Ferry links St Mawes with Falmouth on two separate routes terminating at the Prince of Wales Pier and the Custom House Quay. From St Mawes you can also take the Place Ferry to Place. The Ponsharden Park & Float links a car park at the edge of Falmouth with the Custom House Quay. They also run a bus as Ponsharden Park & Ride. Finally, Orca Sea Safaris run a wide range of wildlife watching cruises from the National Maritime Museum Cornwall using a fast RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat).

Aqua Cab is a water taxi service which also runs some scheduled services from Custom House Quay to Mylor Yacht harbour as the Mylor Shuttle.


Sections on This Page:-
Aqua Cab - Water taxi Aquacab
Cornwall Ferries - St Mawes Ferry Duchess of Cornwall May Queen Queen of Falmouth
Cornwall Ferries - King Harry Ferry King Harry Ferry (6) - withdrawn King Harry Ferry (7)
Cornwall Ferries - Orca Sea Safaris Seaquest of Falmouth
Cornwall Ferries - Place Ferry Place Ferry
Cornwall Ferries - Ponsharden Park & Float Black Swan Kingsley II
Enterprise Boats - Falmouth-Truro ferry service Enterprise Enterprise II Enterprise III
Falmouth Pleasure Cruises - John Pill Princessa Twinstar III - withdrawn
Flushing Ferry - G.Hudson Miranda
K & S Cruises Lady Elizabeth Pride of Falmouth Temptress - withdrawn
Newman's Cruises Look Ahead II Queen of the Fal - withdrawn
Falmouth Passenger Boat Company - G.H.Pill Haven Rose Torbay Prince - withdrawn

Vessels on This Page:-
Aquacab - Water taxi
Black Swan - Ponsharden Park & Float - Cornwall Ferries
Duchess of Cornwall - St Mawes Ferry - Cornwall Ferries
Enterprise - Enterprise Boats - Falmouth-Truro ferry service
Enterprise II - Enterprise Boats - Falmouth-Truro ferry service
Enterprise III - Enterprise Boats - Falmouth-Truro ferry service
Haven Rose - Falmouth Passenger Boat Company - G.H.Pill
King Harry Ferry (6) - King Harry Ferry - Cornwall Ferries - withdrawn
King Harry Ferry (7) - King Harry Ferry - Cornwall Ferries
Kingsley II - Ponsharden Park & Float - Cornwall Ferries
Lady Elizabeth - K & S Cruises - sold
Look Ahead II - Newman's Cruises
May Queen - St Mawes Ferry - Cornwall Ferries
Miranda - Flushing Ferry - G.Hudson
Place Ferry - Place Ferry - Cornwall Ferries
Pride of Falmouth - K & S Cruises
Princessa - Falmouth Pleasure Cruises - John Pill
Queen of Falmouth - St Mawes Ferry - Cornwall Ferries
Queen of the Fal - Newman's Cruises - sold
Seaquest of Falmouth - Orca Sea Safaris - Cornwall Ferries
Temptress - ex-K & S Cruises - withdrawn
Torbay Prince - Falmouth Passenger Boat Company - G.H.Pill - withdrawn
Twinstar III - Falmouth Pleasure Cruises - John Pill - withdrawn

Other Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Pages:-
Cornwall Header Page
Falmouth 2008 Overview - this page
Enterprise Boats
Falmouth Pleasure Cruises
Green Boats
Isles of Scilly SS
Flushing Ferry
Newman's Cruises
Pill Family
River Fal Steamship Company
Scilly Inter-island Boats
St Mawes Ferry

Associated Pages:-
UK Excursion Ships and Ports
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page

Associated Pages:-
Trip Out Guides - Written and published by G.P.Hamer - editions from 1977 to 2007 Trip Out Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH
Passenger Steamers of the Rover Fal - Alan Kittridge - Twelveheads Press, 1988
Steamers & Ferries of Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly - Alan Kittridge - Tempus, 2004
My thanks to Graham Thorne, Geoff Hamer, John Hendy and John Pill for assistance with this page

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Falmouth Excursion Vessels and Ferries in 2008



Cornwall Ferries - King Harry Ferry King Harry Ferry (7) Built: 2006 - 180 ft long - chain ferry The seventh King Harry Ferry crossing the River Fal Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 The seventh King Harry Ferry crossing the River FalPhoto: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 King Harry Ferry crossing the River Fal Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 King Harry Ferry (6) Built: 1974 - 145 ft long - chain ferry The sixth King Harry Ferry laid up at Southampton in December 2007 She has since been moved to Pounds Yard at Portsmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 11th December 2007 Cornwall Ferries - St Mawes Ferry May Queen Built: 1939 - 60 ft long - 100 passengers
May Queen was built in Aberystwyth in 1939, and came to Fal with Pill in 1968 for the St Mawes Ferry. To Cornwall Ferries 2004. May Queen leaving St Mawes for Custom House Quay Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 May Queen at Custom House Quay, Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 May Queen arriving at St Mawes Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Queen of Falmouth Built: 1937 - 34 gross tons - 56 ft long - 100 passengers
Queen of Falmouth was built as the Maid of Bute in 1937 and served at Rothesay. She is the sister of the Queen of the Fal, and it quite remarkable that they should both meet again on the Fal after so many years and with such similar names. After service as Maid of Bute she became the Maid of the Forth running on the Forth and at Southend before coming to the Fal for the Pill family in 1998 and receiving her current name. She spent one year in Plymouth 2000 with K.J.Bridge and passed to Cornwall Ferries in 2003. Completely rebuilt 2004 and now on St Mawes Ferry.
Queen of Falmouth leaving St Mawes for the Prince of Wales Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Queen of Falmouth on passage to St Mawes from the Prince of Wales Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Duchess of Cornwall Built: 2008 - 62 ft long - 100 passengers Duchess of Cornwall off the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Duchess of Cornwall on passage from St Mawes to the Prince of Wales Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Cornwall Ferries - Place Ferry Place Ferry

Place Ferry at St Mawes Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Place Ferry leaving St Mawes Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Place Ferry leaving St Mawes Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Cornwall Ferries - Ponsharden Park & Float

Black Swan Built: 1942 - 50 ft long - 75 passengers

Black Swan on the Ponsharden Park & Float service, approaching Custom House Quay Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th July 2008

Black Swan on the Ponsharden Park & Float service Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th July 2008

Kingsley II Built: 1934 - 50 ft long - 81 passengers Kingsley II on the Ponsharden Park & Float service Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Kingsley II on the Ponsharden Park & Float service Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Kingsley II on the Ponsharden Park & Float service Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Kingsley II on the Ponsharden Park & Float service Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th July 2008

Cornwall Ferries - Orca Sea Safaris Seaquest of Falmouth Seaquest of Falmouth of Orca Sea Safaris at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th July 2008

Aqua Cab Aquacab

Aquacab at Custom House Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Aquacab at Custom House Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Aquacab at Custom House Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Aquacab at Custom House Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise Boats Enterprise Built: 1963 - ?? gross tons - 57 ft long - 130 passengers Enterprise in the River Fal Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise in the River Fal Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise leaving the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise II

Built: 1954 - ?? gross tons - 60 ft long - 127 passengers

Enterprise II at the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise II off the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise III Built: 1960 - ?? gross tons - 60 ft long - 128 passengers Enterprise III in the River Fal Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Enterprise III off the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Falmouth Pleasure Cruises Ltd Princessa Built: 1921 - 48 gross tons - 65 ft long - 127 passengers
Princessa was built by Camper & Nicholson in Gosport for the Port of Portsmouth Floating Bridge Company in 1921. She was intended for use as an excursion vessel rather than a harbour ferry. Princessa was used on trips around Portsmouth Harbour and across the Solent to Seaview. She was powered by a 2-cylinder compound engine by Plenty of Newbury. She was bought by the Solent Boating Company and fitted with a Gardner diesel engine and small deckhouse. Princessa was employed on Southampton Water and the Beaulieu River until 1986, when she moved to Falmouth to work for G.H.& W.G.Pill (later just G.H.Pill). Since 2001 she has been run by John Pill (as Falmouth Pleasure Cruises), and operates morning and afternoon cruises to the Helford River. She is the largest excursion boat on the River Fal. See www.boattrips-falmouth.co.uk for details. Princessa arriving at St Mawes pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Princessa leaving the Prince of Wales Pier, Falmouth, for her moorings Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Twinstar III Built: 1981 - 27 gross tons - 63 ft long - 127 passengers Twin Star laid up at Falmouth - she is not operating in 2008 Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Flushing Ferry - G.Hudson Miranda Built: 1921 - 48 gross tons - 65 ft long - 127 passengers
Miranda was built in 1985 for F.M.Clynick, who operated the ferry service from Falmouth to Flushing. The service is now run by G.Hudson. Miranda arriving at the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Miranda arriving at the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Miranda arriving at the Prince of Wales Pier at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Newman's Cruises Look Ahead II Built: 1960 - 42 ft long - 53 passengers
Look Ahead II is another vessel from the celebrated yard of Blackmore, Bideford. 42 ft long and built of wood, she came new to St Mawes in 1960. In 1977 she was running excursions from St Mawes, licensed for 53 passengers and owned by Messrs. Penrose & Davies. By 1989 her operator was the F & B Boat Co., later Balcomb Boat Co.

Around 1998 Look Ahead II went to Plymouth where she joined the fleet of Tamar Cruising and took the name of Tamar Belle (1), remaining there until 2004.That year she left for Tewkesbury where she was the Avon Belle II. Following the disastrous floods of 2007 she was put up for sale and was bought by the Newman family, returned to the River Fal and had her original name restored.

In order to secure her Rhos Newman had to buy another vessel from her owners, named Champion. Champion is for sale, as is the Newmans' previous vessel, Queen of the Fal, advertised in late 2007. Queen of the Fal was the Alice-Marie at Poole and originally Gay Queen at Rothesay. She came to the Fal in 2006 and replaced the Cornish Belle, which is now at Torbay.

Contacts:-
Web:- http://www.falriverlinks.co.uk
Phone:- 01872 580309 The Newman fleet pre-season at Tolverne in March 2008 - Queen of the Fal, Look Ahead II and Champion Look Ahead II was refitted for the 2008 season (see below) - Queen of the Fal and Champion are for sale Photo: © John Hendy, March 2008 Look Ahead II on her Falmouth to Tolverne run Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Look Ahead II on her Falmouth to Tolverne run Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Look Ahead II on her Falmouth to Tolverne run Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Queen of the Fal
Queen of the Fal was built in 1938 by Noble of Fraserburgh and worked at Rothesay for many years as the Gay Queen. She later became the Alice-Marie at Poole. She has been in the Newman fleet, at Tolverne, since 2005, named Queen of the Fal. She was available for sale in November 2007, and has been replaced by the smaller vessel Look Ahead II. She is the sister of Queen of Falmouth, originally Maid of Bute, which also served at Rothesay. Queen of the Fal was planned to return to service in 2009, running alongside Look Ahead II. She was later sold to Dorset Cruises and renamed Dorset Queen.
Queen of the Fal laid up at Tolverne Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Falmouth Passenger Boat Company (G.H.Pill)

The Pill family have operated boats in the River Fal for many years. John Pill formed his own company and still runs the Princessa. His brother G.H.Pill continued to run the St Mawes ferry until he sold it to Cornwall Ferries in 2003. He also owns the Torbay Prince (apparently reverting to her original name after being Tudor Prince for many years) which is currently laid up at Falmouth awaiting restoration. In 2007 he resumed excursion services with the Haven Rose, previously of Hurst Castle Ferries. Haven Rose (G.H.Pill: 2007- ) Built: 1970 - 19 gross tons - 42 ft long - 66 passengers

Haven Rose began running for G.H.Pill on the Fal in 2007. She had previously operated for Hurst Castle Ferries since c.1991 under the same name, before which she was the Maid of Brownsea with Harvey's Pleasure Boats of Poole from c.1987. She had been built as Medina Mist for P.D.Cole of Cowes in 1970, running excursions from Cowes Esplanade.

Haven Rose leaving the Prince of Wales Pier at FalmouthPhoto: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Haven Rose in Falmouth Harbour Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Torbay Prince

The Torbay Prince was the only purpose-built Torbay excursion boat, being completed by M.W.Blackmore for Devon Star Shipping Co (J.Kerr). There are reports that she briefly ran from Ipswich first, where the company ran River Lady and then River Lady II (River Lady moving to Torbay for the Western Lady Ferry Service where she retained her name). Torbay Prince ran in conjunction with the Western Ladies at Torbay.

The Harwich & Orwell Navigation Company had been formed in 1962 to run the Harwich/Felixstowe ferry service following its closure by British Railways. It was owned by George Goodhew and A.R.Grey. They used the ex-LNER/BR Brightlingsea on the ferry, and they also acquired River Lady II to run excursions. River Lady II was sold in 1963, and was replaced with Torbay Prince for a few years.

Torbay Prince returned west, and was later renamed Tudor Prince for service from Pembroke and Tenby in South Wales. She ended on the River Fal looking very smart in a red and cream colour scheme. In 2008 she is at Ponsharden on the Fal awaiting restoration, some work having been undertaken. She has been renamed Torbay Prince. Torbay Prince at Falmouth, undergoing restoration Photo: © John Hendy, March 2008 Torbay Prince at Falmouth, undergoing restoration Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Torbay Prince at Falmouth, undergoing restoration Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 K & S Cruises Lady Elizabeth Built: 1924 - ?? gross tons - 50 ft long - 90 passengers
Lady Elizabeth is a wooden motor vessel, built Mashford, Cremyll in 1924. Named for Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who had just married the Duke of York, later George VI. She was owned initially by the Plymouth Piers, Promenade & Saltash Three Towns Steamship Co Ltd. Lady Elizabeth was their first motor vessel and the last boat to join their fleet. 50' long she was of shallow draught to enable her to reach Weir Head, the limit of navigation on the Tamar. She passed to the Millbrook Co in 1929 or 1930. She originally had twin Atlantic diesel engines and twin screws.

Lady Elizabeth was sold to the Ministry of War Transport in 1942 for service in Devonport Dockyard and did not return until 1947. In 1949 she received a Parsons engine and was converted to single screw. In the 1960s she received a Gardner 5LW engine, when Millbrook standardised on Gardner's. In 1955 she had a brief spell on the Kingswear Ferry, being chartered to British Railways. In 1976 Lady Elizabeth was briefly chartered to the Plymouth and Oreston Steamboat Co for their Drake's Island Ferry contract. By 1977 she was listed with Mr B Curtin in Plymouth, though this was probably a charter from the Millbrook Steamboat Co. In 1979 she left for the Kingsbridge Estuary running between Kingsbridge and Salcombe until supplanted by the new Rivermaid in 1997. In 2002 she arrived in Falmouth, where she runs with K & S Cruises. No other vessel has, to my knowledge, run at Plymouth, River Dart, Kingsbridge Estuary and Falmouth.
Lady Elizabeth in Falmouth harbour Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Lady Elizabeth in Falmouth harbour Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Pride of Falmouth Built: 1957 - 35 gross tons - 58 ft long - 100 passengers
Pride of Falmouth was originally the Adrian Gilbert. Adrian Gilbert and Humphrey Gilbert were built for British Railways (BR) in 1957 for the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry service. The service and the two sisters passed into local authority ownership in 1972, when BR closed the Kingswear branch beyond Goodrington. Both boats were sold in 1976 for use on the St Mawes ferry in Cornwall, but proved unsuitable and were bought back by BR for use on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry. They again proved unsuitable for this route, but were re-engined and offered for sale. Adrian Gilbert was sold to Dart Pleasure Craft, who had taken over the Dart ferry from the local authority on 1st January 1977. In 1985, she was re-joined by her sister Humphrey Gilbert, now the Edgcumbe Belle. Adrian Gilbert was sold in 1996, joining G.H. & W.G.Pill of Falmouth, apparently proving more successful on the St Mawes ferry second time around. She passed to K & S Cruises as the Pride of Falmouth in 2006. Pride of Falmouth at Falmouth, Prince of Wales Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Pride of Falmouth at Falmouth, Prince of Wales Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008 Temptress (2) Built: 1942 - 45 ft long - 72 passengers
Temptress is a previous member of the K & S Cruises fleet, laid up at Falmouth in 2008. There have been two boats named Temptress at Falmouth, plus one named Temptress II.

The first boat named Temptress was a launch operated by Green Boats from 1954, the trading name of the River Fal & Western Cruises, incorporated in that year. They also ran the Tamar and Gondolier, and were joined by the Skylark II in 1962. The Green Boats fleet was sold off in the 1970s. Temptress (1) and Skylark II were taken over by Bob Rodgers, later passing to George Pill and then Kenneth Pill. In 1981, Temptress (1) was operating for S.Jones, also of Falmouth.

Kenneth Pill was running a second boat Temptress II in 1987. She had previously been the Kentish Lady (running in Maidstone since she was replaced a by Kentish Lady II?) He ran her until 1997 when she became the first boat in the K&S Cruises fleet.

The third boat Temptress (2) replaced Temptress II and was a very similar launch which had been running in Kirkaldy as the Mona Lisa. She was sold to Isle of Wight owners for service from Yarmouth in 2006, but was failed by the MCA before the 2008 season. She subsequently returned to Falmouth and was laid up there for the 2008 season. In 2009 she was sold to Rhos Newman and will be used as a tender to laid up ships in the Fal. Temptress (2) in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight Photo: © Ian Boyle, 17th June May 2007

Temptress (2) in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight Photo: © Ian Boyle, 17th June May 2007 Temptress (2) laid up at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Temptress (2) laid up at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

Temptress (2) laid up at Falmouth Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2008

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