Classic Ferry for Sale and Still MCA Certified

It is not often that opportunities to own a classic ferry come along – especially one that still has current MCA certification. What makes this ferry so appealing is that with just under 12 months certification purchasers have the opportunity to buy a ready-made business as well as a classic looking ferry.

The Edgcumbe Belle was originally named the ‘Humphrey Gilbert’ and along with the Adrian Gilbert they were both 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 British Railways 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. Humphrey Gilbert was laid up at Newhaven, then bought by Meridian Line Cruises of Greenwich in 1978. She was not used by them, and was sold again to the Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company in 1979 for use on the Drake's Island ferry as the Edgcumbe Belle. The following year, the Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company was bought by Dart Free Houses, the owners of Dart Pleasure Craft. Edgcumbe Belle remained at Plymouth until 1985, when Dart Pleasure Craft withdrew from the area. She was moved to the Dart, officially joining the Dart Pleasure Craft fleet, and re-joining her sister Adrian Gilbert on the Dart ferry, and remained on the ferry service. As the fleet is now being upgraded she is being offered for sale.

A full set of photographs are available here and as can be seen from these she looks fantastic having just completed a refit. Her layout means that there is plenty of under cover shelter should the weather not be so good with passengers able to see out on all sides. The forward cockpit and seating area is well proportioned and there is also a smaller aft cockpit and seating area.

She would be ideally suited to short ferry crossings or indeed would make a really good wildlife excursion vessel for trips on river, inland waters or estuary. She is coded Class V (category C waters) for 128 passengers plus 2 crew and has been coded Class VI previously. Above all the Gardner engine is most economical averaging something like a miserly 4 litres and hour. It doesn’t take long to work out that this is potentially a very profitable business opportunity.

If you would like to see more then arrangements to view should be made directly with your Boatshed Dartmouth broker Paul Singer. Appointments should be made in advance and are generally available 6-days a week. This could be your chance to own a bit of Dartmouth history and help preserve a grand old lady too.

Thinking of Selling Your Boat?
Boatshed Dartmouth can help you prepare your boat for sale and can have it on the market within days available to Boatshed’s own database of over 400,000 registered users. Up to 80 photographs are 4 times the size and as always we sell boats on a ‘No Sale, No Fee’ basis.

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Click here to speak to Paul Singer, Boatshed Dartmouth

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