Jenkins Marine assists with ferry refit

Local residents, and during summer months tourists making the journey along the UK’s south coast rely on the vehicular chain ferry Bramble Bush Bay to make the short crossing across the entrance to Poole harbour. Operated by the Bournemouth Motor Road and Ferry Company and better known as the Sandbanks ferry, it connects Sandbanks in the east to Shell Bay avoiding a lengthy road journey around Poole harbour, claimed to be the second largest natural harbour in the world.

As with any such link, the Sandbanks ferry needs regular maintenance and every two years is removed from its running chains for completion of surveys, inspections, maintenance and general upkeep. Late last year, the regular process required the ferry to be drydocked in Falmouth and the owners engaged locally-based Jenkins Marine to carry out the removal and subsequent tow to Falmouth and return and reconnecting following the refit, a process Jenkins Marine has been involved in for many years.

The operation involved more than just a routine coastal tow and Jenkins Marine’s extensive fleet of workboats was on hand to carry out the task. First, the ferry had to be removed from its chains, an operation involving the shallow-draught 14m workboat Buffalo (with deck crane), smaller assistant workboat Alu 2 and shallow-draught, 10tbp twin-screw tug Polmear along with what Jenkins described as “careful supervision and many hands”.

Following removal from its chains Polmear was joined by Jenkins 1983-built Damen Stan Tug 1906 Handfast for the short journey into Poole itself as bad weather conditions delayed the coastal tow to Falmouth. A few days later conditions improved and Handfast was able to sail with the ferry in tow for Falmouth. Polmear and a local pilot were deployed to escort the convoy out of the harbour limits.

Following the drydocking at AP Falmouth Handfast returned to tow the ferry back to Poole harbour where the reverse process was carried to reconnect it to the running chains, an example of where small local workboat and tug operators can provide specialist skills combined with local knowledge to complete essential infrastructure maintenance duties.

By Peter Barker