- Sandbanks Ferry
Sandbanks Ferry is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the entrance of
Poole Harbour in the English county ofDorset . The route runs fromSandbanks toStudland and in doing so connects the coastal parts of the towns ofBournemouth andPoole withSwanage and theIsle of Purbeck . This avoids a 25mile journey by road.cite news | first = Nick | last = Hall | title = Chained links | work = Ships Monthly | publisher = IPC Country & Leisure Media | pages = 17-21 | date = November 2006]The ferry, along with the
toll road that connects with it on the Studland side, is owned by the "Bournemouth - Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company", which initiated the ferry crossing in 1923. The current ferry boat, named "Bramble Bush Bay", was put into service in 1994 and can carry up to 48 cars. It is the fourth vessel to operate on the route.cite news | first = Nick | last = Hall | title = Chained links | work = Ships Monthly | publisher = IPC Country & Leisure Media | pages = 17-21 | date = November 2006]The entrance to Poole Harbour is a particularly busy waterway, used by many private and leisure craft along with commercial vessels including large ferries serving routes to
France . This often affects the ability of the ferry to maintain its nominal 20 minute frequency.Incidents
Although the ferry itself has a good safety record, there have been several incidents involving its passage across the harbour entrance.
On Sunday
August 29 ,1976 a 14 foot sailing dinghy was driven into the side of the ferry by the outgoing tidal run following an engine failure. Although two of the occupants were pulled to safety the third occupant, a sixteen year old girl was unable to be pulled clear before the dinghy was pulled under the ferry by the current. She was able to free herself from the wrecked boat only to become trapped under the ferry in an air pocket beneath the bow ramp. She was subsequently rescued by her father, one of the dinghy crew who against advice, attached a rope around his waist and went under the ferry where he was able to locate the trapped girl, pulling her out and saving her life. [Bournemouth Evening Echo, Tuesday August 31, 1976]On
June 16 2006 , a yacht, the "Flying Monkey", sustained severe damage to its mast and sails after a collision with the ferry. Because of the tide, the crew were unable to avoid both the chain ferry and a Condor commercial ferry which were approaching. The two men on board were able to board the chain ferry and the yacht was disentangled. [ [http://archive.thisisdorset.net/2006/6/16/117125.html Yachtsmen rescued after ferry collision ] ]On Friday
July 21 ,2007 a small motorboat collided with the ferry and was pinned to the side by the current, reportedly after having run out of fuel and drifting into its path. Its two occupants were safely rescued by theRNLI . [ [http://www.pooleview.co.uk/poolenewsARCHIVE2007.htm#MOTORBOATCRASHES Poole News Archive 2007 - The latest news and events happening in Poole, Dorset, UK ] ]References
External links
* [http://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/ Sandbanks Ferry web site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
