Dart Pleasure Craft Limited
Encyclopedia
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, cruise boat
River cruise
A River cruise is a voyage along inland waterways, often stopping at multiple ports along the way. Since cities and towns often grew up around rivers, river cruise ships frequently dock in the center of cities and towns.- Descriptions :...
and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operator, based in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The company is owned by Dart Valley Railway plc, who also own and operate the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway
The Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the former Kingswear branch line between Paignton and Kingswear in Torbay, Devon, England....
.
Services
River Link operates the Dartmouth Passenger FerryDartmouth Passenger Ferry
The Dartmouth Passenger Ferry, also known as the Dartmouth Steam Ferry, is a passenger ferry which crosses the River Dart in the English county of Devon. It is one of three ferries that cross the tidal river from Dartmouth to Kingswear, the others being the Higher Ferry and the Lower Ferry...
, which connects the terminus of the steam railway at Kingswear station to the waterfront at Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, on the opposite bank of River Dart
River Dart
The River Dart is a river in Devon, England which rises high on Dartmoor, and releases to the sea at Dartmouth. Its valley and surrounding area is a place of great natural beauty.-Watercourse:...
. It also operates river and coastal cruises from Dartmouth, including a cruise the length of the tidal Dart to the Steamer Quay in Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
.
The railway between Paignton
Paignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
and Kingswear, the ferry from Kingswear to Dartmouth, and the river cruise from Dartmouth to Totnes form three segments of a heavily promoted round-trip known as the Round Robin. In order to close the loop, River Link operates a bus service
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, often using open top bus
Open top bus
An open top bus is a bus, usually but not exclusively a double-decker bus, where all or part of the roof has been removed to enable enjoyment of fresh air and uninterrupted views.-Usage:...
es, between Totnes and Paignton.
Current Fleet
Dart Pleasure Craft currently operate a fleet of 7 major vessels, as well as 3 small 12 passenger boats.Cardiff Castle The largest vessel in the fleet carrying 400 passengers. Built in 1964 for the River Dart Steamboat Company. From 1977 operated for the Millbrook Steamboat and Trading Company out of Plymouth, but returned to the Dart in 1985, and has operated for Dart Pleasure Craft ever since. Presently mainly used on the Totnes service.
Dart Explorer A modern catamaran, carrying 300 passengers and built for the company in 1991 as Devonair Belle. She is mainly used on the 1 hour harbour cruise, and also operates most of the charters and evening disco cruises.
Dart Venturer Originally built as Plymouth Venturer for Plymouth Boat Cruises in 1982, this 300 passenger vessel ran for them until 2002, when it was "swapped" with Dart Pleasure Craft's smaller Plymouth Belle. Used on all of the services.
Dittisham Princess Built as the Flagship of G.H. Riddall's fleet in 1995, this 181 passenger vessel was taken over in 2000. Despite being the newest member of the fleet, she appears to see little service.
Dartmouth Princess Built as the Devon Belle II in 1990, she joined the G.H Riddall fleet in 1995. Since being taken over by Dart Pleasure craft in 2000 she has become the main ferry on the short Dartmouth-Kingswear route.
Kingswear Belle Originally built in 1972 for service in the Channel Islands as Herm Trident II she was bought by Dart Pleasure Craft in 1989 for use on the Kingswear Ferry, where she can cary 23 passengers. She had a major fire in 2006. Since the purchase of Dartmouth Princess she sees little use.
Edgecumbe Belle A small ferry with a very long and complex history. One of two sisters built in 1957 for British Rail as Humphrey Gilbert (her sister was Adrian Gilbert, for use on the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry service. When the Paignton-Kingswear branch line was closed by British Rail, the two ferries passed briefly into local authority ownership, then were sold fo use on the Falmouth - St Mawes Ferry. Following a sale back to BR for use on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry, they were deemed unsuitable for use on either of these two routes. The Adrian Gilbert returned to the Kingswear ferry in 1977. After a period of inactivity, owned by various companies, the Humphrey Gilbert was sold to Millbrook Steamboat and Trading Company, renamed Edgecumbe Belle and used on their Plymouth - Drake's Island ferry. She returned to the Dart in 1985, when she partnered her sister on the Kingswear Ferry until 1996, when Adrian Gilbert was sold, somewhat ironically to the St Mawes Ferry Company, where she continues to work quite successfully. Edgecumbe Belle on the other hand, remains as the main relief vessel on the Kingswear ferry, and sees a large amount of service. She briefly ran a service to Greenway, but this has now been withdrawn, and Dart Pleasure Craft instead market the former rival service operated by Greenway Ferry Limited.