Seven-week chain ferry closure due to begin

A major refit of a chain ferry is due to get under way on Monday, with the service expected to be out of action for about seven weeks.

The Sandbanks Ferry, which runs across the entrance to Poole Harbour between Sandbanks and Studland, will undergo a scheduled maintenance programme after its final crossing from Shell Bay at 23:10 GMT on Sunday.

The work will be carried out at Poole Quay, Dorset, and in Falmouth, Cornwall, with the timetable subject to weather and sea conditions.

Maintenance work on the ferry is carried out every two years, alternating between major and minor refits. Its last major overhaul took place in 2022.

General manager Wayne Row said extensive planning had gone into the project, with parts ordered well in advance and sections of the work prepared before the ferry is taken out of the water.

He thanked passengers for their patience and said the aim was to complete the work as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.

"We appreciate the ferry is part of the critical transport network," he said. "We're doing everything we can to ensure works are both thorough and efficient, so we can be back on the chains quickly."

The Sandbanks Ferry takes about four minutes to cross Poole Harbour and helps motorists avoid a road journey of up to 25 miles (40km).