Skip to content

Torpoint ferry reaches 'milestone' in refit

Tamar Crossings The Lynher in the dry dock. It is a car ferry and has five lanes labelled A,B,C,D,E. There are yellow construction vehicles on the ground. The vessel is blue and white. The walls of the dry dock are brown and have stairs on the right hand side. The ship is tied to the walls. Tamar Crossings
Inspections in the dry dock showed a need for further essential repairs

A ferry service said work on its vessel Lynher was continuing following a "significant milestone" in its refit process.

Tamar Crossings said a period in dry dock in Falmouth had enabled work to be carried out on replacing systems and equipment on the prows and hull.

It added the "out of water" inspections showed further essential work was required, which increased the time in the dock.

The next stage of the work could only be completed with the vessel in the water, resulting in Lynher being moved to a berth alongside the dock.

Rolls Royce

While in the dry dock Lynher was repainted both above and below the waterline.

Tamar Crossings said dry docking allowed inspections to be carried out by its team and regulators to ensure that the vessel would be safe for a further five years.

Initial works also took place to replace the outdated computer control system, it said.

The new control system, supplied by Rolls Royce, would need to be integrated with the ferry's existing equipment.

Tamar Crossings The vessel Lynher in the dry dock, except the dry dock is filled with water. The boat is blue and white and is tied to the sides of the dock. There is scaffolding on the dock on the right-hand side and a crane. The water is a murky blue. There are clouds in the sky.Tamar Crossings
The "flooding up" of the dry dock took place on Wednesday

Tamar Crossings added that the next stage of the complex work could only be completed with the vessel in the water.

It said work on this phase was scheduled to begin on Thursday and would take two weeks to complete.

It would then need to pass the Harbour Acceptance Testing before it could return to Torpoint.

Lynher is expected to return to Torpoint in the middle of June, depending on weather and sea conditions, Tamar Crossings said.

It added that a combination of bad weather at the start of the refit process and the impact of carrying out additional vital repairs meant Lynhers return to the water was later than originally planned.

The service will continue being provided by the two remaining ferries, one leaving each side of the river every 15 minutes between 06:30 and 22:00 BST.

There will also be a single half-hourly night service ferry from 22:00 to 06:30.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

More on this story
Related internet links