Table of Ship Histories
Dart Pleasure Craft:
1975-1999
River
Link: 1999-2010
Dartmouth Steam Railway
& River Boat Company: 2010-
Dartmouth Riverboats:
2010-
Queen Boadicea
(Built:
1929 - Dart Pleasure Craft: 1976-1984)
Queen Boadicea was built in 1929, and worked
on the Thames for Mrs C.M.Smith from 1929-1941, and then for
Jacksons of Hammersmith from 1942-1959, and Thames Pleasure Craft
from 1960. She attended the Dunkirk evacuation. Queen Boadicea
was bought by Dart Pleasure Craft for use on the Dartmouth-Kingswear
ferry, which the company ran from 1st January 1977. Queen
Boadicea was withdrawn from the ferry and moved to Plymouth
in 1982 and was scrapped in 1984.
Queen
Boadicea
nearing Hampton Court on the River Thames c.1950
Photo:
© David
Lord
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard
of Queen Boadicea in Thames service at Westminster Pier.
Vessels
behind are probably Skylark X, Minden Rose and Oat.
Queen Boadicea II
(Built:
1936 - Dart Pleasure Craft: 1976-1985)
Queen Boadicea II was built in 1936 by Thornycrofts.
She worked on the Thames for Mrs C.M.Smith from 1936-1938, and
then for
George
Wheeler Launches
from 1938-1976, and attended the Dunkirk evacuation. Queen
Boadicea II was bought by Dart Pleasure Craft for use on
the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry, which the company ran from 1st
January 1977. She was sold to the
Tamar Cruising
& Cremyll Ferry Co
(TC&CF), when Dart Pleasure Craft pulled out of Plymouth
operations in 1985. She passed to the National Waterways Museum
in Gloucester before 1993.
Postcard
of Queen Boadicea II in service with Tamar Cruising.
Postcard
of Queen Boadicea II in service in Gloucester.
Dartmouth Castle (3)
(Built:
1948 - Dart Pleasure Craft: 1976-1996, 2010- )
The paddle steamer Dartmouth
Castle (2)
of the
River
Dart Steamboat Company
was laid up during the war, and was sold in 1947, being replaced
by the motor vessel Dartmouth Castle (3) in 1948. She
was followed by the similar
Berry Castle (3) the following year, both from
Philip of Dartmouth. In 1975, the
Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company bought the large Dartmouth
Castle (3) from the ailing
River Dart SB Co.
Millbrook sold her back to Dart Pleasure
Craft the following year, who effectively succeeded the River Dart SB Co on River Dart services. Dartmouth
Castle (3) was replaced in the
Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company fleet by the
Cardiff Castle, also from the
River Dart SB Co. In 1980, the directors of the
Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company (Derek Crawford, Les Worth and
Sidney Mashford) sold their shares to Dart Pleasure Craft who
then ran both Dart and Plymouth services.
In 2007, Mike Barrow of
Devon
Princess Cruises
ran the
Dartmouth
Castle on cruises from Exmouth
and Torbay. Dartmouth Castle was re-acquired by the Dartmouth company in 2010.
More images of Dartmouth Castle
River
Dart Steamboat Company official postcard of Dartmouth Castle
(3).
River
Dart Steamboat Company official postcard of Dartmouth Castle
(3).
Dartmouth
Castle
on the River Dart, on a Totnes-Dartmouth trip.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Castle
on the River Dart, on a Totnes-Dartmouth trip.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Castle
on the River Dart, on a Totnes-Dartmouth trip.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Castle
on the River Dart, on a Totnes-Dartmouth trip.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Castle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Castle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Castle
on the slip
Click to open larger
image in new window
Totnes Castle (3)
(Built:
1949 - Dart Pleasure Craft: 1977-1985)
Totnes Castle (3) was built as the Berry
Castle (3) in 1949. The first post-war
delivery to the
River
Dart Steamboat Company
had been the motor vessel
Dartmouth
Castle (3)
in 1948, replacing the paddle steamer
Dartmouth Castle (2). She was followed by the similar
Berry
Castle (3)
the following year, both from Philip of Dartmouth. RDSBCo revenues were declining in the
late 1960s, and in 1972,
Berry
Castle (3)
and
Seymour
Castle were
sold, although both eventually returned to the Diver Dart. After
periods at Fareham and Rochester (as Golden Cormorant),
Berry
Castle (3)
returned to the Dart in 1977 as the Totnes Castle (3)
for
Dart
Pleasure Craft.
She was sold to
Plymouth
Boat Cruises in
1985. She is now on Ullswater as Lady Wakefield.
Berry
Castle (3)
in River
Dart SB Co
service.
N.P.O.Dexter
postcard B7113-57368C of Berry Castle (3) in River Dart
SB Co
service.
Dennis
postcard T.0601 of Seymour Castle (3) and Berry Castle
(3) (right) at Totnes
Click to open larger image in new window
Plastichrome
postcard P37821 of Berry Castle (3) at Totnes
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard
showing Totnes Castle (3) (on the right) when serving
with Plymouth Boat Cruises
(Southern Belle and Plymouth Venturer on the left)
My Queen
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1977?-1986 - built 1929)
My Queen
was built in 1929 and was a Dunkirk
veteran. Between 1962-1970 she served with
George Wheeler Launches on the Thames. In 1975 she passed
to W.Jackson, also on the Thames. My Queen was bought
by Dart Pleasure Craft in the late 1970s after a spell in Plymouth
with
R.J.Elworthy, and was given a covered cabin
in 1982. She was used to take President Mitterand of France on
a tour of Dartmouth Harbour in 1984, the 40th Anniversary of
D-Day. In 1987 she was in service with
G.H.Ridalls & Sons, remaining with them until 2000
when the company was bought by Dart Pleasure Craft, although
the acquisition did not include My Queen. After a period
of disuse, she re-entered service with B.R.J.Rackley, who operate
the Exmouth-Starcross ferry and local excursions. She remained
with successors
J.&
M.Rackley (Exe to Sea Cruises) in 2007, by which time My Queen was 76
years old.
My
Queen
in
Ridalls colours on the River
Dart, seen from Dartmouth Castle.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
My
Queen
in
Ridalls colours on the River
Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
My
Queen
in
Ridalls colours on the River
Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
My
Queen
at Totnes on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Cardiff Castle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1977- )
The River Dart SB Co paddler
Totnes
Castle (2)
required major expenditure in 1964. This expense was rejected
and she was replaced by the new Cardiff Castle, a sister
to Conway
Castle. When
River Dart SB Co services ceased at the end of 1974, Cardiff
Castle was initially laid up. In 1977 she was sold to replace
the
Dartmouth
Castle (3)
in the
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company fleet and moved to Plymouth. In 1980, Dart Pleasure
Craft took over
the
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company, and Cardiff Castle later moved back to
Dartmouth.
Cardiff
Castle
in Dart Pleasure Craft service, with large saloon.
Cardiff Castle in Dart Pleasure Craft
service
Photo:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
Adrian Gilbert
(Built:
1957 - Dart Pleasure Craft: 1978-1996)
Adrian
Gilbert and
Humphrey
Gilbert were built for British Railways
(BR) in 1957 for the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry service. The service
and the two sisters passed into local authority ownership in
1972, when BR closed the Kingswear branch beyond Goodrington.
Both boats were sold in 1976 for use on the St Mawes ferry in
Cornwall. There is some doubt about whether either or both vessels
even made it to Falmouth, but they were deemed unsuitable and
were bought back by BR for use on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry.
They again proved unsuitable for this route, but were re-engined
and offered for sale.
Adrian
Gilbert was sold to
Dart Pleasure Craft, who had taken over the Dart ferry
from the local authority on 1st January 1977. In 1985, she was
re-joined by her sister
Humphrey
Gilbert, now
the Edgcumbe
Belle. Adrian Gilbert was sold in 1996, joining
G.H. & W.G.Pill of Falmouth, apparently proving more successful
on the St Mawes ferry second time around.
Adrian Gilbert passed to
Cornwall Ferries along with the St Mawes ferry route in 2003, and
then to
K
& S Cruises
as the
Pride
of Falmouth
in 2006.
Photo
of Adrian Gilbert in BR service
Click to open larger image in new window
Western Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1980-2000)
The Whitsand Castle
(ex-Kenwith Castle) was replaced in the
Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company fleet by the new Western Belle
in 1935. Western Belle was primarily used on the ferry
in her early years, though mainly ran the Dockyard trips in later,
along with Devon
Belle and Eastern Belle. Western Belle was built
by Fellows of Great Yarmouth. Western Belle passed to
Dart Pleasure Craft in 1980, and was transferred to the Dartmouth-Kingswear
ferry. She was sold in 2000, appearing on the Thames for Chris
Cruises of Hampton Court in 2005. Western Belle was sold
again in 2008, and travelled to Maryport for restoration. It
is planned that she will eventually operate on Ullswater.
Complete history of Western Belle
Official
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company postcard of Western Belle.
Original
saloon windows and funnel.
Official
Millbrook
Steam Boat & Trading Company postcard of Western Belle.
Later
saloon windows and funnel.
Click to open larger image in new window
Official
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company postcard of Western Belle.
Later
saloon windows and funnel.
Postcard
of Western Belle on the River Dart.
Saloon
windows further modified.
Western
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Graham Thorne, September 1990
Click to open larger
image in new window
Western
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Western
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Western
Belle
on the River Dart at Kingswear, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear
ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Western
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Western
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Southern Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1980-1985)
After the Second War,
the Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company received new investment when new directors Sidney
Mashford (of Mashford's Shipyard) and William Crawford joined
the directors. The Cremyll ferries at this time were the
Armadillo
and Shuttlecock, both steam powered. They were dieselised
by the Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company in 1946/7 and 1945 respectively. Mashford's rebuilt
the Shuttlecock as the Southern Belle in 1945/46,
and the Armadillo became the
Northern Belle. Southern Belle was used on the Dockyard
trips after the war, and passed to Dart Pleasure Craft in 1980.
When they ceased their Plymouth services in 1985, Southern
Belle was acquired by Plymouth Boat Cruises. In 2006 Southern
Belle began
service on the Norfolk Broads from Great Yarmouth with the Yarmouth
& Gorleston SP Co.
Complete
history of Southern Belle
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company postcard of Southern Belle.
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company postcard of Southern Belle.
Click to open larger
image in new window
Southern
Belle in
later
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company service
Mashford's
yard in the background is where she was built when it was Rogers.
Totnes
Castle (3)
can also be seen in the background - Photo: © Luke Farley
Click to open larger
image in new window
Southern
Belle in
later
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company service
Photo:
© Luke Farley
Postcard
of Southern Belle, with Plymouth Venturer of rival
Plymouth Boat Cruises, who acquired Southern Belle in
1985.
Postcard
of Southern Belle, with Plymouth Venturer of Plymouth
Boat Cruises behind the pier and
Totnes Castle (3) on the right.
Northern Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1980-1985)
The Cremyll ferry had
been operated by the Earls of mount Edgcumbe. When the line of
descent ceased with the death of the fifth Earl in 1944, the
ferry passed to the
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company (who been operating it for year anyway). After
the Second War, the
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company received new investment when new directors Sidney
Mashford (of Mashford's Shipyard) and William Crawford joined
the directors. The Cremyll ferries at this time were the
Armadillo
and Shuttlecock, both steam powered. They were dieselised
by the Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company in 1946/7 and 1945 respectively. Mashford's rebuilt
the Shuttlecock as the
Southern Belle in 1945/46, and the Armadillo became the
Northern Belle. In 1985,
Northern Belle and
Queen Boadicea II and the Cremyll service went to
Tamar
Cruising & Cremyll Ferry Co (TC&CF), owned by John Knight, a former Cremyll
Ferry skipper.
Postcard
of Northern Belle.
Unlike
her sister
Southern
Belle,
Northern Belle was not given an upper passenger deck.
Eastern Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1980-1985)
In May 1957, the May
Queen was bought by the
Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company and renamed Eastern Belle. She passed to
Dart Pleasure Craft in 1980, and then to Plymouth Boat Cruises
in 1985 when Dart Pleasure Craft pulled out of Plymouth services.
Plymouth
Boat Cruises soon
sold the Eastern Belle to
G H Ridalls & Sons at Dartmouth. She became their Totnes Princess and remained on the Dart until
1999. Since 2001 she has run in the Isle of Man for Captain Stephen
Carter's Laxey Towing Company bearing the traditional Manx name
Karina.
Postcard
of Eastern Belle.
Plymouth Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1980-2002)
Mashford's built the new
motor vessel Plymouth Belle for the
Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company in 1961. She passed to Dart Pleasure
Craft in 1980, and was later transferred to the River Dart. The
tradition of vessel exchanges between Plymouth and Dartmouth
was revived at the end of the 2002 season.
Plymouth Venturer of
Plymouth Boat Cruises was sold to
Dart Pleasure Craft, becoming their Dart Venturer with former Millbrook vessel,
Plymouth
Belle [1960],
moving in the opposite direction to
Plymouth Boat Cruises. In 2005 she passed to
Sound
Cruising.
Plymouth Belle at Plymouth.
Click to open larger
image in new window
Plymouth
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Graham Thorne, September 1990
Click to open larger
image in new window
Plymouth
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Plymouth
Belle
leaving Phoenix Wharf, Plymouth, in Sound Cruising ownership.
Photo:
© Graham Thorne.
Edgcumbe Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1980- )
Edgcumbe Belle was built as the Humphrey Gilbert.
Humphrey Gilbert and
Adrian
Gilbert were built for
British Railways (BR) in 1957 for the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry service. The service and
the two sisters passed into local authority ownership in 1972,
when BR closed the Kingswear branch beyond Goodrington. Both
boats were sold in 1976 for use on the St Mawes ferry in Cornwall,
but proved unsuitable and were bought back by BR for use on the
Tilbury-Gravesend
ferry. They again
proved unsuitable for this route, but were re-engined and offered
for sale.
Humphrey
Gilbert was laid up at Newhaven, then bought
by Meridian Line Cruises of Greenwich in 1978. She was not used
by them, and was sold again to the
Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company in 1979 for use on the Drake's
Island ferry as the Edgcumbe Belle. The following year,
the Millbrook
Steamboat & Trading Company was bought by Dart Free Houses, the owners of
Dart Pleasure Craft. Edgcumbe Belle remained at Plymouth
until 1985, when Dart Pleasure Craft withdrew from the area.
She was moved to the Dart, officially joining the Dart Pleasure
Craft fleet, and re-joining her sister
Adrian Gilbert on the Dart ferry, and remained on the ferry service
in 2004.
Postcard
of the Humphrey Gilbert in British Railways service.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
at Kingswear.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
at Kingswear.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, with
Devonair Belle passing.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe
Belle
on the River Dart, working the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Edgcumbe Belle at Dartmouth
Photo:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
Kingswear Belle
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1989- )
Kingswear Belle was built in 1972, and was previously
the Herm Trident II (Guernsey) before being bought by
Dart Pleasure Craft. She had a major fire in 2006 and returned
to service after a rebuild in 2007. The pictures below show how
her appearance has changed somewhat below the wheelhouse. However she soon
fell foul of an MCA inspection and it was deemed uneconomic to repair her.
Kingswear
Belle
at Dartmouth.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Kingswear Belle on the Dartmouth-Kingswear
ferry
Note
modified saloon appearance after rebuild winter 2006/2007
Photo:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
Devonair Belle (1991-2001)
Dart
Explorer (2001- )
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 1991- )
Postcard
of Devonair Belle on the River Dart.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart, seen from Dartmouth Castle.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart, seen from Dartmouth Castle.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Devonair
Belle
on the River Dart, seen from Dartmouth Castle.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dart Explorer ex-Devonair Belle
on the River Dart
Photo:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
Dartmouth Princess
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 2000- )
Dartmouth Princess was originally the
Devon
Belle II of
K.J.Bridge from new in 1990. She was acquired
by G.H.Ridalls in 1995, and passed to Dart Pleasure
Craft in 2000.
Dartmouth
Princess
in
Ridalls Boats colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Princess
in
Ridalls Boats colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth
Princess
(left) and Dittisham Princess on the River Dart, in
Ridalls
Boats
colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dartmouth Princess in Dart Pleasure Craft
service
Photo:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
Dittisham Princess
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 2000- )
Dittisham Princess
was new to G.H.Ridalls in 1995, and passed to
Dart Pleasure
Craft in 2000.
Dittisham
Princess
on the River Dart in
Ridalls Boats colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dittisham
Princess
on the River Dart in
Ridalls Boats colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dittisham
Princess
on the River Dart in
Ridalls Boats colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dittisham
Princess
on the River Dart in
Ridalls Boats colours.
Photo:
© Ian Boyle, 1997.
Dittisham Princess in Dart Pleasure Craft
service
Photo:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
Baltic Star
(Dart
Pleasure Craft: 2002-2006)
Baltic Star was built as the New Forester for the
Hythe-Southampton ferry in 1982. She went from Hythe to the River
Dart, and entered service there in 1999. She was owned by people
at Baltic Wharf, Totnes, trading as Dart River Cruises, renamed
Baltic Star, and was fitted out for charters. In 2002,
she was taken over by Dart Pleasure Craft, and repainted in their
colours with a blue hull and based at Dartmouth, but still used
for charters. In January 2006, Baltic Star was sold to
Capital
Pleasure Boats
on the
Thames, and renamed
Golden Star.
Baltic
Star
after transfer to the Thames for
Capital Pleasure
Boats.
Photo:
© Scott Neicho
Dart Venturer (2002-
)
(Built:
1982 - Dart Pleasure Craft: 2002-2006)
Former
Millbrook SB Co director Sidney Mashford designed and built the
boat Plymouth Venturer for new rival Plymouth Boat Cruises,
who initiated a fares war with Dart Pleasure Craft in the Plymouth
area. Plymouth Venturer entered service in 1982, a year
after Plymouth Boat Cruises was formed with the Plymouth Princess.
Plymouth Venturer was later sold to Dart Pleasure Craft
in 2002 as
Dart
Venturer.
Postcard
of
Southern
Belle,
with
Plymouth Venturer of rival Plymouth Boat Cruises, who
acquired Southern Belle in 1985.
Postcard
of
Southern
Belle,
with
Plymouth Venturer of rival Plymouth Boat Cruises behind
the pier.
Dart Venturer at DartmouthPhoto:
© John Hendy 2007
Click to open larger
image in new window
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