Tilbury-Gravesend Ferry - Page 2: Private Operators


Page 2: The Private Ferries


This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Tilbury-Gravesend ferries, and covers the history in private hands from 1984. Tilbury - Gravesend: Page 1 shows the ferries before this date.

In 1979, the ownership of Catherine (2) and Edith (2) transferred to Sealink UK Ltd, in preparation for the privatisation of the railway fleet. In 1984, Sealink was acquired by Sea Containers Ltd, including the Tilbury-Gravesend service. Catherine (2) had been laid up as spare boat in 1981, and her passenger certificate expired in 1984, leaving Edith (2) to continue alone. Catherine (2) was sold in 1989 for further service on the Tyne.

In May 1990, Stena Line took over Sealink from Sea Containers. They were keen to dispose of this smallest link in their empire, and White Horse Ferries took over the service in 1991. They chartered the Edith (2) from Stena until the catamaran Great Expectations CD was delivered in 1992. Edith (2) has subsequently served as a house boat near Tower Bridge. In 1995, White Horse replaced the Great Expectations CD with the Martin Chuzzlewhit, the first of a series of small trimarans also built by themselves in Gravesend. Martin Chuzzlewhit was first of a series of small trimarans also built by White Horse in Gravesend. Later deliveries were used on a Mon-Fri commuter service between Rotherhithe and central London. There was also a daily service between Greenwich and the Millennium Dome.

Many have tried, and few succeeded in running Thames commuter services, and White Horse Ferries went into receivership in 2000. The ferry service passed to the Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co, who acquired the Southend vessel Duchess M. Duchess M remains on the ferry in 2006.


Sections on this Page:-
White Horse Ferries
Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co

Ferries on this Page:-
Duchess M - Lower Thames & Medway: 2000-
Edith - ex-Sealink ferry chartered: 1991-1992
Martin Chuzzlewhit - White Horse: 1995-2000
Great Expectations CD - White Horse: 1992-1995

Associated Pages:-
Tilbury - Gravesend: Page 1 - Railway Ferries: 1862-1984
Tilbury - Gravesend: Page 2 - Private Operators: from 1984 - this page!
Tilbury - Gravesend: Page 3 - Piers
Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co
Invicta Line
Kingswear Castle - Page 1
Kingswear Castle - Page 2
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page
www.gres.org.uk - Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts Society

References:-
The Five Minute Crossing - John M.Ormiston - Thurrock Local History Society, 1998
London, Tilbury & Southend Railway - R.J.Essery - Oxford Publishing Co, 2001
London, Tilbury & Southend Album - George Dow - Ian Allan, 1981


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Edith (Chartered: 1991-1992)

Edith maintained the ferry service alone from 1981, when Catherine (2) was laid up and her licence allowed to expire. In 1984, Sealink was acquired by Sea Containers Ltd, including the Tilbury-Gravesend service. In May 1990, Stena Line took over Sealink from Sea Containers. They were keen to dispose of this smallest link in their empire, and White Horse Ferries took over the service in 1991. They chartered the Edith (2) from Stena until the catamaran Great Expectations CD was delivered in 1992. Edith (2) has subsequently served as a house boat near Tower Bridge.


Edith arriving at Tilbury from Gravesend, by this time owned by Sea Containers.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1985.



Edith arriving at Tilbury from Gravesend.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1986.



Edith arriving at Tilbury from Gravesend, on charter from Stena Line.
Note removal of bow logo.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1992



Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1992.



Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1992.



Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1992.
Great Expectations CD
(White Horse: 1992-1995)

White Horse Ferries took over the service in 1991. They chartered the Edith (2) from Stena until the catamaran Great Expectations CD was delivered from their own yard in Gravesend in 1992. In 1995 Great Expectations CD was transferred to an associated White Horse operation between Southampton and Hythe. White Horse replaced the Great Expectations CD with the Martin Chuzzlewhit, the first of a series of small trimarans also built by themselves in Gravesend.

Complete history of Great Expectations CD




Martin Chuzzlewhit (1995-2000)
Wilkins Micawber (1996- )
Philip Pirrip (1999- )
Daniel Quilp (1999- )
Uriah Heep (1999- )
Abel Magwitch (2001- )


Martin Chuzzlewhit was first of a series of small trimarans also built by White Horse in Gravesend. Martin Chuzzlewhit replaced the Great Expectations CD on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry service in 1995. Later deliveries were used on a Mon-Fri commuter service between Rotherhithe and central London. There was also a daily service between Greenwich and the Millennium Dome. Many have tried, and few succeeded in running Thames commuter services, and White Horse Ferries went into receivership in 2000. Abel Magwitch was used on a shuttle service between Canary Wharf and the Docklands Hilton Hotel, which continued after the demise of White Horse under the management of Thames Clippers. At least two of these vessels (Uriah Heep and Philip Pirrip) remained for some years at the White Horse yard on the Railway Pier at Gravesend, never entering service. They later moved to Faversham.
I do not have an image of Martin Chuzzlewhit on the ferry service. 1999 Brochure for the London commuter service Each image links to a larger copy, or download 1MB PDF Abel Magwitch on the Hilton Hotel-Canary Wharf Ferry. Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003. Uriah Heep laid up on the Railway Pier at Gravesend. Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th November 2005. Uriah Heep laid up on the Railway Pier at Gravesend. Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th November 2005. Uriah Heep laid up on the Railway Pier at Gravesend.Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006. Click to open larger image in new window Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co



Duchess M (2000- )

Duchess M was built as the Vesta in 1956, one of the last three "traditional" Portsmouth-Gosport ferries (the others were the Ferry Queen (1959) and Vita (1960)). They were all diesel-powered, but otherwise the design had changed little in 80 years. All three remain in service on the Thames, Vesta as the Duchess M on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry, and Vita & Ferry Queen with City Cruises. Their lives on the Portsmouth-Gosport ferry were fairly short, being replaced by the Gosport Queen and Portsmouth Queen in 1966. The three vessels were retained until the mid-1970s as reserve vessels and for use on seasonal harbour tours.

Vesta was sold to Thames Pleasure Craft in 1974, but was running for Thames Launches by 1977. She passed to Arthur Green as the Duchess M in 1978, and then to D.C & W.Tours in 1981. By 1983 Duchess M was under under the Capital Cruises banner. In 1991 she was on the River Tyne running charter cruises for Rolls Royce Limousine Hire, passing to River Tyne Cruises by 1995, when her fleet mates were the Catherine (ex-Tilbury-Gravesend) and Island Scene (ex-Blue Funnel). In 1997 Duchess M was back on the Thames at Southend, running services to Queenborough and Strood, plus local sea cruises. Her running mate was the Maid of the Forth. By 1999, Duchess M was the sole fleet member, and she was sold in 2002 to the Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co for use on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry, where she remains in 2011.

More images of Duchess M


Duchess M arriving at Tilbury from Gravesend, photographed from the Waverley.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 9th September 2004.




Duchess M at Tilbury, photographed from the Waverley.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.



Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.




Duchess M and Princess Pocahontas at the West Street Pier, Gravesend.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th November 2005.



Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th November 2005.



Duchess M arriving at Tilbury from Gravesend
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th May 2006
Click to open larger image in new window



Duchess M and Princess Pocahontas at Gravesend
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th May 2006
Click to open larger image in new window



Duchess M leaving Gravesend West Street Pier for Tilbury
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th May 2006
Click to open larger image in new window



Duchess M approaching Gravesend West Street Pier from Tilbury
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th May 2006
Click to open larger image in new window
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