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The Bristol Ferry Boat Company has gone out of business after liquidators were called in by the owners.

The owners of the firm, who include the city's newly-elected mayor George Ferguson, have been struggling to keep it afloat for several years.

But a mixture of the economic downturn and this summer's terrible weather combined to bring down the company, known for its distinctive yellow and blue boats. The decision was taken on Thursday to call in the liquidators and the firm has now ceased trading.

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At its height in the busy summer months the firm, based near Welsh Back, employed around 30 full-time and part-time staff.

Ferry services have already been halted and there is a question mark over what will happen to the private excursions already booked by customers.

Two other boat companies are still operating in the city docks ^ Number Seven Boat Trips and Bristol Packet Boat Trips ^ and are unaffected by the announcement.

The Bristol Ferry Boat Company was originally set up by Ian Bungard in the late 1970s but Jane Salvidge became the owner several years ago, with the support of her then husband Rob Salvidge.

The couple have since separated but businessman turned politician Mr Ferguson has also had a share in the business.

One person involved in the firm, who asked not to be named, said: "This is a real tragedy for Bristol. We have worked really hard for the last two or three years to keep the company going but in the end it was just not a viable business.

"Obviously it is a terrible shame that people have lost their jobs but at the same time, the city has lost a part of its heritage. The ferry was one of the things that made the city such a special place.

"No one is to blame for what has happened and people fought long and hard to keep the business going for as long as possible but it was just not possible.

"The business was struggling anyway as a result of the recession and then we had to cope with one of the wettest summers on record, which really did nothing to help the situation."

Mr Ferguson said: "I have been a shareholder in the company for several years but have never been involved in the day-to-day running of the company. I have been supporting the business but the last two summers have been particularly difficult. It got to the stage where we decided that the business was no longer viable."

The company, which ran a scheduled ferry service as well as tours and private hire trips, almost went out of business two years ago but was saved when the city council struck a deal with the company.

Mrs Salvidge, the main owner of the business, is believed to be in France at present.

Mr Salvidge has been concentrating on running The Matthew, the replica of John Cabot's historic ship. He said: "I was involved in the Ferry Company for a couple of years and it is a real shame that it could disappear. There was a danger a few years ago that the firm could go out of business and the council got involved. The council wanted to concentrate on the ferry service rather than the excursion side of the business.

"Basically, the cost of running a waterbus meant that the price of tickets were too expensive for commuters. Sadly, the market was never going to be viable and it really took the business in the wrong direction."

Bristol ferry to restart after consortium buys boats

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The boats were put up for auction after the company went into administration last year

A passenger ferry company in Bristol that went into administration last November is to resume service.

Bristol's Ferry Boat Company will run a weekend service until 10 February, when it will operate full time. The company is being run by its original owner, Ian Bungard, on behalf of a consortium of investors.

Mr Bungard said: "I'm very proud and have the greatest confidence in the people who have raised the money to get it back in business again."

The company's fleet of five blue and yellow passenger boats were put up for auction last December, after the firm went into administration. A consortium purchased all five boats and, under the name Bristol's Ferry Boat Company, are to continue to run the service on the city's Harbourside.

Mr Bungard, who originally launched the company in 1978, said "it feels like the right thing to be doing".

"We've always believed that there is a great value in having a water-based transport in Bristol," he said. "The harbour links a lot of tourist attractions, the railway station and city centre and we've always thought there should be a lot more people travelling by boat."

Two other ferry services currently operate in the city.

All is not lost, though! 

Bristol ferry company hoping to raise ^250,000 with share offer

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The Bristol Ferry Boat Company went into administration last November

A ferry company in Bristol is hoping to transfer its boat fleet to community ownership by launching a share offer.

Bristol Ferry Boat Company went into administration last year but its five blue and yellow passenger boats were bought by a consortium of investors. Now the consortium is hoping to raise ^250,000 to launch the service as a community-led transport system.

Mark Tucker, a founding member of the company, said without the funds the service would "simply cease".

Shares, starting at ^100, were floated by the newly created Community Benefit Society at an event earlier and will be available until the end of July.

Mr Tucker said it was an opportunity for people to co-own an enterprise which had been "a part of the Bristol dock scene for many decades".

"The new Community Benefit Society will have no bank debt, it is run by experienced ferry operators and we believe that this is the best possible foundation for sustainable success," he added.

According to a spokesman, the co-operative will run five ferries on the city's Harbourside on regular time-tabled services, 364 days a year.

Ruth McLellan, from Bristol Ferry Boats, said: "It means that people have a say. People who have an interest in the company can have a vote in what happens. This is supposed to be part of Bristol and it's supposed to be a service for a community".

Two other ferry services currently operate in the city.

A ferry company in Bristol is hoping to transfer its boat fleet to community ownership by launching a share offer.

Bristol ferry company raises ^61,900 in one week

A ferry company has raised a quarter of the money it needs to transfer the service to community ownership after one week.

Bristol Ferry Boat Company went into administration last year but its five passenger boats were bought by a consortium of investors.

The consortium launched a share offer in a bid to raise ^250,000 and has so far raised ^61,900.

The shares, starting at ^100, are available until the end of July.

Ruth Maclellan, from the company, said: "It's really exciting. We're really happy with how well it's going.

"We've had another 10 through the post today. It's mostly small investors from all around Bristol."

She said they were hopeful of meeting their target: "We've got a good few weeks left and every day more people are coming in to pick up application forms."

Mark Tucker, a founding member of the company, has said previously that without the funds the service would "simply cease".

The shares were floated by the newly created Community Benefit Society on 22 May.

Two other ferry services currently operate in the city.

Ferry funny.  ::)

Bristol ferry company raise more than ^250k target to save service

A ferry company in Bristol that went into administration has been saved by a community share offer.

Bristol Ferry Boat Company needed to raise ^250,000 from investors by 31 July, but by Monday morning it had unofficially topped ^300,000.

Ferry boss Ian Bunguard said more than 600 people had bought the shares - starting at ^100 - with many being bought by people living in the city.

He added the ferry was now in a very strong position.

Massive support

"Because we've raised more money than we needed for the offer we'll have to reallocate some of the shares as we can't go over ^250,000," he said.

"We had a lot of interest over the weekend at the Harbour Festival where we had a stand and there's been a massive amount of support. Dozens of applications have arrived in the post this morning - we're aiming to get the ferry being owned by as many people as possible."

Bristol Ferry Boat Company went into administration last year but its five blue and yellow passenger boats were bought by a consortium of investors.

Shares, starting at ^100, were floated by the newly created Community Benefit Society and will be available until the end of July.

Two other ferry services currently operate in the city.

Rival was given unfair help, claims Bristol ferry firm boss

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Richard Rankin, owner of Number Seven Boat Trips

The owner of a Bristol ferry boat company has accused the council of nepotism by giving an unfair advantage to his rival.

Richard Rankin, managing director of Number Seven Boat Trips, addressed a meeting of Bristol City Council's Place Scrutiny Commission yesterday.

He said he had made a complaint to the council ten months ago about the way in which he believed Bristol Ferry Boat Company had been helped to restart by the authority after going bankrupt. He explained that his complaint had never been answered and said he believed this issue required investigation.

Mr Rankin said he believed the company had been helped "hand over fist" to restart "in the name of our council" and that it had cost his company hundreds of thousands of pounds.

As previously reported in the Bristol Post, representatives of Bristol Ferry Boat Company have criticised a number of timetable changes imposed by the council.

But Mr Rankin says these changes were enforced completely correctly by the harbour master after his company and Bristol Ferry Boat Company could not come to an agreement about timetables.

"At the start of these discussions we all agreed that if agreement could not be reached then we would be bound by the harbour master's decision on the matter of timetables," he said. "As all the proposals put forward by the other company were so close to my existing times they were not allowed."

Councillor Chris Jackson (Lab, Filwood) said: "If a member of the public has made a complaint they deserve an answer to that complaint ^ ten months is not acceptable."

Councillor Christian Martin (Lib Dem, Clifton East) said he believed the issue needed looking into further because the ferry boats were an integral part of Bristol's transport strategy. "I think it will have to be an inquiry," he said. "We will need to call on the harbour master and the other company to give statements."

Robert Orrett, the council's service director for property, told the commission: "I apologise to Mr Rankin ^ my target to respond is two weeks from now. But I completely refute any claims of nepotism on behalf of the council and the harbour master ^ we do not favour the other company and have never favoured either company. We have intervened in a disagreement and made the best decision we can."

Rob Salvidge, a trustee of Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd, which runs operator Bristol Ferry Boats, last week criticised a number of changes made to its timetable by the city council. He said it meant people can no longer travel all the way from Temple Quay to Hotwells by ferry without changing boats and that passengers wanting to make the full trip have to change at the Arnolfini landing point.

Bristol Community Ferry Boat Company to launch direct route

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For the first time in more than three years ferry passengers will be able to travel on a direct route across Bristol.

The Bristol Community Ferry Boat Company will launch its new direct service between Hotwells and Temple Meads Station on Thursday.

Previously passengers had to change at the Arnolfini due to a longstanding timetable disagreement.

Philippa Bungard, joint manager of the community interest company with husband Ian, said: "We are very excited to bring in this development, which has been nearly three years in the making. It will allow us to provide a direct service for our passengers and we hope that it will encourage people living and visiting Bristol to use ferry services a lot more frequently."

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The first direct service will leave Hotwells at 9.56am on Thursday, and Bristol Temple Meads at 10am.

Single tickets will cost ^3.80, while all-day passes - which allow for multiple journeys ^ are priced at ^6.50.

The company is also partnering with Great Western Rail to offer free rides to rail passengers from Bath and Oxford.

The direct service will run every 40minutes, in parallel with journeys put on by competitors, Number Seven Boat Trips.

Mrs Bungard added: "In all it means that the two companies are offering a better customer service with regular trips. We will run every 40 minutes and so do Number Seven meaning that passengers will benefit from services every 20 minutes at high season in the summer."

Bristol Community Ferry Boat Company say that customers have welcomed the news.

"We have had a positive reaction." Mrs Bungard said. "It seems to be that the vast majority of people have been saying 'well of course you should be able to offer a straight through service' - it seems the natural thing to do."

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In the future, the company hope to tap in to the commuter market.

Mrs Bungard said: "We have a 2.5mile stretch of water through Bristol and it is about time people started using it again. We as a company were very involved with Bristol's Green Capital, and we are keen to see that legacy continue through the use of water transport."

Bristol City Council subsidies for a commuter service ceased in 2011 due to a lack of demand for and local government cut-backs.

Richard Rankin, managing director of Number Seven Boat Trips, said: "The Temple Meads route is a viable one in the school holidays, outside of that it is much ado about nothing. They won't be doing anything that we aren't already, so customers will be able to get there in the same amount of time with us. Good luck to them. I hope they enjoy the route as much as we do."

A direct route?

Is that as the crow flies?  :P ;) ;D

A direct route?

Is that as the crow flies?  :P ;) ;D

Bristol ferry boat timetable changes 'very unjust'

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Richard Rankin, from Number Seven Boat Trips, said the new timetable was "unjust"

A ferry boat firm in Bristol is claiming a new timetable "imposed" by the council favours its rival.

Number Seven Boat Trips and Bristol Ferry Boats both operate services in the city's harbour. Number Seven Boat Trips said the changes were "unjust".

Bristol Ferry Boats disagreed and said the new timetable was "fairer than the previous one".

The city council said it was introduced "following feedback from customers".

Both companies operate the same route between Temple Meads and Hotwells, at staggered times.

Previously, the two boats collected people every 10 minutes in a 20 minute slot - and then one boat picked up passengers over the next 40 minutes.

Changes now mean ferries collect at regular 20-minute intervals and passengers can now stay on the same boat for the whole trip, instead of changing in the city centre.

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Bristol Ferry Boats said feedback they had received suggested the changes were "better for everybody"

Richard Rankin, of Number Seven Boat Trips, said: "We're told to move from our timetable on the Hotwells route - which we've run for 15 years - 10 minutes earlier. What it does then is, by running two boats close together it maximises the potential for what passengers there are to get on the other side's boats. That strikes me as being very unjust."

But Philippa Bungard, from Bristol Ferry Boats, said feedback indicated the service was "better for everybody".

"[It] is much fairer than the previous timetable and everyone so far seems very happy," she added.

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Both ferry boat companies operate the same route at staggered times between Temple Meads and Hotwells

In a statement, the council said the changes were made to manage journeys in the "most effective way".

"The changes have been made following feedback from customers using the services, to ensure timings between the two do not overlap and deliver the best experience for visitors," they explained.

Is Richard Rankin King Neptune in disguise ? ???

Is Richard Rankin King Neptune in disguise ? ???

Ferry cash pulled from Bristol Harbour by police divers

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The retrieved cash was put out to dry beside an office heater and is said to be 'none the worse for wear'

Hundreds of pounds of ferry takings have been retrieved from the bottom of Bristol harbour - more than a week after they went overboard.

Bristol Ferry said a bag containing £467 in cash fell into the water on 15 October, after the strap snapped.

Police divers on a training exercise found the bag on Monday.

Philippa Bungard, the firm's director, said: "It was all there, all absolutely fine. We laid the notes out on a rack over the radiator in the office."

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It took police divers an hour to find the cash in the murky waters and retrieve it

Ms Bungard said she first heard the cash had been dropped when she got a phone call from a "horrified and terribly apologetic" crewman.

"I said 'don't worry, don't worry - check where it is and keep an eye on it and make a note of where it is'," she said. "It's not very deep in the city centre - I thought we'll have a go at getting it out." But despite attempts to fish the bag out with a grappling hook, it was police divers who found the cash.

"They said if it's down there then they'll find it... it took about an hour," Ms Bungard said. "But the notes were all sound, totally fine including the plastic ones and the others are none the worse for wear. We didn't consciously keep it a secret but if we had said there's hundreds of pounds at the bottom of the harbour - there may have been more people jumping in."

Now "all dried out" the money has been donated to two local charities - the Marmalade Trust and the Julian Trust.