Duchess of Cornwall names new St Mawes Ferry

The Duke and  Duchess of Cornwall visited St Mawes this morning to name the new St Mawes Ferry ''The Duchess of Cornwall'' and both took it in turns to drive the ferry over to Falmouth

The Duke and Duchess, who stayed overnight in the Tresanton Hotel met ferrymen and staff as well as some of the local school children from St Mawes CP School who became involved in the early design stages of the new wooden 60ft ferry.

They then both boarded the new ferry and unveiled the name plaque – which was covered with a Cornish St Piran’s flag – before they enjoyed a 20-minute trip from St Mawes across the harbour to Falmouth’s Prince of Wales Pier. And it was while crossing the Carrick Roads that the pair took it in turns to take the wheel and drive the new ferry.

During the crossing, The Duke and Duchess also learnt more about how the ferry was built using traditional methods and materials by Cockwells Modern and Classic Boat Building of Penryn. They also met directors of Cornwall Ferries Limited to find out why they decided to take the challenging step to build a new wooden ferry from scratch; the boat builders who rose to the two-year challenge, employing apprentices specifically for the build along the way; and finally the crew who had a significant imput into the design of the new ferry after years skippering the ferries between Falmouth and St Mawes.

Garrick Royle, operations manager for Cornwall Ferries said: “We are delighted with the way the whole morning went. The new ferry looks lovely and we were all surprised when they both expressed an interest in taking the wheel. They seemed very relaxed and were obviously enjoying the trip and looking forward to the rest of their day.”

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