Herm Seaway Marine Ltd was once known as Herm Combine, a conglomerate of different boats owned by different people which all operated the route.
Keith Duquemin and Tony Bougourd bought the business between them about 25 years ago after the ferry side of the operation stopped due to a decline in visitors.
Mr Bougourd, however, also owned AB Marine and played no active role in Herm Seaways other than as a co-director with his wife, while Mr Duquemin and his wife were the other two directors.
AB Marine will be taking over the Honda dealership part of the business.
Mr Duquemin’s first job as an engineer was at the age of 16 for WH Moitie, which operated out of a shed near the Model Yacht Pond.
He started working at Herm Seaways in 1973, after it had changed its name from Herm Combine.
After it stopped ferry operations the company focused on engineering for both leisure and commercial vessels.
Mr Duquemin said that at the age of 78 he felt it was time to retire, but there were other factors also involved in closing down the company.
‘There were ever-escalating overheads, the threat of GST and the extra pension, which we would be starting in July this year.’
He had made efforts to sell the business but had not managed to attract any interest, so any equipment still at its Slaughterhouse site will be sold or dumped.
Mr Duquemin’s two sons, Neil and Stuart, have also worked at the company but while Stuart is still there, Neil left in 2004 to become a Salvation Army minister in Wales.
He said he had been preparing for the closure for more than a year, but would miss the family nature of the business.
‘Everybody got on well with everybody else and it was a nice family atmosphere.’
