The meeting at the Island Hall attracted more than 100 Sarkees who wanted to ask questions on the reduced sailings, which included no Sunday sailings and no sailings on alternate Wednesdays.
The meeting was chaired by Andrew Ozanne, with Isle of Sark Shipping represented by managing director Mark Roffey, and the island’s Harbours, Shipping & Pilotage Committee represented by Conseiller Jimmy Martin and John Guille, who is also chairman of the Policy & Finance Committee.
Questions on the timetable had to wait, as the meeting first had to discuss the resignation of its non-executive directors, who had stated in a letter that senior politicians in Sark were preparing to remove them.
In answer to questions, Mr Guille said the board had wanted to appoint a technical director, but that had been rejected by Sark’s government, the company shareholders, as they wanted a Guernsey-based person with engineering qualifications.
Another question asked for confirmation that the recommendation of the board had been overruled by P&F, to which Mr Roffey answered ‘ultimately, yes’.
After a break, the meeting turned to questions on the timetable and how it would affect the island’s economy, especially tourism.
However, the first questions came from parents concerned with how the timetable would affect children at school in Guernsey, who normally return at weekends.
The timetable has no Sunday service and often no sailing on Monday before 1pm.
Conseiller Carol Cragoe from Sark’s Education Committee said she was unhappy with the situation and that there had been a lack of consultation.
Other residents said the lack of a Wednesday service would make it very hard to attend medical appointments in Guernsey.
‘If you persist with this timetable, businesses and families will not be here,’ commented one resident, which drew applause from those attending. The knock-on effect will damage Isle of Sark Shipping even more.’
Mr Roffey said that the break-even was 35 passengers, but in the winter they averaged 16.
‘If you want a full service, the island will have to subsidise it,’ he said.
‘This is about stopping stagnation and there has been underinvestment, and more costs are coming down the line. We need to stem the winter losses.’
Resident Peter Cunneen, who attended the meeting, said he had not been totally satisfied with the responses he had heard.
‘I think we are realising they won’t cave in to public pressure due to the finances,’ he said.
‘But I still hope there could be some compromise for the schoolchildren and the vital Wednesday service.’
Mr Cunneen runs a self-catering cottage and said the changes had brought problems for his business.
‘I’ve got people coming from America in November who leave on a Wednesday,’ he said.
‘That boat has now disappeared from the timetable. If they go on a Tuesday or a Thursday it will be on a freight boat, which is limited to 12 passengers. It’s far from an ideal situation.’
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