The San Pawl is now undergoing some end-of-season maintenance and CEO Chad Murray has reflected on what he said had been a positive first season for the Channel Islands’ newest inter-island ferry service.
‘There has been a real buzz in terms of visitor numbers in general this year,’ he said.
‘We have had 28,000 passengers this season, which we are pleased with, but we would like more.
‘It’s been fascinating, satisfying, hard work and a real sharp learning curve.’
Captain Murray said he would like to see an increase in the number of visitors coming to Guernsey from Jersey next year.
‘We are focused on growth of business awareness, I think there is a lack of awareness in Jersey as after the ferry tender process there was this ripple rhetoric that there is no inter-island service, but there is, and it’s us,’ he said.
Islands Unlimited played a part in boosting the island’s ferry passenger numbers and day-trip numbers over the year. The peak summer months saw a 55% increase in day-trippers, mainly from France, but the total number of visitors from Jersey went up 31% year-on-year to more than 6,000, and it is expected that most of them came by ferry.
The San Pawl sailed between the two islands from June until the end of October and Captain Murray said that the 315-seat ship, built in Norway in 1991 and which was previously operating in the Mediterranean before its move to Guernsey, had proved to be reliable.
‘We haven’t had a single cancellation because of a technical fault,’ he said.
Despite no cancellations due to technical fault, there have been numerous cancelled sailings during Islands Unlimited’s first season due to weather.
‘Before we even started we forecasted that there would be five days a month where there would be issues with weather,’ said Captain Murray.
‘The legal wave height imposed upon the boat is two metres so we can’t go if the wave height is two metres of more.
‘That’s transport, that’s ferries, we have to absorb that into our business plan.’
Captain Murray said that his focus for next season remained on connecting Guernsey and Jersey.
‘We are open to looking into other routes, but I think we would want to speak to other operators who do those routes first,’ he said.
Islands Unlimited received £150,000 from Guernsey’s Economic Development Committee to support operations this summer, but nothing from the States of Jersey.
Captain Murray confirmed that he continued to have dialogue with both governments, and that ‘good’ relationships with Jersey had been re-established.
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