A Mersey Ferry

The Royal Iris and Royal Daffodil (ex Mountwood and Overchurch)
Having a day off, new year's day 2004

Try the New Site with expanded content

Introduction:

(OK a bit long but worth the read)

Right off, this is NOT the official web site of the Mersey Ferries. They have their own excellent site at:
http://www.merseyferries.co.uk/

There are also several other sites concerned with this service, many with excellent photographs and detailed histories.

This site started off as a bit of a 'return to roots' thing for me. I grew up in Birkenhead and had my first tastes of Marine Engineering on the twin triple expansion steam boats which preceded these boats on the old Birkenhead Ferry. Boats such as the Upton and Claughton. They started my love of steam engines and Marine Engineering. I must have been pre-teen then as I was about 12 when the first of the (still to me) new motor boats was brought into service, but was always made welcome in the Engine Rooms and taught the basics of the systems.

When these motor boats came I was made equally welcome 'down the pit' and started my my love affair with medium and low speed Diesels there. An affair which eventually took me to sea on Tankers and then through various career changes to end up now as a Boiler Surveyor (which was the least interesting bit as a boy - ho hum).

When I visited the first of these boats on my journey back in time, I took the round trip as a fare paying passenger on the mv Royal Daffodil (or Overchurch as she still is to me).

Boarding I asked a crew man if the Engineer was available. He happily pointed him out to me in the Passenger area.

Talking with the Engineer and later the deck staff and a Manager at the quay side in the Birkenhead Docks, I found that the same spirit of happy co-operation and quiet pride in the service existed today as all those years back.

Where-ever I went I was welcomed and, in a way, encouraged to take the pictures and produce this site. Without any pre-arrangement or official introduction.

After seeing the the way that so many organisations, both commercial and enthusiast, produce a service and then studiously avoid as far as possible contact with the customers, compounding this by not considering that provision should be made for those customers needs or wants further than when a profit may be turned, the whole experience on the Ferries was a breath of fresh air. The only place I have experienced like it was at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, where I went as a Contractor, carrying out surveys and not a member of the general public.

So this site has turned out to be dedicated to my appreciation of the MANAGEMENT of the Ferries who have obviously got it right in the recruitment of the staff and the management of them, to maintain the happy esprit de corps I found there.

Equally my appreciation of the STAFF there, who are working together to maintain it and to keep the very high standards seen on the boats.

My thanks to you all, along with, no doubt, that of the millions you have served so well over the years.

Could I please encourage any who are planning a trip to the North West of England to make time to do a trip on these boats. For once I can not find fault anywhere. It is a wonderful experience, without considering the history behind it.

The Fare seems expensive to those of us who remember the 3d and 6d (old pence) fares, but as an extended river trip between the Liverpool and Seacombe legs is included off peak, maybe even on peak now? then it becomes very economically viable.

The Galleries:

(as always the pictures are the clickable links)

As can be seen these boats are not little lightweight jobs. The River Mersey flows north/south at its estuary so receives the worst of the weather funnelled down it. From the narrow estuary, going up stream, it broadens out into a wide sweeping salt marsh. These are know as the Helsby and Frodsham Marshes, before becoming a more regular sort of river. The result is that the narrows at the estuary cause an artificially high tide and strong currents there. This has the advantage of keeping the estuary channels fairly silt free, but means that the boats have to have the power to run against these tides.

So the boats are fully sea worthy craft, well able to venture forth into Winter North Atlantic conditions.

As always the case in Boilerbill websites, copyright of all images is strictly reserved.
However, images are freely offered for personal collection, educational or other non-profit making uses, subject to being attributed. Larger sizes than that on the sites are usually available on request.
In this case the management, employees and members of the Friends of the Mersey Ferries are free to use the images, should they so wish for publicity and fund raising efforts on behalf of the ferries.

Contact details below:

Commercial use by others is available by arrangement with the webmaster, ie ME!!

Contact is welcome from all