Buzz for Bumblebee's ferry service died out

Friday 23 February 2018

Bumblebee Boat Cruises - a small island ferry operator which ran trips to Alderney - is selling its yellow vessel.

The company was one of nine to enter the race for the States supported inter-island ferry day trip service, but it was not chosen as the government's preferred option.

While the move will leave the company without any operating routes, its owners said it would not be closing down in order to be open for any future ventures.

Bumblebee Marine Ltd also owns Island Rib Voyages, which will continue operation.

Bumblebee stopped its Alderney service toward the end of last year as it planned to try and operate this new day trip service. Manche-Iles have been chosen to, however, and are currently in talks with the States of Guernsey and Jersey to set up a final deal.

That leaves Bumblebee with no use for its yellow catamaran ferry, and yesterday it announced it would be selling the boat.

"Bumblebee, the yellow catamaran, has been a familiar sight in local waters for the ast six years, but now she has sadly left the island," the company said in a statement.

"She has taken thousands of people on island cruises, wildlife trips, children's parties and corporate charters, and has raised a lot of money for local charity. She provided a regular summer ferry service to Alderney - especially when it was foggy."

Bumblebee has now said it is going to turn its attention to growing the RIB voyages part of the business, with a new RIB arriving later this year along with several new products.

Above: the Manche-Iles Express are the States' preferred operator for the inter-island foot passenger route. They already operate Channel Islands-France routes.

When entering the tender for the summer inter-island ferry from Guernsey to Jersey, Bumblebee used plans that it had previously submitted to the States of Alderney in a bid to grow its service to the northern most island.

It has previously commented that the States of Alderney rarely responded to their attempts to open communication, which was part of the reason it pulled its service to the island - as it did not see the potential for growth.

"We’ve had no communication from the States of Alderney about our plans for a larger ferry and with our Jersey-Guernsey ferry tender being unsuccessful we have decided to leave behind the politics and move forward in exciting new directions and enjoy our summer season," the statement continued.

Manche-Iles and the States of Guernsey and Jersey are currently in ongoing talks about the details of the summertime ferry. It is expected to operate this summer, however further details are not yet known for sure.

Top: Image courtesy of VisitGuernsey