Future of community ferry protected with new boat

The ferry can transport up to 12 people across the River Colne in north Essex

The future of a community ferry has been protected after funds were secured to repair its new boat.

Services over the River Colne in Essex have operated for those visiting Wivenhoe, Fingringhoe and Rowhedge during summer weekends since 1992.

A new vessel was purchased in April, but work was needed to make it shipshape ahead of the 2026 season.

Ferry chairman Phil Booth said it was "wonderful" that £17,000 had been raised to get the project over the line.

"People may think it must be boring, all you're doing is going backwards and forwards," he told Ben Fryer on BBC Essex.

"But every trip is different. The tides are different, the river's different and the people onboard are different."

More than 3,500 people have used the ferry in 2025, but concerns persisted over its condition.

The Wivenhoe, Rowhedge and Fingringhoe Ferry Trust used money gained from a fundraiser to pay for a new boat in April.

Volunteers then continued searching for money until they could fund bringing it up to scratch, hitting that cash milestone in October.

The new boat has been named Little Pip

In a statement, the trust said: "The way everyone has rallied to this cause has been genuinely emotional.

"The support has been overwhelming and has meant we're able to pay for the replacement ferry."

Among those who helped to fundraise were a school girl who made and sold bracelets and a business who donated a barrel of beer to sell.

Mr Booth said the new boat would be called Little Pip and he expected it would last for 10 years.

"For me it's just a wonderful thing to do," he said of running the boat, which operates on weekends between April and the end of October.

"We're getting more and more skippers joining us and they're saying the same.

"They're absolutely enjoying it. It's such a nice thing to do."