New ferry firm had really good season says boss

Chad Murray said it felt as if they had been operating "a lot longer" than 14 weeks

The boss of a ferry company says they have had a "really good season" after its first 14 weeks serving the route between Guernsey and Jersey.

Islands Unlimited secured their ship in May and launched operations in June.

Chad Murray, the managing director, said ticket sales in August had exceeded their target despite cancellations due to poor weather leading to 800 ticket refunds.

He said: "Weather is weather. We know what we're getting into when it comes to our islands."

Mr Murray said the first 14 weeks were a "fascinating period"

Mr Murray added: "Generally I think the operation itself has been really successful."

The company plans to continue operating until the end of October. There are doubts over demand later in the year.

"We, as a sole commercial entity, we can't confidently say we can sustain a service through the winter," Mr Murray said.

Mr Murray said they are "learning every day" and identify prolonged periods of poor weather are problematic as they cannot offer alternative services.

He said they are now looking in 2026 at "how we can grow our network" to incorporate some of the other islands within the Bailiwick.

Mr Murray said expanding the "island-hopping Channel Islands market" was "firmly in our sights".