The Patonga-Palm beach ferry service will be back on the water from December 17 following its acquisition by new owners, the Boathouse Group.
Operating the original ‘Merinda II’ ferry in Pittwater, the Boathouse Ferry Co. will run between Patonga, Palm Beach and Newport, passing by the Barrenjoey headland and West Head on the way.
Director of The Boathouse Group, Andrew Goldsmith, said the Group was ‘thrilled’ to be taking over the service which they began operating in November.
“When we learned that previous owner, Steve Reynolds, who operated the service for over 20 years had decided to sell, we saw it as a great opportunity as we didn’t want the service to be taken from the area,” Goldsmith said.
“We’re passionate about the natural beauty of the waterway between Broken Bay and Pittwater and saw it to be an important community amenity, linking the Central Coast with the Northern Beaches.
“We long felt our guests at the Patonga Hotel and Barrenjoey House benefited from the service as it provided them with additional things to do whilst staying in the area.
“We have teamed up with Marcel Dupont-Louis, from Zephyr Charters, who has been assisting us with service operations, and will do so moving forward.
“Steve Reynolds is also assisting us with crewing the ferry and we look forward to offering the same friendly, local service that he offered.
“You can expect the same beautiful timber ferry, but with extended operating hours to include earlier and later trips, and also a number of stops to Newport Wharf.”
The 30-minute Patonga to Palm Beach service will depart Patonga Wharf at 10:15am, 11:45am, 2:30pm, 4:25pm and 6:45pm.
Upon return, the Palm Beach to Patonga service will depart from Palm Beach Wharf at 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm, 1:50pm, 3:40pm and 5:05pm.
The 90-minute journey from Patonga to Newport via Palm Beach will depart from Patonga at 11:45am and 6:45pm and depart Newport Wharf at 8:45am and 1:10pm.
Additional ferries will also run on New Years Eve with a Palm Beach to Patonga service at 8:30pm and a Patonga to Palm Beach service at 10pm.
All ferry tickets are available for purchase on board.
Adults will be able to travel between Palm Beach and Patonga for $15 one way, or $25 return, and from Newport to Patonga via Palm Beach for $18 one way, or $30 return.
For children aged between five and 15, tickets are half price and there is no charge for under-fives.
A range of snacks and drinks will also be served on board. The ‘Merinda II’ is a fifty-foot timber passenger ferry, built by Norman Wright + Sons in 1983.
More information can be found at boathouseferryco. com.au/
Maisy Rae