The Fowey ferry
Out of the inner harbour, across the bay, and into another harbour town for the afternoon.
The crossing is the whole point of it. You leave from the dock in the inner harbour and you see this village the way the men saw it coming home — from the water, the whole valley stacked up behind. I watched the boats in for that sight more evenings than I'd care to count; you get to take it for the pleasure of the thing.
The crossing
The ferry leaves from the dock in the inner harbour and runs across to Fowey, a working harbour town on the other side of the bay with its own shops, pubs and waterfront.
It is a seasonal service and weather-dependent, as any small boat crossing on this coast is. Check with the operator before you plan the day around it.
Before you go
The boat is the Bessie James and takes up to fifty people; the crossing is about forty minutes each way across St Austell Bay. It is cash only once you are aboard, and well-behaved dogs travel free.
It is a seasonal service and weather-dependent — southerly winds can call it off — so check with the operator (mevagissey-ferries.co.uk) before you build the day around it, and reserve your return, as the boat fills in summer. On a calm day you may see dolphins; the skipper slows for them.
A self-catering cottage in St Austell Bay with sea views, a large garden and parking, close to the beach and the coast path. Book direct with the owner.
Book direct with the ownerMevagissey Harbour — a guide to the village, the bay and the people who worked it.