A skipper is being sought to run a new Calstock ferry service as a trial from this Spring.

The historic passenger ferry route operated on the River Tamar between Devon and Cornwall for hundreds of years and stopped taking passengers 20 years ago.

The new skipper will trial an electric passenger ferry which was delivered to the village last year. The trial will see the ferry in service for one season between Ferry Farm on the Devon side of the Tamar and Calstock on the Cornish side to see if it is financially viable.

William Darwall, Tamara Landscape scheme manager said: “The Calstock Ferry was a much-loved feature on the River Tamar and we’re really hopeful that it will prove to be financially viable and continue into the long term.

“We have a wonderful aluminium electric landing craft that’s fully kitted out to take passengers and we are refurbishing the old ferry boat store on the banks of the river on Calstock Old Quay, which coincidentally is where the old ferryman used to live. All we need now is an accomplished skipper.

“This is such an exciting project and we’re really looking forward to seeing the boat taking paying passengers for the first time.”

The minimum requirements for the position include they Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualification Powerboat 2 with commercial endorsement and 12 months relevant experience, a medical and first aid certificate as well as excellent boat handling and people skills.

Refurbishment to the ferry boat store at Calstock, which was originally used by the Calstock ferryman in the early 1900s, has been given the go-ahead. The parish council as the building’s owner has supported the Tamara Landscape Partnership in making the application for the boat store. The building will be refurbished externally with repairs or replacement windows and doors, a new roof with solar panels and repointing of the stonework.

The existing internal space will be refurbished to make it suitable as the ferry operating centre and as a shared community space giving it new life as a community asset.

Calstock Parish Council noted at its January full council meeting that “it is hoped the rowing club will use the stores as well as the Tamara Partnership and volunteers from the rowing club will help with the refurbishment in lieu of any initial rental charge”.

Work on the store is planned to begin around the end of February with assistance from parish council staff on the management of the refurbishment.

As well as providing a passenger service between the banks of the River Tamar, the ferry will enable people to walk the new 87-mile walking route, the Tamara Coast to Coast Way, that stretches between the south and north coast in the South West. Leisure trips will also be available to explore the River Tamar.

The project is a Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme project hosted by Tamar Valley National Landscape and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

For more information, and to apply for the role, visit: www.tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/opportunities.