Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Former New York ferry cruises Menai Straits

17th September 2010
Former New York ferry cruises Menai Straits
The Coastal Cruising Association based in the UK chartered the 1937-built Queen of the Sea yesteday for a cruise in the Menai Straits, Anglesey, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The vessel departed Caernarfon and passed under the famous Telford Suspension road bridge and Britannia railway bridge. In addition the cruise provided viewing opportunities of Snowdonia and beyond. After several hours the vessel returned to the county town of Gwynedd with its impressive castle.

Interestingly, the Queen of the Seas was originally built for service in a career serving on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean, as a New York ferry plying the River Hudson. The 92-passenger capacity ferry was sold to European owners in 1941 and was transported across the Atlantic onboard another vessel.

In recent years, there have been similar cruises on the Menai Staits operated by the Waverley Excursions Ltd, Bristol-based Balmoral which has transited through the narrow strait with its notorious dangerous currents.

Published in Ports & Shipping
Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

Email The Author

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button