Despite inter-island ferry services navigating choppy waters this year, an alternative form of transport is experiencing growth.
Water Taxi CI, which was founded by Max Boleat in 2023, operates bespoke services between the Channel Islands with a regular scheduled ferry between Jersey and Alderney.
It currently has one boat for island-hopping passengers, but Mr Boleat said the arrival of a new boat will enable him to bolster services and ensure they have cover when things go wrong.
“We’re really, really happy with how that boat’s performed and the feedback that we get from passengers who travel on board it,” he said.
“So, looking at the current market and the way things are going with inter-island travel, we’re very keen to bolster our services, hence the arrival of the new boat.”
This comes following months of discussions between the governments of Jersey and Guernsey on how to improve inter-island travel.
Jersey’s Economic Development Minister, Gerald Voisin said in the States Chamber this week that demand for DFDS’ inter-island high-speed ferry service had been below commercially viable levels.
“I would prefer first to see market-led solutions over further government contract expansion or regulation but I am of course prepared to consider any approach which secures sustainable inter-island connectivity,” he said.
Despite concerns over the commercial incentive, Mr Boleat said a “mainstream” large ferry operator was needed to run regular services in the Channel Islands.
He said his Water Taxi would complement that, creating a “network” between the islands that would enable tourists to island-hop.
He said: “They [tourists] want to be able to hop around the Channel Island more easily, and unfortunately the islands don’t have that network between them at the moment.
“We’ve kind of filled that space and we would very much like to do that more on a per person basis, but without having backings of governments at each island and making it work more collaboratively, it’s quite challenging for us to do as a small business.”
Mr Boleat said Jersey was in a “unique and strong position,” placed as an “entry and exit point” to the Channel Islands as a whole.
He hopes that the new boat will help it to further cement its position as an operator who can accommodate visitors who want to explore the Channel Islands reliably, adding: “The new vessel is larger, it’s heavier, it’s more comfortable for passengers. It allows us to operate more regularly and more reliably in relation to the weather as well.”
