The chain ferry stops for a planned seven weeks from 2 November for its major refit in Poole and Falmouth. The last sailing leaves Shell Bay at 11.10pm on Sunday 1 November.
The Sandbanks chain ferry will stop running after Sunday 1 November for a planned seven weeks, the operator announced on 21 September. The last sailing of the season leaves Shell Bay at 11.10pm that night.
The ferry then travels to Poole Quay on Monday 2 November for a major refit, with further works in Falmouth. The operator says the vessel will be out of service “over a total planned period of 7 weeks”, subject to weather and sea conditions. The exact return date will be announced in December.
Seven weeks from 2 November runs to around 21 December. Whether the ferry is back on the chains before Christmas is exactly what the December announcement will settle, and the operator has not promised it.
Why it is happening
The ferry alternates minor and major refit works every two years, and this is a major year: the last major refit was in 2022. Wayne Row, general manager at The Sandbanks Ferry, said:
Our refits are essential to ensure the ferry continues operating safely and reliably for all our passengers and staff.
He said parts are ordered at least a year in advance, with sections and systems prefabricated to cut the time out of the water, and that on-board maintenance runs all year while the out-of-water works “tackle more complex processes around long-term structural integrity and regulatory compliance”.
He added:
We appreciate the ferry is part of the critical transport network for so many people across Dorset and understand that service disruptions can be difficult to plan around.
What it means for you
- Until 1 November, nothing changes. The ferry runs its normal timetable, every twenty minutes between Sandbanks and Shell Bay, with normal hours on the final day.
- From 2 November, the only road route between Studland and Sandbanks is the drive round through Wareham, which adds the best part of an hour to what is normally a four-minute crossing.
- Plan Christmas travel both ways. The return date will not be confirmed until December, so do not build a December crossing into any plan you cannot change.
- Tolls are unchanged until then: £6.26 for a car or van, £1.18 for a motorbike and £12.52 for a goods vehicle or bus, set on 1 April 2026. Since 1 July vehicle tolls are paid online or by app, not at the barrier, with number plate recognition at the slipway.
The refit dates matter most to people in Studland, Swanage and the rest of Purbeck who use the crossing for work, school and hospital trips into Poole and Bournemouth. The diversion through Wareham also carries everyone else’s traffic while the ferry is away, so allow extra time on the A351 through Wareham in November and December.
The crossing the county plans around
The chain ferry between Sandbanks and Shell Bay is the short way between the Poole side and the Isle of Purbeck. It runs every twenty minutes, seven days a week, and the crossing itself takes about four minutes. When it stops, the alternative is the long way round by road through Wareham.
The refit is the routine price of keeping a vessel like this in service. The operator’s announcement is direct about the trade-off: thorough works now, so it can be “back on the chains quickly”.
We track the ferry’s status, tolls and the rest of the county’s travel disruption on our Dorset roadworks and travel page, which is checked against the operator and the council through the autumn.
Sources
- The Sandbanks Ferry: 2026 refit dates announcement, 21 September 2026, for the last day of service, the 11.10pm final sailing, the Poole Quay and Falmouth works, the seven week planned period, the December return announcement and all quotes.
- The Sandbanks Ferry for the current service status, the timetable, the tolls set on 1 April 2026 and the online payment requirement from 1 July 2026, checked 22 September 2026.
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