THE Sandbanks Ferry won’t be back in service until the end of February, operators have said.

Giving an update on Friday, December 9, The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company said it shared in customers “frustration at the extended absence of the service”.

As reported, the ferry suffered damage while being towed to Falmouth for its biennial refit.

It was initially hoped the ferry would return in the new year.

Jason du Toit, the Sandbanks Ferry Company’s managing director, said “We are going as fast as we are able so as to minimise time out of service.

“The repairs we are undertaking are subject to various time consuming approvals for safety reasons.

"I share all our customers frustration at the extended absence of the service and can once again only apologise.”

The ferry company said the ferry refit has “progressed well and is almost complete”.

It added: “Had it not been for the damage that occurred enroute to Falmouth, we would be looking for a weather window to be towed back to Poole on time.

“The repairs to the damaged areas of the ferry are progressing and the new prow arm is planned to be fitted next week.

“Two new prow ramp sections have been ordered and are currently being produced in Poland by the original makers.

“We expect delivery of these in early February 2023, but this was the quickest option available and not the cheapest.

“When the new prow ramps arrive in the UK they will need to be fitted and once that is complete, we will commence with pre-service checks and sea trials.”

The company said all prepaid Sandbanks Ferry Ticket Card (SFTC) passes will automatically have their expiry date extended by three months.

The vessel was originally due to be towed to Falmouth on Wednesday, November 2, for a major refit that would see it out of action for four weeks.

The tow was delayed by around a week due to bad weather and it eventually arrived in Falmouth on November 13.

During the tow, the prow arms were severely bent which one boat expert described as “a major problem”.