MV Dartmouth Castle is a passenger ship operating on the River Dart

River Dart

The River Dart is a river in Devon, England which rises high on Dartmoor, and releases to the sea at Dartmouth. Its valley and surrounding area is a place of great natural beauty.-Watercourse:...

 for the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Ships

Original Design

MV Dartmouth Castle was built to a classic motor passenger vessel design, with open decks forward and aft of a lower deck saloon, and an open promenade deck above, with the wheelhouse at its forward end. This wheelhouse was considerably older than the ship, having been originally fitted to the previous Dartmouth Castle - a 1907 vintage paddle steamer. The promenade deck also featured a number of very tall ventilators, a canopy above, and a rather ugly landing deck - a raised deck allowing passengers to board from a high quayside at low tide.

Millbrook Conversion

MV Dartmouth Castle's appearance was completely changed in the late 70's when, in common with many similar vessels, her promenade deck was covered over. Whilst many of these conversions resulted in rather ungainly looking vessels, MV Dartmouth Castle was, if anything improved. The new deckhouse covers around two-thirds of the former promenade deck, is open at its aft end, and has an open passenger deck, along with a new wheelhouse above. She has also gained a small funnel behind the wheelhouse. The new arrangement emphasises the terraced arrangement of the aft decks. The bar and toilets remain in the lower saloon.

River Dart Steamboat Company Service

The MV Dartmouth Castle was originally ordered by the River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd

River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd

The River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd and its predecessors: the Dartmouth Steam Packet Company and the Dartmouth and Torbay Steam Packet Company were the major ferry and excursion boat operators on the River Dart in South Devon for 120 years, until its demise in 1976...

 to replace a former paddle steamer of the same name, which had been laid up for the whole of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and was deemed to be beyond economic repair. She was built for service on the River Dart, running on services between Dartmouth and Totnes, as well as on circular cruises from Dartmouth. She was the first of four post-war steel-hulled motor vessels, that eventually replaced the company's paddle steamers. The pleasure boat opertions declined during the late 1960s and early '70s, and after the 1974 season the fleet was laid up for sale, with the MV Dartmouth Castle having a book value of just £685.

Millbrook and Dart Pleasure Craft Service

The Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Co Ltd

Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Co Ltd

The Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company was a ferry operator on the River Tamar in South Devon. It was started in 1894, and initially operated a fery route from Millbrook in Cornwall to Plymouth. It expanded, and eventually became the largest river boat operator in the Plymouth area, until its...

 purchased MV Dartmouth Castle in 1975, and transferred her to their Plymouth-based fleet, where she was by far the largest vessel, but just two seasons later, she was replaced by the larger MV Cardiff Castle

MV Cardiff Castle

The MV Cardiff Castle is a twin screw passenger vessel, operating on the River Dart in South Devon, UK, mainly on the cruise / ferry route between Dartmouth and Totnes, but also on circular cruises from Dartmouth, for Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd.-History:...

, also purchased from the River Dart Steamboat Company, and was sold to Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd, returning to her old services on the River Dart, under the 'River Link' Brand. In 1980 the owners of Dart Pleasure Craft purchased the Millbrook company, and for the next few years there were numerous transfers of vessels between the two operators, until the Millbrook operation was closed in 1985. MV Dartmouth Castle remained in service on the Dart, principally on the Dartmouth-Totnes run, but also operating most of the coastal cruises from Dartmouth. In 2002, she was replaced by the MV Plymouth Venturer

MV Plymouth Venturer

The MV Dart Venturer is a twin screw passenger vessel, operating on the River Dart in South Devon, UK, on the cruise / ferry route between Dartmouth and Totnes, and on circular coastal and river cruises from Dartmouth, for Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd....

, a very similar sized, and similar looking vessel, acquired from Plymouth Boat Cruises

Plymouth Boat Cruises

The Plymouth Boat Cruises was an excursion boat operator on the River Tamar in South Devon. It was started in 1981, in competition with Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Co Ltd. In 1985 the Millbrook company withdrew from the Tamar, and several of its vessels were transferred to Plymouth Boat Cruises...

, and renamed MV Dart Venturer, and was laid up.

Recent Service

She was sold to Devon Princess Cruises, and received a thorough refit, but sadly was little used. In 2010 Dart Pleaure Craft was merged with the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway, under the name Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company. The company began operating a new boat service from Torquay to Dartmouth, as part of a circular 'Sea Train' service in connection with their trains, and earmarked the MV Dart Venturer to operate this trip. The MV Dartmouth Castle therefore returned to the Dart, and once again took up operations on the Dartmouth-Totnes route.

External links

• Official Website
• Simplon Postcards Passenger Ship History Website - several photos and postcards of the vessel