Current Operation
The ferry is currently owned by Francis Spencer and operated by Stan Rust. The current ferry, Peace of Mind, was designed and built by Thanetcraft Limited in South Wales in 1997. Hammerton's original skiff is now on display at the Museum in Docklands.
The ferry currently operates between a floating boathouse on the north bank of the Thames and a rudimentary jetty on the south bank. The boathouse is also in use as a private mooring for leisure craft. The ferry operates on all weekends, and weekdays between February and October. As well as the ferry service, rowboats, canoes and motorboats can also be hired from the boathouse.
In July 2007 the ferry briefly made headlines when owner Francis Spencer saved from drowning a woman found floating in the Thames. After the rescue, the woman left the scene and was never identified.
A local tradition holds that a tunnel connects Ham House and Marble Hill House, paralleling the route of the ferry. However, there is no evidence that this is the case.
The ferry marks the starting point of the Great River Race and is on the course of the Twickenham Regatta. As the ferry has right-of-way over rowed craft, the races have to be carefully timed to ensure that the ferry does not interfere with their running.
Read more about this topic: Hammerton's Ferry
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