SS Muritai and the Ferry Timetable

Summer may be over but we can keep ourselves warm remembering happy summer day trips of the past. The first image of the SS Muritai - which is on the reverse of an invitation to the Official Trip of the new ferry steamer on Wednesday 18th July 1923.

Ownership of the ferry service had been transferred to the Eastbourne Borough Council on 1st September 1913. Although the Borough had hoped this would lead to a 'frequent, reliable and affordable service that would meet the needs of the residents and attract more settlers to the Bay' (from 'Eastbourne: A History of the Eastern Bays of Wellington Harbour' by Anne Beaglehole and Alison Carew) it proved to be impossible to make the service profitable.

The other image is of the 1940 ferry timetable but within 9 years the service had been discontinued.