Torbay Boat Construction Co. Ltd The parent company of Western Lady Ferry Service, operates from its home yard at Galmpton on the river Dart. This is where the passenger boats return each winter for thorough overhaul, refit, maintenance and re-painting. Although no longer building boats, the yard can accommodate 30 private clients yachts for moorings and storage and repair work. Dolphin Haven Boatyard has been owned and operated by the Perrett Family since 1956 but there has been boatyards at Galmpton Creek since the 1800’s. John Perrett Senior built the Venture Yachts here, together with motor boats, Customs Cutters for the Royal Navy and many other one off designs. The last trawler to be built at the yard was for Marcel Gallon and was launched in 1957 christened “Sweet Waters”. The last commercial boat built was for the firm of Taylor Woodrow - a work catamaran named “Taystar Alpha”. Boat building ceased in the 1970’s with the company turning its attention to specialist wooden boat repairs and maintaining their own passenger boats besides those of other companies from the Torbay area.
Western Lady Ferry Service Torbay Boat Construction took over the ownership and operation of the Western Lady Ferry Service in 1963 although John Perrett had operated a small passenger boat in Torbay since the early 1950’s with “Jenny Wren”. From 1946 until 1963 the Western Lady Ferry service had been operated by the Edhouse Family but when ill health forced them to look for a successor they stipulated that it had to be someone that would take on the boats in the fleet and who had the resources to look after them. John & Dawn Perrett, and later their son, Richard, certainly came up to expectations and made a promise to ensure that not only the ferry service, but the unique boats used would be well looked after for as long as they were able. Little did they realise at the time that the association with the Fairmile B Motor Launch would last for over forty years and would still be going today if circumstances beyond their control had not intervened. The closure of their dedicated landing facility forced a move to smaller more modern craft. Had the piers been able to be repaired the Fairmile’s would still be gracing the waters of Torbay with their presence. Today the company boats operate from North Quay instead of Princess Pier at Torquay but the Western Lady Ferry Service is still going strong.
