Ray Sedgwick - Ferryman

Ray recently completed 50 years of Service on the Hamble-Warsash Ferry. His tireless work has kept him tied to Hamble for all that time. He last visited London in 1951 to see the Festival of Britain! Ray plans another visit soon to London, some 57 years later!

Despite bypass surgery Ray still keeps going ferrying visitors and locals across the River Hamble at weekends and during holiday periods.

He is truly a gem in the Hamble community.

More detail from the Hamble Historical Society...

Ray started as full time ferryman on the 8th February 1958 after completing his apprenticeship at a local aircraft factory. His grandfather had been ferryman for short while in 1905 and, as a youngster, he had helped John Bevis with the ferry. When at the age of 82 John Bevis was forced to retire as ferryman, Ray took over and signed the agreement to operate the ferry at the Bugle on 7th September 1957. As he was still serving his apprenticeship as a toolmaker, which meant a commitment to work at Air Service Training throughout the day, initially he could only take passengers in early mornings and the evenings as well as at weekends.

This started a new life on the river, getting up at 5.45 am to take the first ferry passengers across at 6.50 am to work at the local factories and running the ferry in all weathers every day except Christmas Day. It's amazing how many people say on a warm summer day how ideal his job is and they would like it, but they do not think of long hours, lack of holidays and the many days with adverse conditions such as a cold, wet, windy, winter day.

Eventually, Ray purchased the ferry from Watneys the brewers, who owned the ferry and the Bugle pub. By the beginning of the 1990's he was taking approximately 40,000 passengers across the river each year. Due to the ever increasing demands of operating the ferry including new safety regulations, Ray decided to sell the ferry to Cliff Hall who promised he could remain ferryman as long as he wished.

Ray retired as full time ferryman at the beginning of January 2001 but has continued to be a familiar sight on the river operating the ferry, working at weekends and during busy periods. Ray is a well known Hamble character who has served the community exceedingly well over the years, appreciated by many parishioners and visitors.

© kind permission of Ian Underdown