Our Boats
Since 1975, Thousand Islands Expeditions has been operating fully licensed and coded vessels, venturing out to visit some of the most incredible coastal scenery and diverse wildlife off the Pembrokeshire coast
Based in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, our vessels are manned by highly trained and experienced skipper and crew members
Offering a variety of wildlife trips and private charters. The current fleet includes, Gower Ranger and Blue Shark, both of which are licensed by the Marine and Coastguard Agency and carry all the latest safety equipment. Our vessels provide the perfect platform for wildlife trips that include whale, seal, and dolphin watching, as well as puffin and fishing trips, which all follow strict rules and regulations set out by Pembrokeshire Marine code.
The Gower Ranger is a 38ft Aquastar Sport Fisher, with a heavy layup for commercial applications, providing excellent seakeeping qualities. Built by Aquastar of Guernsey in 1980, Gower Ranger started her life as a very successful charter fishing boat operating around the Gower Peninsula. The vessel was later purchased by St Davids Dive Center, and used for commercial and recreational diving charters, as well as for charter fishing trips.
In 2003, the Gower Ranger was converted by Thousand Island Expeditions, to a small Class VI passenger ferry to service RSPB Ramsey Island, taking passengers both around the Island on wildlife trips, and over to the nature reserve, allowing customers to spend their day exploring the island at their leisure.
Gower Ranger is equipped with twin Perkins Saber 215c engines, which provide her with 430 hp, enabling her to comfortably cruise at 10 – 14 knots, with a sprint speed of 22 knots.
As well as having an MCA class VI license, for 40 passengers, the Gower Ranger also has an MCA category 4 coding, allowing the vessel to carry 12 passengers up to 20 miles from a safe haven.
Despite having ample room and seating onboard for all our passengers, we restrict numbers on many of our trips to keep passenger comfort at the forefront of our operation.
The Gower Ranger can be spotted navigating around Ramsey Island throughout the day, ferrying customers back and forth to the island, and out around the back of the island during the evenings, giving passengers the perfect opportunity to witness the magical, diverse wildlife and incredible scenery which we are fortunate enough to be able to share.
The Blue Shark is a 33ft Lochin Sport Fisher, built by Lochin Marine in 1982. Built to a high commercial specification, these vessels are renowned for their fantastic seakeeping characteristics.
Blue Shark was run as a charter fishing boat for many years, before being purchased in 2001 by Pembrokeshire Dive Charters, where it was mainly used for dive charters, fishing charters and light workboat duties.
In 2013, Blue Shark was acquired by Blue Shark Charters. Operating initially as a charter fishing boat, and light work vessel, it underwent modifications in 2022. The addition of seating, which provides a comfortable experience for passengers, meant it became the ideal vessel and platform for sightseeing trips, and Commercial work.
Blue Shark is fitted with an Iveco FPT N67 430 hp engine, giving her a comfortable cruising speed of 14 – 16 knots and a sprint speed of 23 knots.
The vessel has an MCA category II license with a Light Workboat Duties code, enabling her to work up to 60 miles from a safe haven during daylight and nighttime hours.
As well as serving as an excellent vessel for fishing trips and charters, Blue Shark is also well-equipped for wildlife and sightseeing trips. Onboard amenities include a toilet, and facilities for making hot beverages. Whether you’re exploring the inshore islands of Skomer Island and Grassholm Island, or venturing out into the Celtic Deep to spot seabirds, cetaceans, and other megafauna, the Blue Shark is a fantastic choice.