The harbor ferry

A handful of small boats working across the estuary between six landings: Mill End Slip, Kingsgate Pier and Saltings Hard on the far side; Customs Stairs, Quay Steps and Quay Row Jetty on the town side. On Lantern Night 1953 they crossed until the small hours, and every crossing, with its time, its boat, its ferryman and what each passenger carried aboard, went into the Harbor Master’s ledger.