RATHLIN ISLAND FERRY LTD

What RATHLIN ISLAND FERRY LTD does

RATHLIN ISLAND FERRY LTD is a micro-scale passenger ferry operator based in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, running the scheduled maritime crossing between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island — the only inhabited offshore island of Northern Ireland. The company operates a single, geographically constrained route serving a small island community of approximately 150 residents plus seasonal visitors, with a stated headcount of just 7 employees. Its public web presence is rathlinballycastleferry.com.

The underlying operation is a traditional, asset-heavy transport service rather than a technology platform: a ferry vessel, scheduling, crewing, and ticketing/fare collection from foot passengers, vehicles where applicable, and freight. No technology stack, proprietary software, integrations, mobile app, or digital booking system is documented in the available firmographic data; the company appears to operate with minimal technology infrastructure. There is no evidence of a parent company, subsidiaries, or external ownership in the input.

The business model is fare-based transport revenue, almost certainly augmented by public-sector subsidy given the lifeline-service nature of the route and the unviable economics of serving a sub-200-resident population on a purely commercial basis. No pricing model, customer segmentation, partnership network, or distribution channel beyond direct sales is documented. The input contains no revenue figures, funding history, management team details, or strategic actions — the available third-party source content is unrelated Thai-language lottery marketing material that was misattributed to the firm and provides no usable intelligence.

Name

RATHLIN ISLAND FERRY LTD

Website

https://rathlinballycastleferry.com

Company type

Private

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RATHLIN ISLAND FERRY LTD is a 7-employee passenger ferry operator based in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, running the scheduled crossing to Rathlin Island for the island's resident community and seasonal visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Ferry Services

NAICS

Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Island & Remote Community Ferry Services (THAIAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Passenger Ferry Operators (Interisland/Intercity) (TLAFALAA)

Keywords

• Passenger ferry services
• Island ferry transport
• Vehicle ferry service
• Short sea crossings
• Coastal ferry operator

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Core offering

Operates scheduled passenger and vehicle ferry crossings between Ballycastle on the County Antrim mainland (Northern Ireland) and Rathlin Island. The service supports residents, commuters, visitors, and limited cargo/freight for the island community, with sailings marketed via the company website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rathlin Island Passenger and Vehicle Ferry Service

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Broad incumbents

• Stena Line: Major Irish Sea ferry operator running routes between Northern Ireland/Ireland and Great Britain. Comparable as a private ferry operator in the same geography as Rathlin Island Ferry, but with vastly larger ships and route network.
• Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac): The largest ferry operator in Scotland, running lifeline and tourist services to the Hebrides and Clyde islands. Comparable in mission (remote island connectivity) but materially larger in fleet, government contract scope, and route count than Rathlin Island Ferry.
• NorthLink Ferries: Government-contracted ferry operator serving Orkney and Shetland from mainland Scotland. Comparable in being a lifeline island ferry operator in the UK/Ireland region, though with much larger vessels and route network.

Direct peers

• Isle of Man Steam Packet Company: Operates ferry services between the Isle of Man and the UK/Ireland mainland. Comparable as the dedicated lifeline and tourist ferry operator for a single inhabited island, though at a larger scale than Rathlin Island Ferry.
• Aranmore Ferry (Cúrsaí Mhara): Operates the Burtonport–Árainn Mhór (Arranmore) service in County Donegal, Ireland. Highly comparable in scale, route purpose (lifeline + tourism), and seasonality to Rathlin Island Ferry.
• Pentland Ferries: Privately operated ferry running between Gills Bay (mainland Scotland) and St Margaret's Hope (Orkney). Closely comparable to Rathlin Island Ferry as a small private operator on a single strategic inter-island lifeline route.
• Aran Islands Ferries: Operates passenger ferry services to the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, serving remote island communities with a comparable small-fleet, lifeline-plus-tourism model very similar to Rathlin Island Ferry.
• Doolin Ferry (Aran Islands): Operates passenger ferries from Doolin to the Aran Islands, Ireland. Closely comparable as a small private ferry carrying both residents and tourists to a remote island community.
• Clare Island Ferry (O'Grady's): Operates the Roonagh–Clare Island ferry in County Mayo, Ireland. Highly comparable in being a small private operator providing lifeline service to a single small island off the Irish coast.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rathlin-island-ferry-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RATHLIN ISLAND FERRY LTD