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Photo by Daniel Rintz, Himba children, Namibia

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Photo by Daniel Rintz,
Himba children, Namibia



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  #1  
Old 24 May 2011
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Farefenni River ferry, Gambia

Hi everybody,

Could anybody tell me about the ferry which crosses the river Gambia between Farefenni and Mansa Konko? Is it suitable for a 10 tonne truck, and roughly how much does it cost? I want to avoid the ferry between Barra and Banjul as i have been told it is an absolute shit fight and you can wait for a long time.

Any information much appreciated.
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Old 24 May 2011
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Hello Dave,

I crossed the river Gambia on that ferry this February!

We were 11 bikes and one van.

I'm sorry but I don't remember the price, though I think it was quite low for motorcycle (my case).

I remember that there was a long queue of trucks and that we just scrolled by (except the van).

As for the size/ weight of the trucks have a look at the picture of the link below:

Lisboa-Bissau 2011 - MotoXplorers' Photos

There are other photos featuring that ferry after that one.

Feel free to contact in case any question arises.

BR,
Luis Cabrita
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  #3  
Old 25 May 2011
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Brilliant, thanks for the photo I think the ferry will absolutely fine for our truck. Thanks very much for the information Luis!
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Old 25 May 2011
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Hi Dave,

After all this the website motorcycle travellers trust!

Your post made me scroll through the photos of the trip, which is nice, thank you.

This photo below was taken from the seats above the deck by a group mate:



Check the kind of trucks waiting on the queue, I think some are heavier than 10ton.

Have a nice and safe trip!

BR,
Luis Cabrita
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Old 25 May 2011
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Yes I think those trucks with their cargo will be over 10 tonnes in weight so we should be fine. Thanks again Luis, I'm looking forwward to the journey. Thanks for sharing the photos!
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Old 3 Jun 2011
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10 ton truck is no problem, their own trucks weigh 40t and the ferry takes them no problem. Beware there are a lot of charges for using that road, some official, some not. You buy your ticket on the right about 1 km before the ferry, its a small building in a yard just off the road. There is a weighbridge there as well and they usually do it on weight. A 3t van was around €6 18 months ago. As a foreigner you have to pay in CFA $ or €.
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Old 3 Jun 2011
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Cheers for the heads up Kevin, always good to get a rough idea of what the price is.

I've had some real confrontations with ferry operaters, memorably the ass holes at Rosso, and also a ferry we used in Sudan (possibly near Dongola, can't remember), they try and ask for over 60usd sometimes for a 5 minute ride. I always pay much less, just gets on your nerves sometimes!

The joys of having a truck....
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