Red Funnel
Encyclopedia
The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, which trades as Red Funnel, is a ferry company that carries passengers and vehicles on routes between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight
. Vehicle/passenger ferries operate between Southampton
and East Cowes
, whilst the Red Jet branded high-speed foot passenger service operates between Southampton and Cowes
(contentiously called West Cowes throughout the company's literature). Its head office is in the Red Funnel Travel Centre in Southampton.
Red Funnel's main competitor is Wightlink
whose services operate from Portsmouth
to Fishbourne
and Ryde
, and from Lymington
to Yarmouth
. The other major Solent
ferry company, Hovertravel
, operates between Southsea
and Ryde. Both provide a frequent service to the Isle of Wight, but neither normally serve Southampton, East Cowes or Cowes.
The origins of the Red Funnel line date back to 1820, when the Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was established by Cowes interests to operate the first steamer service from there to Southampton. In 1826, the Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company was formed in Southampton, and by the following year the two companies had started co-ordinating their operations. In 1860, the Southampton, Isle of Wight & Portsmouth Improved Steamboat Company was created to compete with the two established operators, and the threat posed caused the two older companies to merge. They subsequently acquired the assets of the Improved Steamboat Company in 1865.
Formed in 1861, and originally called The Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Limited, the merged company's name remains the longest for a registered company in the United Kingdom
. The shortened name was adopted after 1935 when all vessels operated by the company adopted the black-topped red funnel in their livery.
The company originally operated a paddle steamer
ferry
service between Cowes
, Isle of Wight
and Southampton
, England
. During its history the company has operated other routes connecting the Isle of Wight and England, together with a sizeable excursion steamer business along the South Coast of England including day trips from the Isle of Wight to France, but today services are concentrated on two routes. In 1931 it introduced its first diesel ferry, the MV Medina. Ferries have steadily increased in size to the current Scottish-built Raptor class operated between East Cowes and Town Quay in Southampton. Between 1969 and the 1990, the company also ran Italian
-built hydrofoil
s between Town Quay and Cowes. This route is now served by high-speed, passenger-only catamaran
s.
In 1867 Red Funnel instituted a service crossing the River Medina
between East and West Cowes. This service was operated by a series of small launches over the years. The service ceased on the outbreak of war in 1939 when the vessels involved were requisitioned by the Admiralty
. In 1868 the company took over the Cowes Floating Bridge Company and operated the floating bridge
until 1901.
In 1885 the company bought the New Southampton Steam Towing Company and operated tugs and tenders under the subsidiary Red Funnel Towage. In 2002 Red Funnel Towage was sold to AdSteam, later passing to Svitzer Marine.
In 2001 the company was sold to JP Morgan Partners Inc.
(now CCMP Capital) by Associated British Ports Holdings
, which had acquired the company in 1989 as a white knight
to fend off a hostile takeover by Sally Line
s. In 2004 the company was sold again in a management buy-out
backed by the Bank of Scotland for £60 million. On April 12, 2007, the owners of Red Funnel (who include HBOS
) announced that they were considering selling Red Funnel. In June of the same year, the company was sold to the Prudential
's infrastructure specialist, Infracapital, in a deal valuing the business at more than £200m.
Coastguards said nobody was injured and neither
vessel was badly damaged. Richard Pellew, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "Having examined the minor damage sustained to the Red Eagle we are
advising Red Funnel on the repair work the ferry needs before it can resume normal service."
On March 10, 2006 Red Funnel hit the national headlines after one of their car ferries, the Red Falcon, collided with the linkspan
at the Southampton
Town Quay terminal. Eight
passengers and one crew member were injured and significant damage was caused to the Southampton end of the Red Falcon and to the linkspan. The collision caused a 15-foot hole above the waterline and buckling of the car deck doors. The accident occurred
9 years and 1 day after the Red Falcon was in collision with the dredger Volvox Hansa in Southampton Water
with limited visibility due to fog.
to East Cowes
route:
All three vessels were built by Ferguson Shipbuilders
of Port Glasgow
, and entered service between 1994 and 1996. Between 2003 and 2005 the ferries were refitted and extended both in length and height by the Polish workers of Remontawa in Gdansk
, Poland
. This was following a corporate decision driven by Tom Docherty to maximise summer operating capacity taking the previous capacity from around 100 CEUs to 213 CEU
The following catamarans operate a high-speed passenger-only service between Cowes and Southampton:
Red Jet 3 was built new for Red Funnel by FBM Marine of Cowes in 1998. She was followed in 2003 by the somewhat larger Red Jet 4, a new building by North West Bay Ships of Tasmania
. Red Jet 5, by contrast, was a second-hand acquisition in 2009; she was originally built in 1999 by Pequot River Shipworks of Connecticut
to the same FBM design as Red Jet 3. This vessel was previously known as the Bo Hengy, and was operated by Bahamas Ferries until 2008.
s. Later ferries sometimes had space allocated for carrying cars but it was not until 1959 that the first purpose-built car ferry was introduced. Classic passenger vessels continued in service until the Balmoral was sold in 1969.
d ferry on the Solent) (I) (1938–1965) (II) (1947–1962; ex LCT 828) (II) (1949–1969; now owned by Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Ltd and still in service)
(1959–1974) (1962–1978) (1965–1994) (III) (1968–1994) (1974–1997) (2003–2005; ex Nordhordland, during refit period of current fleet)
in Hythe
, and operated from 1933 to 1938.
, number 002, in order to compete with the Seaspeed
service which used an SRN6 between Southampton and Cowes. Due to the unreliability of the craft it never entered passenger service. In 1981 Red Funnel acquired a pair of HM2 MkIIIs, GH2019 & GH2024, which were primarily used on the charter service for Vosper Thorneycroft
transporting workers from the Isle of Wight to the Woolston
yard and back each day. These two craft were disposed of in June 1982 and the charter subsequently operated by the augmented hydrofoil fleet.
s to operate on the Southampton to Cowes route, and the first in commercial service in the United Kingdom, were the Italian
designed Shearwater and Shearwater I. These were introduced by Red Funnel in 1969, and each seated 54 passengers. They were replaced in 1973 by two 67 seat RH70 hydrofoils built by Cantière Navale Rodriguez and named Shearwater 3 and Shearwater 4. The latter was delivered some 5 months after the former and in the interim a PT20 craft, Fleccia di Reggio was chartered to stand in. In 1982 Shearwater 5 and Shearwater 6 were added. In 1991, with the introduction of the first Red Jet catamarans, the hydrofoils were demoted to back-up duties until they were finally withdrawn in 1998.
, and left the Solent for Saint Petersburg
on 15 May 2009.
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. Vehicle/passenger ferries operate between Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and East Cowes
East Cowes
East Cowes is a town and civil parish to the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina next to its neighbour on the west bank, Cowes....
, whilst the Red Jet branded high-speed foot passenger service operates between Southampton and Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
(contentiously called West Cowes throughout the company's literature). Its head office is in the Red Funnel Travel Centre in Southampton.
Red Funnel's main competitor is Wightlink
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...
whose services operate from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to Fishbourne
Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
for disambiguation.Fishbourne is a small village between Wootton and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight.The name "Fishbourne" might mean "stream of fish" or "fish spring."...
and Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
, and from Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
to Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...
. The other major Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
ferry company, Hovertravel
Hovertravel
Hovertravel is a ferry company operating from Southsea, Portsmouth to Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK. They are the only company operating in Britain with passenger hovercraft, after Hoverspeed stopped using their craft in favour of catamarans...
, operates between Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
and Ryde. Both provide a frequent service to the Isle of Wight, but neither normally serve Southampton, East Cowes or Cowes.
History
Formed in 1861, and originally called The Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Limited, the merged company's name remains the longest for a registered company in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The shortened name was adopted after 1935 when all vessels operated by the company adopted the black-topped red funnel in their livery.
The company originally operated a paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service between Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. During its history the company has operated other routes connecting the Isle of Wight and England, together with a sizeable excursion steamer business along the South Coast of England including day trips from the Isle of Wight to France, but today services are concentrated on two routes. In 1931 it introduced its first diesel ferry, the MV Medina. Ferries have steadily increased in size to the current Scottish-built Raptor class operated between East Cowes and Town Quay in Southampton. Between 1969 and the 1990, the company also ran Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-built hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
s between Town Quay and Cowes. This route is now served by high-speed, passenger-only catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
s.
In 1867 Red Funnel instituted a service crossing the River Medina
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, rising at St Catherine's Down in the south of the Island and through the capital Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newport northwards where it takes the form of a ria . The Medina is 17km long...
between East and West Cowes. This service was operated by a series of small launches over the years. The service ceased on the outbreak of war in 1939 when the vessels involved were requisitioned by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. In 1868 the company took over the Cowes Floating Bridge Company and operated the floating bridge
Cowes Floating Bridge
The Cowes Floating Bridge is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the River Medina on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. The ferry crosses the tidal river from East Cowes to Cowes. The first floating bridge between East Cowes and Cowes was established in 1859 and is one of the few...
until 1901.
In 1885 the company bought the New Southampton Steam Towing Company and operated tugs and tenders under the subsidiary Red Funnel Towage. In 2002 Red Funnel Towage was sold to AdSteam, later passing to Svitzer Marine.
In 2001 the company was sold to JP Morgan Partners Inc.
CCMP Capital
CCMP Capital is a private equity investment firm that focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions. Formerly known as JP Morgan Partners, the investment professionals of JP Morgan Partners separated from JPMorgan Chase on July 31, 2006. CCMP has invested approximately $12 billion...
(now CCMP Capital) by Associated British Ports Holdings
Associated British Ports Holdings
Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd owns and operates 21 ports in the United Kingdom, managing around 25 per cent of the UK's sea-borne trade...
, which had acquired the company in 1989 as a white knight
White knight (business)
In business, a white knight, or "friendly investor," may be a corporation or a person that intends to help another firm. There are many types of white knights...
to fend off a hostile takeover by Sally Line
Sally Line
Sally Line UK was a British ferry operator on the English Channel and North Sea.-History:Sally Line was founded in 1981 by Michael Kingshott as a subsidiary of the Finland-based Rederi Ab Sally, and initially marketed as Sally Viking Line, with a livery that was nearly identical with that of...
s. In 2004 the company was sold again in a management buy-out
backed by the Bank of Scotland for £60 million. On April 12, 2007, the owners of Red Funnel (who include HBOS
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
) announced that they were considering selling Red Funnel. In June of the same year, the company was sold to the Prudential
Prudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
's infrastructure specialist, Infracapital, in a deal valuing the business at more than £200m.
Notable events
The Red Eagle collided with Humber Energy in the Thorne Channel, near Southampton Water, on the evening of Thursday December 21, 2006.Coastguards said nobody was injured and neither
vessel was badly damaged. Richard Pellew, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "Having examined the minor damage sustained to the Red Eagle we are
advising Red Funnel on the repair work the ferry needs before it can resume normal service."
On March 10, 2006 Red Funnel hit the national headlines after one of their car ferries, the Red Falcon, collided with the linkspan
Linkspan
A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a RO-RO vessel or ferry.Linkspans are usually found at ferry terminals where a vessel uses a combination of ramps either at the stern, bow or side to load or unload cars, vans, trucks and...
at the Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
Town Quay terminal. Eight
passengers and one crew member were injured and significant damage was caused to the Southampton end of the Red Falcon and to the linkspan. The collision caused a 15-foot hole above the waterline and buckling of the car deck doors. The accident occurred
9 years and 1 day after the Red Falcon was in collision with the dredger Volvox Hansa in Southampton Water
Southampton Water
Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point. Along its salt marsh-fringed western shores lie the New Forest villages of Hythe and "the waterside", Dibden Bay, and the Esso oil refinery at Fawley...
with limited visibility due to fog.
Vehicle ferries
The following Raptor-class car ferries operate on the SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
to East Cowes
East Cowes
East Cowes is a town and civil parish to the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina next to its neighbour on the west bank, Cowes....
route:
All three vessels were built by Ferguson Shipbuilders
Ferguson Shipbuilders
Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited is a shipyard located in Port Glasgow on the River Clyde in Scotland. It is the last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde, and is currently the only builder of merchant ships on the river - the company's mainstay has long been Roll-on/roll-off ferries.-History:The...
of Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
, and entered service between 1994 and 1996. Between 2003 and 2005 the ferries were refitted and extended both in length and height by the Polish workers of Remontawa in Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. This was following a corporate decision driven by Tom Docherty to maximise summer operating capacity taking the previous capacity from around 100 CEUs to 213 CEU
Fast passenger service (Red Jet)
- Red Jet 3Red Jet 3MV Red Jet 3 is a passenger catamaran ferry operated by Red Funnel on their route from Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight along with sister ships Red Jet 4 and Red Jet 5. She was built by FB Marine Ltd on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. Red Jet 3 is the only vessel in the fleet built by...
- Red Jet 4Red Jet 4MV Red Jet 4 is a passenger catamaran ferry operated by Red Funnel on their route from Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, along with sister ships Red Jet 3 and Red Jet 5. She was built by North West Bay Ships in Tasmania. Red Jet 4 is the first vessel built by Red Funnel outside the UK...
- Red Jet 5Red Jet 5MV Red Jet 5 is a passenger catamaran ferry operated by Red Funnel on their route from Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight along with sister ships Red Jet 3 and Red Jet 4. She was built by Pequot River Shipworks in New London, Connecticut, USA. Red Jet 5 is the second vessel built by Red...
Red Jet 3 was built new for Red Funnel by FBM Marine of Cowes in 1998. She was followed in 2003 by the somewhat larger Red Jet 4, a new building by North West Bay Ships of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Red Jet 5, by contrast, was a second-hand acquisition in 2009; she was originally built in 1999 by Pequot River Shipworks of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
to the same FBM design as Red Jet 3. This vessel was previously known as the Bo Hengy, and was operated by Bahamas Ferries until 2008.
Classic ferries
Between 1840 and the 1960s, Red Funnel line and its predecessors operated 40 different classic passenger ferries, many of these being paddle steamerPaddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s. Later ferries sometimes had space allocated for carrying cars but it was not until 1959 that the first purpose-built car ferry was introduced. Classic passenger vessels continued in service until the Balmoral was sold in 1969.
Paddle steamers
- PS Gem (1840–1883)
- PS Ruby (1841–1872; the first Isle of Wight steamer to be built of ironIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
) - PS Pearl (1844–1867)
- PS Queen (I) (1848–1876)
- PS Medina (I) (1852–1882)
- PS Emerald (1857–1871)
- PS Saphire (1860–1873)
- PS Lord of the Isles (1861–1889)
- PS Lady of the Lake (1861–1887)
- PS Vectis (1866–1910)
- PS Southampton (1872–1902)
- PS Carisbrooke (1876–1905)
- PS Prince Leopold (1876–1905)
- PS Princess Beatrice (1880–1930)
- PS Princess Helena (1883–1950; sent to Dunkirk in 1940)
- PS Her Majesty (1885–1940; sunk during an air raid on Southampton)
- PS Princess of Wales (1888-1888; sunk during trials in Scotland before entering service)
- PS Bangor Castle (1888–1899; ex Palmerston)
- PS Solent Queen (1889–1948; sent to Dunkirk in 1940)
- PS Prince of Wales (1891–1937)
- PS Lorna Doone (1891–1947)
- PS Duchess of York (1896–1949; HM Minesweeper 0102 1916-1922. Renamed Duchess of Cornwall in 1928)
- PS Balmoral (I) (1900–1947)
- PS Queen (II) (1902–1938; renamed Mauretania in 1936 then renamed Corfe Castle in 1938)
- PS Princess Royal (1906-1906; Not accepted after trials and sold. Renamed Emperor of India)
- PS Stirling Castle (1907–1916; sunk off Malta on war service)
- PS Bournemouth Queen (1908–1957)
- PS Lord Elgin (1908–1955)
- PS Princess Mary (1911–1919; sank in the Mediterranean after colliding with the sunken wreck of HMS MajesticHMS Majestic (1895)HMS Majestic was a Majestic-class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy.-Technical characteristics:HMS Majestic was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard on 5 February 1894 and launched on 31 January 1895...
) - PS Princess Elizabeth (1927–1959; now moored at Dunkirk as a conference centre)
- PS Gracie Fields (1936–1940; as HMS Gracie Fields she was sunk at Dunkirk)
- PS Lorna DooneHMS Atherstone (1916)HMS Atherstone was a Racecourse-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. The Racecourse class comprised 32 paddlewheel coastal minesweeping sloops.-Great War:...
(II) (1949–1952; ex Queen of Kent ex HMS AtherstoneHMS Atherstone (1916)HMS Atherstone was a Racecourse-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. The Racecourse class comprised 32 paddlewheel coastal minesweeping sloops.-Great War:...
) - PS Solent QueenHMS MeltonHMS Melton was a of the Royal Navy. The Racecourse class comprised 32 paddlewheel coastal minesweeping sloops.-Great War:Built by William Hamilton and Company in Port Glasgow, Scotland, she was launched in March 1916 with the pennant number 898. As built she was equipped to operate two seaplanes...
(II) (1949–1951; ex Queen of Thanet ex HMS MeltonHMS MeltonHMS Melton was a of the Royal Navy. The Racecourse class comprised 32 paddlewheel coastal minesweeping sloops.-Great War:Built by William Hamilton and Company in Port Glasgow, Scotland, she was launched in March 1916 with the pennant number 898. As built she was equipped to operate two seaplanes...
)
Twin-screw steamers
- TSS Upton (1946–1950)
- TSS Robina (1948–1949)
Motor vessels
(III) (1931–1962; the first diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
d ferry on the Solent) (I) (1938–1965) (II) (1947–1962; ex LCT 828) (II) (1949–1969; now owned by Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Ltd and still in service)
Car ferries
Although some earlier ferries provided space for cars, the first car ferry purpose built for Red Funnel was introduced in 1959. Besides the Raptor class vessels that are still in service, the following purpose built car ferries have been used by Red Funnel:(1959–1974) (1962–1978) (1965–1994) (III) (1968–1994) (1974–1997) (2003–2005; ex Nordhordland, during refit period of current fleet)
Fast passenger ferries
The first fast ferry introduced by Red Funnel was the Sea Coach Island Enterprise, a motor cruiser capable of carrying 11 passengers at 20 knots. She was built by the British Power Boat CompanyBritish Power Boat Company
The British Power Boat Company was a British manufacturer of motor boats, particularly racing boats and later military patrol boats.It was formed on 30 September 1927 when Hubert Scott-Paine bought and renamed the Hythe Shipyard with the intention of transforming it into one of the most modern mass...
in Hythe
Hythe, Hampshire
Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton...
, and operated from 1933 to 1938.
Hovercraft
In 1968 the company ran trials with an HM2 sidewall hovercraftSurface effect ship
A Surface Effect Ship or Sidewall Hovercraft is a watercraft that has both an air cushion, like a hovercraft, and twin hulls, like a catamaran. When the air cushion is in use, a small portion of the twin hulls remain in the water...
, number 002, in order to compete with the Seaspeed
Seaspeed
Seaspeed was the joint hovercraft operations of British Rail in association with the French SNCF....
service which used an SRN6 between Southampton and Cowes. Due to the unreliability of the craft it never entered passenger service. In 1981 Red Funnel acquired a pair of HM2 MkIIIs, GH2019 & GH2024, which were primarily used on the charter service for Vosper Thorneycroft
VT Group
VT Group plc was a British defence and services company, formerly known as Vosper Thornycroft. The Company had diversified from shipbuilding into various engineering and support services, becoming involved in many areas of provision through five main operating groups: VT Communications, VT...
transporting workers from the Isle of Wight to the Woolston
Woolston
Woolston is a civil parish in the borough of Warrington, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It has a population of 7,868. It was the birthplace of Old Billy, the oldest horse that ever lived ....
yard and back each day. These two craft were disposed of in June 1982 and the charter subsequently operated by the augmented hydrofoil fleet.
Hydrofoils
The first hydrofoilHydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
s to operate on the Southampton to Cowes route, and the first in commercial service in the United Kingdom, were the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
designed Shearwater and Shearwater I. These were introduced by Red Funnel in 1969, and each seated 54 passengers. They were replaced in 1973 by two 67 seat RH70 hydrofoils built by Cantière Navale Rodriguez and named Shearwater 3 and Shearwater 4. The latter was delivered some 5 months after the former and in the interim a PT20 craft, Fleccia di Reggio was chartered to stand in. In 1982 Shearwater 5 and Shearwater 6 were added. In 1991, with the introduction of the first Red Jet catamarans, the hydrofoils were demoted to back-up duties until they were finally withdrawn in 1998.
Red Jets
The first of the Red Jet series of fast passenger catamarans were introduced in 1990. Red Jet 1 and Red Jet 2 were designed and built by FBM Marine of Cowes, and seated 138 passengers. They were sold to Caspian Mainport in May 2009 for continued service in the Caspian SeaCaspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, and left the Solent for Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
on 15 May 2009.
Tugs and tug tenders
Some tugs also had passenger accommodation to enable them to serve as tenders to liners not actually berthing in Southampton and to augment the excursion fleet on occasion.
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Tug, Inshore and Dock TID was a standardized British design for a tugboat drawn up and built during the Second World War.One hundred and eighty two were built for the Ministry of War Transport.... ) |
Medina crossing
- SL Precursor (I) (1867–1883)
- SL Princess Louise (1871–1944; sunk in collision with a landing craftLanding craftLanding craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
shortly before D-DayD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
) - SL Medina (II) (1884–1931)
- SL Precursor (II) (1898–1939; requisitioned by the Admiralty)
- ML Norris Castle (I) (1938–1939; requisitioned by the Admiralty)