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List of Red Funnel ships

The following list is of Ferries and boats that have been operated by Red Funnel.

Between 1840 and the 1960s, Red Funnel line and its predecessors operated 40 different classic passenger ferries, many of these being paddle steamers. 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.[1][2][3][4][5]

Paddle steamers

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PS Princess Elizabeth
Ship Service Notes
PS Gem 1840–1883
PS Ruby 1841–1872 The first Isle of Wight steamer to be built of iron
PS Pearl 1844–1867
PS Queen (I) 1848–1876
PS Medina (I) 1852–1882
PS Emerald 1857–1871
PS Sapphire 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-PS Palmerston chartered to replace the sunken Princess of Wales[6]
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 Victoria (I) 1899–1900 Launched 1881. Ex-London & South Western Railway and London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Status unclear. Transfer recorded in official register but no mention on Red Funnel's records[7]
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 to Cosens & Co Ltd. 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 Majestic
PS Princess Elizabeth 1927–1959 Sent to Dunkirk in 1940. Appeared in the 1962 Walt Disney film In Search of the Castaways.[8] Now moored at Dunkirk as a conference centre
PS Gracie Fields 1936–1940 As HMS Gracie Fields she was sunk at Dunkirk
PS Lorna Doone (II) 1949–1952 Ex-Queen of Kent, ex-HMS Atherstone
PS Solent Queen (II) 1949–1951 Ex-Queen of Thanet, ex-HMS Melton

Twin-screw steamers

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Ship Service Notes
TSS Upton 1946–1950 Purchased from Birkenhead Corporation
TSS Robina 1948–1949 Purchased from Coast Lines Ltd

Motor vessels

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Broadside view of ship, with black hull and white superstructure, steaming right to left 
The Balmoral in Waverley Excursions ownership
Ship Service Notes
MV Medina (III) 1931–1962 The first diesel engined ferry on the Solent
MV Vecta (I) 1938–1965 2 × English Electric 6LM type diesels. [9] Sold to P & A Campbell, renamed Westward Ho
MV Balmoral (II) 1949–1969 Operated by P & A Campbell from 1968 to 1980. In 1981 she was sold for use as a floating nightclub in Dundee. Bought in 1985 by Waverley Excursions, she acted as the sister ship of the Waverley until 2012. Entered service on 19 June 2015 with White Funnel Ltd.

Car ferries

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Three-quarter view of ship, with red hull and white superstructure, steaming left to right 
MV Cowes Castle approaching Town Quay
Broadside view of ship, with red hull and white superstructure, steaming right to left 
MV Norris Castle, in the Solent

Although some earlier ferries provided space for cars, Red Funnel introduced its first purpose-built car ferry in 1959. Besides the Raptor-class vessels that are still in service, the following car ferries have been used by Red Funnel:[5][10][11]

Ship Service Notes
MV Norris Castle (II) 1947–1962 Ex-LCT 828
MV Carisbrooke Castle 1959–1974 Sold to Italy and renamed Citta di Meta. Scrapped 2007[12]
MV Osborne Castle 1962–1978 Sold to Canada and renamed Le Gobelet d'Argent, then Le Maxim, then Cavalier Maxim[12]
MV Cowes Castle 1965–1994 Sold to Croatia and renamed Nehaj. Scrapped 2008[12]
MV Norris Castle (III) 1968–1994 Sold to Croatia and renamed Lovrjenac. Scrapped 2008[12]
MV Netley Castle 1974–1997 Sold to Croatia and renamed Sis[12]
MV Bergen Castle 2003–2005 Ex-Nordhordland, purchased to maintain a three-boat service during refit period of current fleet. Sold and renamed Stella[12]

Fast passenger ferries

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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 Company in Hythe, and operated from 1933 to 1938.[5]

Hovercraft

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In 1968 the company ran trials with an HM2 sidewall hovercraft, 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 was subsequently operated by the augmented hydrofoil fleet.[13]

Hydrofoils

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Broadside view of hydrofoil, with red hull and white superstructure, travelling right to left 
Shearwater 3 at speed on Southampton Water

The first hydrofoils 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 2. 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, named Shearwater 3 and Shearwater 4. The latter was delivered some five 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 to the fleet. In 1991, with the introduction of the first Red Jet catamarans, the hydrofoils were demoted to backup duties until they were finally withdrawn in 1998.[14]

Red Jets

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Red Jet 1 at Town Quay
Ship Service Notes
Red Jet 1 1991–2009 Sold to Caspian Mainport, renamed CM Jet 1.[11][14][15]
Red Jet 2 1991–2009 Sold to Caspian Mainport, renamed CM Jet 2.[11][14][15]
Red Jet 3 1998–2019 Sold to Adriatic Fast Ferries in Split, Croatia.[16] Renamed Adriatic Express.[17]
Red Jet 4 2003–2024 Sold to Namhae Express Co in South Korea.[18]
Red Jet 5 2009–2016 Ex-Bo Hengy. Sold to Italy and renamed Schiopparello Jet.[19][6][20][21]

Tugs and tug tenders

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Some tugs also had passenger accommodation to enable them to serve as tenders to liners not berthing in Southampton and to augment the excursion fleet on occasion.[22]

 
Preserved tug-tender Calshot moored at Southampton
 
Red Funnel tug Chale turning the Queen Elizabeth 2
 
Sir Bevois (III) tug
Ship Service Notes
ST Sovereign 1885–1894
ST Alexandra 1885–1897
ST Fawn 1885–1897
TSS T/T Albert Edward 1886–1934
TSST Hercules 1890–1927
TSST Vulcan 1893–1957 Rescued the SS New York after her near collision with the RMS Titanic[22]
TSST Ajax 1894–1936
TSST Neptune (I) 1896–1904
TSST Hector 1903–1958 One of the tugs that assisted RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage[23]
TSST Neptune (II) 1910–1961 One of the tugs that assisted RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage[23]
TSST Sir Bevois (I) 1916–1941 Sunk during an air raid in Plymouth
ST Minas 1920–1931
ST Ascupart 1922–1927
ST Morglay 1922–1927
TSST Canute 1923–1965
TSST Clausentum 1926–1966
TSS T/T Calshot (I) 1930–1964 Sold and renamed Galway Bay. Preserved at Southampton in 1986 as Calshot. Scrapped in 2022.
ST Empire Lilliput 1944–1947 Managed for Ministry of War Transport
ST TID 69 1944–1947 Managed for Ministry of War Transport
ST Bantam 1946–1958
TSS T/T Paladin 1946–1960 She appeared in the 1959 Peter Sellers film The Mouse That Roared to transport the Grand Fenwick army from France to invade America.
ST Beamish 1951–1952 Ex-Queensgarth, ex-Empire Paul. Later renamed Thunder Cape
TSST Hamtun (I) 1953–1970
TSST Sir Bevois (II) 1953–1968
TSMT Atherfield 1956–1971
TSMT Culver 1956–1983
TSMT Dunnose 1958–1980
TSM T/T Gatcombe (I) 1960–1969
TSMT Thorness 1961–1983
TSM T/T Calshot (II) 1964–1985 Sold in 1987 to Antrefo. Sold in 1989 to Dublin Bay Cruises and renamed Tara II. Then to Remolques del Mediterraneo SA in 1992 and renamed Boluda Abrego. Scrapped in 2012.
MT Bonchurch 1966–1983 Ex-Baie Comeau, ex-Abeille No 13, ex-TID 174
TSMT Chale 1965–1986
MT Gatcombe (II) 1970–1997 Sold and renamed Multratug 6
MT Vecta (II) 1970–1999 Sold and renamed Multratug 8, renamed Serwal 4
TSMT Clausentum (II) 1980–1993 Sold and renamed Strathfoyle, renamed Westlund
TSMT Gurnard 1982–1985 Ex-Aziebank, ex-Azie
TSMT Totland 1982–1985 Ex-Europabank, ex-Europa
TSMT Hamtun (II) 1985–2002 Renamed Multratug 16
TSMT Sir Bevois (III) 1985–2002 Renamed Svitzer Bevois, renamed Beaver
TSMT Portunus 1985–1993 Ex-John af Goteborg, resumed name of John af Goteborg, renamed John
TSMT Redbridge 1995–2002 Renamed Adsteam Redbridge, renamed Svitzer Redbridge

Medina crossing

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Ship Service Notes
SL Precursor (I) 1867–1883
SL Princess Louise 1871–1944 Sunk in collision with a landing craft off Town Quay shortly before D-Day
SL Medina (II) 1884–1931
SL Precursor (II) 1898–1939 Requisitioned by the Admiralty for service in the Mediterranean
ML Norris Castle (I) 1938–1939 Requisitioned by the Admiralty for service in the Mediterranean

Hythe Crossing Ferries

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In 2023, the Hythe Ferry was acquired by Red Funnel, previous ferries to have operated on the service include:

References

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  1. ^ "Vessel Archive 1840–1860". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Vessel Archive 1861–1880". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Vessel Archive 1881–1900". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Vessel Archive 1901–1920". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  5. ^ a b c "Vessel Archive 1921–1950". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  6. ^ a b Keith Adams [2010], Red Funnel 150; Richard Danielson, ISBN 978-0-9513155-5-2
  7. ^ Adams, Keith (2010). Red Funnel 150 Celebrating One Hundred and Fifty Years of The Original Isle of Wight Ferries. Richard Danielson. p. 15. ISBN 9780951315552.
  8. ^ "Princess Elizabeth". Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  9. ^ Diesel Engineering Volume 41. Whitehall Press. 1946. p. 78.
  10. ^ "Vessel Archive 1951–1980". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  11. ^ a b c "Vessel Archive 1981–2010". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Adams, Keith (2010). Red Funnel 150. Isle of Man: Richard Danielson. ISBN 978-0-9513155-5-2.
  13. ^ Adams, RB (1986). Red Funnel and Before. Southampton: Kingfisher Publications. ISBN 0-946184-21-6.
  14. ^ a b c "News Release 21-07-2009". Red Funnel. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  15. ^ a b "Red Jets sail into sunset". Isle of Wight County Press. 15 May 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  16. ^ "Red Funnel's Red Jet 3 sold to Croatian ferry company". Red Funnel Ferries. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  17. ^ "Adriatic Fast Ferries Ltd acquired its first fast ferry". Ferry Spots. 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  18. ^ "Isle of Wight: Red Jet 4 heading to South Korea after sale". BBC News. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Red Jet Hi-Speed Fleet". Red Funnel. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  20. ^ "Vessel details for SCHIOPPARELLO JET". Marine Traffic. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Schiopparello Jet: the new fast way to cross to and from Piombino and Elba". Infoelba s.r.l. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  22. ^ a b Adams, RB (1986). Red Funnel and Before. Southampton: Kingfisher Publications. ISBN 0-946184-21-6.
  23. ^ a b photographs taken by Rev Francis Browne
  24. ^ a b Davies, Ken (1987). Wessex Coast Ferries and Pleasure Craft. Hythe: New Forest Publishing Co. pp. 36–37. ISBN 1 870704 00 2.
  25. ^ "Hythe ferry services cancelled after ferry crashes into pier injuring three". Southern Daily Echo. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Contact made by passenger ferry Uriah Heep with Hythe Pier" (PDF). Marine Accident Investigation Branch reports. Marine Accident Investigation Branch. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  27. ^ "Hythe-Southampton Ferries". Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards. 2006. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
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