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.

Paddle steamers

ShipServiceNotes1840–18831841–1872The first Isle of Wight steamer to be built of iron1844–1867 (I)1848–1876 (I)1852–18821857–18711860–18731861–18891861–18871866–19101872–19021876–19051876–19051880–19301883–1950Sent to Dunkirk in 19401885–1940Sunk during an air raid on Southampton1888–1888Sunk during trials in Scotland before entering service1888–1899Ex- chartered to replace the sunken Princess of Wales1889–1948Sent to Dunkirk in 19401891–19371891–19471896–1949HM Minesweeper 0102 1916–1922. Renamed Duchess of Cornwall in 1928 (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 (I)1900–1947 (II)1902–1938Renamed Mauretania in 1936 then renamed Corfe Castle in 19381906–1906Not accepted after trials and sold to Cosens & Co Ltd. Renamed Emperor of India1907–1916Sunk off Malta on war service1908–19571908–19551911–1919Sank in the Mediterranean after colliding with the sunken wreck of 1927–1959Sent to Dunkirk in 1940. Appeared in the 1962 Walt Disney film In Search of the Castaways. Now moored at Dunkirk as a conference centre1936–1940As HMS Gracie Fields she was sunk at DunkirkPS Lorna Doone (II)1949–1952Ex-Queen of Kent, ex-HMS AtherstonePS Solent Queen (II)1949–1951Ex-Queen of Thanet, ex-HMS Melton

Twin-screw steamers

ShipServiceNotes1946–1950Purchased from Birkenhead Corporation1948–1949Purchased from Coast Lines Ltd

Motor vessels

ShipServiceNotes (III)1931–1962The first diesel engined ferry on the Solent (I)1938–19652 × English Electric 6LM type diesels. Sold to P & A Campbell, renamed Westward Ho (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

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:

ShipServiceNotes (II)1947–1962Ex-LCT 8281959–1974Sold to Italy and renamed Citta di Meta. Scrapped 20071962–1978Sold to Canada and renamed Le Gobelet d'Argent, then Le Maxim, then Cavalier Maxim1965–1994Sold to Croatia and renamed Nehaj. Scrapped 2008 (III)1968–1994Sold to Croatia and renamed Lovrjenac. Scrapped 20081974–1997Sold to Croatia and renamed Sis2003–2005Ex-Nordhordland, purchased to maintain a three-boat service during refit period of current fleet. Sold and renamed Stella

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 Company in Hythe, and operated from 1933 to 1938.

Hovercraft

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.

Hydrofoils

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.

Red Jets

ShipServiceNotesRed Jet 11991–2009Sold to Caspian Mainport, renamed CM Jet 1.Red Jet 21991–2009Sold to Caspian Mainport, renamed CM Jet 2.Red Jet 31998–2019Sold to Adriatic Fast Ferries in Split, Croatia. Renamed Adriatic Express.Red Jet 42003–2024Sold to Namhae Express Co in South Korea.Red Jet 52009–2016Ex-Bo Hengy. Sold to Italy and renamed Schiopparello Jet.Keith Adams , Red Funnel 150; Richard Danielson,

Tugs and tug tenders

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.

ShipServiceNotesST Sovereign1885–1894ST Alexandra1885–1897ST Fawn1885–18971886–1934TSST Hercules1890–1927TSST Vulcan1893–1957Rescued the SS New York after her near collision with the TSST Ajax1894–1936TSST Neptune (I)1896–1904TSST Hector1903–1958One of the tugs that assisted on her maiden voyagephotographs taken by Rev Francis BrowneTSST Neptune (II)1910–1961One of the tugs that assisted on her maiden voyageTSST Sir Bevois (I)1916–1941Sunk during an air raid in PlymouthST Minas1920–1931ST Ascupart1922–1927ST Morglay1922–1927TSST Canute1923–1965TSST Clausentum1926–1966TSS T/T Calshot (I)1930–1964Sold and renamed Galway Bay. Preserved at Southampton in 1986 as Calshot. Scrapped in 2022.ST Empire Lilliput1944–1947Managed for Ministry of War TransportST TID 691944–1947Managed for Ministry of War TransportST Bantam1946–1958TSS T/T Paladin1946–1960 She appeared in the 1959 Peter Sellers film The Mouse That Roared to transport the Grand Fenwick army from France to invade America.ST Beamish1951–1952Ex-Queensgarth, ex-Empire Paul. Later renamed Thunder CapeTSST Hamtun (I)1953–1970TSST Sir Bevois (II)1953–1968TSMT Atherfield1956–1971TSMT Culver1956–1983TSMT Dunnose1958–1980TSM T/T Gatcombe (I)1960–1969TSMT Thorness1961–1983TSM T/T Calshot (II)1964–1985Sold 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 Bonchurch1966–1983Ex-Baie Comeau, ex-Abeille No 13, ex-TID 174TSMT Chale1965–1986MT Gatcombe (II)1970–1997Sold and renamed Multratug 6MT Vecta (II)1970–1999 Sold and renamed Multratug 8, renamed Serwal 4TSMT Clausentum (II)1980–1993Sold and renamed Strathfoyle, renamed WestlundTSMT Gurnard1982–1985Ex-Aziebank, ex-AzieTSMT Totland1982–1985Ex-Europabank, ex-EuropaTSMT Hamtun (II)1985–2002Renamed Multratug 16TSMT Sir Bevois (III)1985–2002Renamed Svitzer Bevois, renamed BeaverTSMT Portunus1985–1993Ex-John af Goteborg, resumed name of John af Goteborg, renamed JohnTSMT Redbridge1995–2002Renamed Adsteam Redbridge, renamed Svitzer Redbridge

Medina crossing ShipServiceNotesSL Precursor (I)1867–1883SL Princess Louise1871–1944Sunk in collision with a landing craft off Town Quay shortly before D-DaySL Medina (II)1884–1931SL Precursor (II)1898–1939Requisitioned by the Admiralty for service in the MediterraneanML Norris Castle (I)1938–1939Requisitioned by the Admiralty for service in the Mediterranean

Hythe Crossing Ferries In 2023, the Hythe Ferry was acquired by Red Funnel, previous ferries to have operated on the service include: ex Gosport Ferry, Southsea Queen bought in 1978 to operate cruises and act as a standby vessel for the ferry. introduced in 1982. She utilised the engines removed from Hotspur III. was borrowed from the Hurst Castle ferry service in 2013. removed from service following a collision with the pier on 13 May 2016. As a result of the collision the Maritime and Coastguard Agency withdrew the vessel's passenger safety certificate and vessel was later sold. was built in 1946 and served on the service until 2014. Hotspur IV was the last in a line of similar ferries. One of her earlier half-sisters, Hotspur II of 1936, saw further service as a ferry on the Firth of Clyde under the name Kenilworth.

References