Red Funnel

This hovercraft was chartered to help meet increased demand but in the main she was used for transporting shipyard workers between East Cowes and Vosper Thornycrofts Itchen yard. After the arrival of the fourth hydrofoil, Shearwater IV, the craft was no longer required.

This was the second hovercraft taken on by Red Funnel to meet the increased demand for high-speed services. She was mainly used on the shipyard service but occasionally appeared on the scheduled Southampton-Cowes run.

The arrival of Shearwater 6 from Italy, the fourth in her class left the two hovercraft redundant. Her arrival consolidated the high speed service as there was now sufficient back-up craft to improve resilience and cope with peak demand like Cowes Week. Like her sister, Shearwater 6 acted in a back-up role after the arrival of Red Jet 1 & 2 in 1991 and was eventually withdrawn in 1999 after the delivery of Red Jet 3 in 1998. She was sold to dive operators in Thailand.

Red Jet 1 proved to be a revolutionary step forward and was the first waterjet propelled scheduled high-speed ferry on the Solent. Accommodating 138 passengers in comfort and offering excellent visibility, she completed the crossing at 32.5 knots in just 22 minutes. Her arrival led to the withdrawal and sale of Shearwater 3 in 1992. The delivery of Red Jet 3 in 1998 meant the normal two boat service was shared between Red Jet's 1, 2 and 3 but Red Jet 4's arrival in 2003 relegated Red Jet 1, like her sister, to a back-up role. Technical specification & image gallery

Identical to her sister Red Jet 1, the new craft were an instant hit with customers and set new standards of comfort and all weather reliability. Her arrival led to the withdrawal and sale of Shearwater 4 in 1992. The delivery of Red Jet 3 in 1998 meant the normal two boat service was shared between Red Jet's 1, 2 and 3 but Red Jet 4's arrival in 2003 relegated Red Jet 2, like her sister, to a back-up role. Technical specification & image gallery

One of two identical sisters ordered in 1993, the Raptor class as they were known, were a doubled-ended design with a central bridge affording excellent all-round visibility. There was no centre casing to impede loading and deployable mezzanine decks could be deployed in various configurations to improve flexibility. Voith Schneider propulsion, trialled on previous vessels in the fleet, gave excellent manoeuvrability, enabling her to turn on her own axis and even move sideways! Red Falcon entered service in April 2004 wearing the Company's new corporate identity and was an instant hit compared to the old Castle class ships. Red Falcon, like her sisters was lengthened and fitted with a new car deck by Remontawa Shipyard in Gdansk between Jan-Mar 2004. This increased her capacity to approximately 220 cars.

Sister ship to Red Falcon, Red Osprey entered service in October 1994 after being delayed on route from the shipyard by extreme weather in the Irish Sea. Identical to the Red Falcon, she was the first of the class to be lengthened and fitted with an additional end-to-end car deck. The work was carried out between October and December 2003 by Remontawa Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland. Red Osprey returned to service with a new red and white paint scheme and the Company's logo on her sides. At the time she was the largest ferry ever to serve the Isle of Wight. Project video & image gallery

Surging demand for cross-Solent travel brought the order for this ship forward from 1998 to 1996. Red Eagle, the Company's flagship can be distinguished from her two sister Raptor class vessels by having a taller funnel and a raised bridge which was designed to maintain sight-lines fore and aft. This was necessary due to the increased length of the passenger accommodation deck. The higher bridge section also provided more office and meeting room space for the crew. In the winter of 2004, Red Eagle was fitted with a new mid-section and a new end-to-end car deck, increasing vehicle capacity to 220 cars. She returned to the Solent in early Jan 2005 and entered the record books as the largest ferry to serve the Isle of Wight, a record she holds to this day.

A similar hull form to Red Jet 1 & 2, Red Jet 3 provided much needed seating capacity to help cope with increasing numbers of commuters on the West Cowes-Southampton route. Higher rated engines provided a top speed of 38 knots and trim-tabs helped ensure the low-wash characteristics of the design were maintained. Onboard, passengers were treated to a drinks service, improved ventilation and a video safety announcement. Red Jet 3 is the work horse of the fleet and in 2007 leather seats and LCD screens were added together with improved luggage space. Technical specification & image gallery

Built in Hobart, Tasmania, Red Jet 4 is the only vessel Red Funnel has built outside the UK and offers a big step forward in terms of ride comfort, speed and low-wash. Anti-vibration mountings separate the hull from the cabin to reduce noise and vibration, whilst vertical interceptors lift the aft section of the hull when deployed at speed to reduce wash. Capable of speeds in excess of 41 knots, Red Jet 4 is the fastest commercial passenger catamaran in the Solent. Technical specification & construction video

Purchased from a Norwegian operator, Bergen Castle was a temporary vessel used to maintain the service whilst the Company's 3 Raptor ships were away being stretched and refitted in Poland. Bergen Castle took over Red Osprey's duties in October 2003 and covered for both Red Falcon and Red Eagle. She had 2 cargo decks, accommodating about 85 cars & 5 lorries, a side mounted bridge with two control positions and 2 passenger saloons for up to 250 people. She was fitted with a single variable pitch propeller mounted at either end. Although inferior to the Raptor fleet in terms of speed, manoeuvrability, capacity and interior comfort she provided a useful role until the Red Eagle returned from Gdansk. She was withdrawn in early 2005, sold to Greek interests in Nov 2005 and renamed Stella.