Isle of Wight ferry services explained

There are currently three different ferry companies that operate vessels carrying passengers and, on certain routes, vehicles across the Solent, the stretch of sea that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. These are Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel.

History

Early sail crossings

Since the Isle of Wight was separated from mainland Britain, probably about 7000 years ago,[1] vessels have transported people and goods across the Solent. However the earliest record of an Isle of Wight ferry service is from 1420 when the Lord of the Manor in Ashey was responsible for boats crossing between Portsmouth and Ryde. By the 17th century a rota of Ryde fishermen were required, on penalty of a fine, to make daily return crossings to Portsmouth.[2]

In 1796 a purpose-built sailing boat called The Packet began a regular service between Portsmouth and Ryde, and by 1811 two daily return trips were made between the Bugle Inn in Ryde and the Quebec Tavern in Portsmouth. At that time the boats, known as Ryde Wherries, had to anchor a considerable distance away from the shore at Ryde, and passengers were transported by horse, cart or on men's backs across the wide and shallow sands to the town.[3] This problem was resolved in 1814 when Ryde Pier was completed.

The introduction of steam power

In 1817 the first steamship ferry, Britannia, began to operate on the Portsmouth–Ryde route, but she was found to be unsuitable for her role and quickly withdrawn. The first successful steam-powered regular service on the route began on 5 April 1825 with the paddle steamer PS Union. Meanwhile, in 1820 the paddle steamer PS Prince of Coburg had begun a service between Cowes and Southampton.[4]

The success of the paddle steamers prompted a period of company formation. In 1827 the Portsmouth and Ryde Steam Packet Company (P&RSPC) was formed and took over the running of the PS Union. This was followed in 1849 by the Portsea, Portsmouth, Gosport and Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company (PPG&IWSPC) operating on the same route. These amalgamated on 1 January 1852 as the Port of Portsmouth and Ryde United Steam Packet Company (PP&RUSPC). In 1873 the Southsea and Isle of Wight Steam Ferry Company (S&IWSFC) began operating between Clarence Pier, Southsea and Ryde but was quickly taken over by the PP&RUSPC in 1876.[5]

On the Southampton – Cowes route the Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (IWRMSPC) was formed in 1820 and the Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company (IWSPC) in 1826. These merged in 1861, becoming the Southampton, Isle of Wight & South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (IW&SERMSPC). This company became commonly known as Red Funnel in 1935 and is still operating in 2021.

On the Western Solent, the first steam connection between Lymington and Yarmouth was by the Glasgow in March 1830, operated by Lymington owners and continuing also to Cowes, Southampton, Ryde and Portsmouth on various days.

The era of railway ownership

By 1880 railway lines connected to both the Ryde Pier and the Portsmouth Harbour ferry terminals. It was therefore a natural progression for the railway companies to acquire the ferry routes themselves. To do this the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) and the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) jointly formed the South Western and Brighton Railway Companies Steam Packet Service (SW&BRCSPS).[6] This new company bought out the PP&RUSPC and the era of railway ownership of the Ryde Portsmouth route began.

In 1884 the Isle of Wight Marine Transit Company started a rail freight ferry link between the Hayling Island Branch line at Langstone and the Bembridge branch line at St Helens quay. To provide the link the rail ferry PS Carrier was moved from Scotland. The project was unsuccessful and despite being acquired in full by the LB&SCR in 1886 ended in 1888. It remains the only rail ferry to have operated a service to the Isle of Wight.

In 1884 the Lymington service was bought by the L&SWR.

In addition to paddle steamers, the SW&BRCSPS used tow boats and a tug to carry livestock and subsequently motor cars from Broad Street, Portsmouth to the slipway at George Street, Ryde.

During the First World War four of the SW&BRCSPS paddle steamers were commandeered by the Royal Navy as minesweepers, leaving only two behind. The PS Duchess of Richmond was lost to a mine in the Mediterranean Sea.

On 1 January 1923 the SW&BRCSPS was taken over by Southern Railway which had been created in the Grouping ordered by the Railways Act 1921.

Present day

Three commercial ferry operators currently provide services across the Solent. These are Hovertravel, Red Funnel and Wightlink. A list of routes is described below.[7]

RouteOperatorType of craftJourney time
Southsea to Ryde HovertravelHovercraft 10 minutes
Portsmouth to RydeWightlinkCatamaran 22 minutes
Portsmouth to FishbourneWightlinkCar Ferry45 minutes
Southampton to West CowesRed FunnelCatamaran 25 minutes
Southampton to East CowesRed FunnelCar Ferry1 hour
Lymington to YarmouthWightlinkCar Ferry40 minutes

Vessels

NameType†Operator(s)††Route(s)†††In serviceOut of serviceNotesImage
PS Brittania
PPR1817Built in Gainsborough, Lincs, in 1816. Unsuccessful experiment with steam power. Quickly withdrawn from service
PS Union PP&RSPCPR1825
PS Arrow PP&RSPCPR1825
PS Lord Yarborough PP&RSPCPR1826
PS Earl SpencerPP&RSPCPR1833
Prince Albert PPR1847
Her Majesty PPR1850
Lindsey PPR1850
Prince of Wales PPR1850
Princess Royal PPR1850
Prince Consort PPP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPSPR18591882Built by J. Scott Russel, London
Princess of WalesPPP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPSPR18651885Built by Lewis & Stockwell, London
Gareloch PPR1863
Chancellor PPR1863
Duke of Edinburgh PPP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPSPR18691884Built by Money, Wigram Co, Blackwall
Princess AlicePPP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPSPR18691882Built by Money, Wigram Co, Blackwall
Ventnor PPR1873
Shanklin PPR1873
Southsea PPR1873
Ryde PPR1873
Heather Bell PPR1876
Albert Edward PPR1878
Alexandra PPR1879
Victoria PPR1881
PS CarrierRIWMTC, LB&SCRLS18841888Built in 1858 by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co, Greenock. Failed rail ferry project. Sold in 1892 to Swedish company.
PPR1884
PPR1884
PPR1889
PPR1893
PSW&BRCSPS, SRPR18971933Built by Day, Summers & Co, Southampton. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War. Replaced by PS Sandown
PSW&BRCSPS, SRPR18991929Built by Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Co, Glasgow. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War
PSW&BRCSPSPR19101915Built by D&W Henderson, Glasgow. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War. Mined and sank in Med.
PSW&BRCSPS, SRPR19111937Built by D&W Henderson, Glasgow. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War
PPR19241950Sold to Cosens & Co Ltd and renamed Monarch
PPR1928
PPR1928
PPR1930
PPR1930
PPR1934
PPSSR, BRPR19371970Built by Denny in Dumbarton
Southsea PPR1948
Brading PPR1948
PSLPR19511980Built by Denny in Dumbarton. Renamed Prince Ivanhoe and sank off Welsh coast in 1981
PCSL / WLPR19862006
PCSL / WLPR19862006
PCWLPR20002009
PCWLPR20002010
VPPF19271961Built by Denny in Dumbarton[8]
VPPF19281961Built by Denny in Dumbarton
Hilsea VPPF1931
VPPF1938Built by Denny in Dumbarton
Farringford VPPF1948
Freshwater VPPF1959
Camber Queen VPPF1961
VPPF19611983Built by Philip & Son in Dartmouth
VPSLPF19691984Built by Richards (Shipbuilders) Ltd in Lowestoft
ShearwaterPHRFSC19691973
Shearwater 2PHRFSC19701971
Shearwater 3PHRFSC19721992
Shearwater 4PHRFSC19731992
Shearwater 5PHRFSC19821999
VPSL / WLPF(1973) / LY(1983)19732009Built by Robb Caledon in Dundee
VPSL / WLPF(1973) / LY(1983)19732009Built by Robb Caledon in Dundee
VPSL / WLPF(1974) / LY(1983)19742009Built by Robb Caledon in Dundee
VPSL / WLPF19832010
VPSL / WLPF19832015
VPSL / WLPF19872019Built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in Selby
VPWLPF1990Built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in Selby
VPWLPF2001
PS GemPIWSPC, RFSC18401883Built by J. White, Cowes. Scrapped in 1889.
PS RubyPIWRMSPC, RFSC18411872Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam for the South Western & Isle of Wight Steam Navigation Co as 'The Pride of the Waters'
PS PearlPIWRMSPC, RFSC18441867Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam. Scrapped in 1875
PS Queen (I)PIWRMSPC, RFSC18481876Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam.
PS Prince of CoburgPIWSPCSC1820Built in Gainsborough, Lincs, in 1817
Earl of MalmsburyPIWSPCSC
George IVPIWSPCSC
PS Medina (I)PIWRMSPC, RFSC18521882Built by J. White, Cowes as The Times
PS EmeraldPIWSPC, RFSC18571871Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam.
PS SaphirePIWSPC, RFSC18601873Built by CA Day. Northam.
MV Carisbrooke CastleVPRFSC19591974Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston. Sold to operator in Naples[9]
VPRFSC19621978Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston.sold to a Canadian ferry company.
VPRFSC19651994Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston.sold to Jadrolinija for service in Croatia.
VPRFSC19681994Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston.sold to Jadrolinija for service in Croatia.
VPRFSC19741997Built by Ryton Marine Ltd in Wallsend. Sold to operator in Croatia
MV Bergen Castle VPRFSC20032005Purchased by Red Funnel to maintain a 3 ship service while the Raptor class where away being refitted
MV Red EagleVPRFSC1996
MV Red FalconVPRFSC1994
MV Red OspreyVPRFSC1994
Red Jet 1PCRFSC19912009
Red Jet 2PCRFSC19922009
Red Jet 3PCRFSC19982019
Red Jet 4PCRFSC20032024
Red Jet 5PCRFSC20092016
MV Wight LightVPWLLY2009
MV Wight SkyVPWLLY2009
MV Wight SunVPWLLY2009
Freedom 90HHTSR19902018
Island ExpressHHTSR20022017
Solent ExpressHHTSR20072011The Solent Express was used on Kirkcaldy to Portobello hovercraft passenger trials in 2007.
Solent FlyerHHTSR2016
Island FlyerHHTSR2016
Red Jet 6PCRFSC2016
Red Jet 7PCRFSC2018
MV Victoria of WightVPWLPF2018
MV Red KestrelFRFSC2019 Operates as a freight only vessel
Key
†Vessel typeP = Passenger, VP = Vehicle and passenger, PC = Passenger catamaran, PPS = Passenger paddle steamer, H = Hovercraft, F = Freight, PH = Passenger Hydrofoil
††OperatorsRF = Red Funnel, WL = Wightlink, HT = Hovertravel, SL = Sealink, IWSPC = Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company, IWRMSPC = Isle of Wight royal mail steam packet company,
P&RSPC = Portsmouth and Ryde Steam Packet Company, SW&BRCSPS = South Western and Brighton Railway Companies Steam Packet Service, PP&RUSPC = Port of Portsmouth and Ryde United Steam Packet Company,
†††RoutesPR = Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head, PF = Portsmouth Harbour to Fishbourne, SC = Southampton to Cowes, SR = Southsea to Ryde, LY = Lymington to Yarmouth

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Geology – The Official Isle of Wight Tourism Website . 15 August 2011.
  2. Web site: Chronological history of Wightlink's services. 15 August 2011 . Wightlink.
  3. Book: Archer, Lynette . Woodford, John . Ryde Postcards . Tempus Publishing Limited . 2003 . Stroud, Gloucestershire . 11 . 0-7524-2954-X .
  4. Book: O'Brien, Capt F T O . Early Solent Steamers: A History of Local Steam Navigation.
  5. Book: Brown, Alan . Shanklin Ill Fated Prince . Waverley Excursions Ltd . 1985 . Troon . 0-9505177-1-2 .
  6. Book: Jordan, S . Ferry Services of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway . The Oakwood Press . 1998 . Usk . 0-85361-521-7 .
  7. Web site: Isle of Wight Ferries – VisitIsleOfWight.co.uk. Visit Isle of Wight. 2020-02-08.
  8. Book: Faulkner, John . The Fishbourne Car Ferry . Colourpoint Books . 978-1-904242-87-1 .
  9. Web site: Red Funnel: Vessel Archive 1951–1980. Red Funnel. 11 May 2009.

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