HSC Wight Ryder I
 Wight Ryders I and II in Portsmouth Harbour. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name: | HSC Wight Ryder I |
| Operator: | Wightlink |
| Port of registry: | Portsmouth |
| Route: | Ryde to Portsmouth |
| Builder: | FBMA, Philippines |
| Launched: | 2009 |
| Maiden voyage: | 2009 |
| In service: | 29 September 2009 |
| Identification: |
|
| Fate: | In Service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 520GRT |
| Length: | 41 metres (135 ft) |
| Beam: | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Draught: | 1.60 metres (5 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power: | 2x Caterpillar ACERT C32 engines |
| Speed: | 26.7 knots (49.4 km/h; 30.7 mph) |
| Capacity: | 260 passengers |
| Crew: | 4-5 |
HSC Wight Ryder I is the first of Wightlink's new purpose built high-speed passenger catamarans to operate the Ryde to Portsmouth ferry route. It was introduced along with sister ship HSC Wight Ryder II. Both vessels left their construction site in the Philippines in June 2009, and began service in September 2009. In preparation for the new vessels berth improvements at both Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier were carried out. The vessels form part of a multi-million pound investment by Wightlink across its cross-Solent routes. The existing vessels, FastCat Ryde and FastCat Shanklin will be phased out on arrival of the new ones by the Spring, when they will be sold on to new owners in Bristol.[1]
Unlike previous high-speed passenger catamarans owned by Wightlink, the new vessels no longer feature yellow and white 'FastCat' branding. They will be branded in a Wightlink livery similar to the much larger car ferries adapted for smaller ships.[2]
The new vessels have been criticised for being too slow and too small, with a decreased seating capacity of 260 compared to 294 previously, with concerns passengers will be left behind. Wightlink later stated that a new timetable would be introduced along with the ferries offering more services during the day to prevent this from happening.[3]
A private naming and dedication ceremony took place on 17 September 2009 following the issuing of the passenger certificate after a trial evacuation of around 250 passengers. The vessels were initially expected to go into service on 21 September, with two days of discounted travel enabling passengers to trial the new vessels,[4] however this was later postponed and occurred towards the end of September.[3]
Following the launch, further problems occurred with Wight Ryder II suffering from a generator glitch. This was followed by more problems on a later crossing involving a bang. The vessel was taken back to Ryde Pier on the other engine to be switched with an older FastCat vessel to keep timetables running. Wightlink were criticised by passengers for low levels of communication after the screens went blank and passengers were told to leave their seats.[5] The older FastCats were once again drafted in the following weekend when engineers discovered fuel contamination affecting both vessels.[6]
References
- ↑ "Wightlink catamaran launched". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ↑ "First glimpse of ferry to come". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- 1 2 "Ferry company defends smaller vessels". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
- ↑ "Cheap fares to view new ferries". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ↑ "New ferries cause Wightlink headache". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
- ↑ "Ferry problems again hit Wightlink". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
External links
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