By
Michele Witthaus |
As building continues on fast ferry operator Red Funnel’s latest aluminium catamaran, Red Jet 6, the company invited media and other visitors to view progress on 12 January.
The £6 million build, being carried out by Shemara Refit LLP at the Venture Quays yard in Cowes, Isle of Wight, marks a return to ferry construction on the island situated in the Solent near Southampton.
The 40m catamaran passenger ferry Red Jet 6 will join fellow fast ferries Red Jet 3, Red Jet 4 and Red Jet 5 in July this year, boosting capacity for foot passenger traffic on the 25-minute crossing from Southampton to Cowes. The ferries travel at a maximum speed of 36 knots and turn around every half hour. In 2015, the Red Jet service accounted for approximately 1.2 million of the 3.4 million passenger movements on the route.
The construction of the ferry is being billed as ‘For the Isle of Wight, by the Isle of Wight, on the Isle of Wight’ in Red Funnel’s communications about the build. CEO Kevin George said: “We needed another big boat and we realised that if we could bring the investment onto the island, we could also bring jobs. We are delighted that Shemara Refit has been able to add world-class expertise to our vision of starting high-speed catamaran building again after 15 years.”
Red Jet 6 will be 10% more efficient than Red Jet 4 and 30% more efficient than Red Jet 5, said George. This will be enabled by a move from two engines and two water jets on the earlier ships, to four of each on the new vessel. The 10V 2000 M72 direct injection liquid cooled turbocharged diesel engines are being supplied by MTU.
“Southampton water gets a lot of debris,” explained George. “Logs, plastic and other items get ingested into the water jets. Currently, we have to stop and return to shore to remove these items. With Red Jet 6, we will be able to shut down the affected jet and engine with no disruption to the service.”
Like Red Jet 4, Red Jet 6 will accommodate up to 275 passengers and its design is similar, but one new feature is sure to be a hit with guests: a working toilet. Red Jet has not provided toilet facilities onboard any of its catamaran services to date. Red Funnel’s fleet and technical director Mark Slawson confirmed: “There will be a working toilet with an IMO-approved system – and we are currently considering retrofitting a toilet to Red Jet 4.”
Other innovations include the introduction of a second door that will provide a wider range of passenger movement options for boarding and disembarking, said Slawson. “We would like to be able to improve the flow of people in and out and shorten turnaround times.” The ship is slightly wider than her predecessor and is expected to offer better stability in rough weather. The vessel is classed by Lloyds Register.
Venture Quays, once world-famous as the location where the first Hovercraft was built, has been affected in recent years by the decline in British shipbuilding. Shemara Refit owner Peter Morton said that he was very proud of the way the project had come together in the Isle of Wight against the odds. “There was no yard, so we created one. I have been amazed at the skills available on the island and we don’t want this to be a one-off project. There is a myth that says Britain can’t compete with the Far East for materials and labour costs, but we can be more efficient and cut costs in design and manufacture, especially if we don’t need to travel. And aluminium is a commodity that has a global price, so I don’t see why we can’t be competitive.”
The extra capacity on Red Jet 6 will contribute to Red Funnel’s long-term ambition to ensure better connection of transport modes in Southampton and beyond, said George. “We are trying to get the transport system integrated and have created connectivity with a local bus company. It is possible to travel from the island to London in under two hours.” Red Jet funds (but does not operate) the Citylink bus that takes passengers from the ferry terminal to stops in the city. “We also display train, airport and coach departure times onboard the ferry,” said George.