New Isle of Wight ferry service

A NEW Isle of Wight ferry service has been launched. 

Scoot Ferries’ first vessel runs between Yarmouth and Lymington with room for 12 passengers and a 25-minute crossing time.

Other routes are planned from Cowes to Portsmouth, followed by Cowes to Hamble in June next year with a larger vessel.

The start-up company plans to run services across the Solent seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Fares on the Lymington route start at £9 single and £16 return.

Scoot boats will be equipped with charging points and USB ports in every seat, with free Wi-Fi access.

The company said: ‘New boats are currently being purpose-built to add to our fleet, which will enable us to launch our new Cowes to Portsmouth and Cowes to Hamble routes, and to run two boats on some of our more high-demand routes.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46781500@N00/3490919555">Cowes Week  Panorama 4</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Wightlink orders new ferry

#ISLEOFWIGHT ferry operator Wightlink plans to introduce a new flagship vessel in two years’ time as part of a £45 million investment. The ferry will be built specifically for the Portsmouth-Fishbourne route across the Solent, with a capacity for 178 cars and more than 1,000 passengers.

Improvements to terminals at the company’s ports of Portsmouth Gunwharf and Fishbourne have also been outlined.

Better facilities for customers are being promised, along with faster loading and unloading times to reduce congestion, particularly at Portsmouth Gunwharf. New boarding ramps will allow vehicles to be loaded and unloaded on two levels simultaneously. The capacity of Wightlink’s current flagship St Clare will be increased so that it can use the same double deck loading system.

Chief operating officer, John Burrows, said: ‘Our new ship will be the most modern, comfortable, and environmentally-friendly ferry crossing the Solent and we look forward to carrying many more islanders and holidaymakers every year.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24651205@N08/3894097336">St Helen</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)

Southampton cruise terminal re-opens following make-over

SOUTHAMPTON’S Mayflower Cruise Terminal has re-opened following a multi-million pound refurbishment. The terminal now has an open plan interior, with expanded security, check-in and passenger reception areas. Other improvements include additional passenger and baggage x-ray machines and a redesign of the drop-off and pick-up areas.

Port operator ABP Southampton said the project was critical to ensure Southampton retains its title as Europe's leading cruise turnaround port.

An increased number of cruise ships visiting Southampton, coupled with the rising capacity of new ships, means P&O Cruises, Cunard, and other lines are expecting passenger volume to increase by 25% at Southampton over the next two years.

The terminal is one of four in Southampton, and handles calls by ships such as Queen Mary 2, Ventura and newly-launched Britannia.

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Picture Credit: MS Independence of the Seas in Southampton by Aztec06 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Red Funnel Ferries reports Q1 traffic growth

ISLE OF WIGHT ferry operator Red Funnel has reported strong growth in the first quarter of 2015, with 7.1% more cars, 38.3% more coaches, and 5.4% more passengers using the service, compared to the same period last year.

The past 12 months have been significant for Red Funnel, with the company investing more than £4.4 million in the refurbishment of passenger accommodation on its Red Falcon and Red Osprey vessels.

Kevin George, CEO of Red Funnel, said: ‘We continue to be encouraged by the growth in visitors to the Isle of Wight, and we are confident that this trend is set to continue.’

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Picture Credit: Red Funnel Ferry by grassrootsgroundswell - Red Funnel Ferry. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Ferry deal for foot passengers

ISLE OF WIGHT ferry operator Wightlink has started an online booking service and introduced lower fares for foot passengers.

The company now allows groups of 10 or more foot passengers to book their crossings online. Foot passenger bookings can be made via its group travel webpage – www.wightlink.co.uk/go/tickets-prices/group-bookings

For groups travelling to the island by foot, Wightlink offers discounted return ferry fares, which start at £12.20 per adult and £6.10 per child. Foot passengers also have the opportunity to bring their bikes on board at no extra charge.

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Second Hovertravel service to IoW possible

A SECOND high-speed hovercraft route to the Isle of Wight is under consideration. Cross-Solent operator Hovertravel is looking at the possibility of adding Sandown as a destination from Southsea this summer.

The outline plan is for four crossings to operate every Tuesday and Thursday between July 14 and August 27.

The company currently operates a route between Portsmouth and Ryde.

Hovertravel managing director Neil Chapman said: ‘We are always open to new ideas which might boost tourism to the Isle of Wight and we provisionally agreed the concept, subject to gaining the appropriate permissions.

‘We expect the journey to be about 25 minutes, which will give passengers from Southsea up to five hours in Sandown. This service will also give passengers travelling from Sandown the opportunity to spend half-a-day in Portsmouth.’

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New owner for Wightlink Ferries

ISLE OF WIGHT ferry operator Wightlink Ferries has been sold for an undisclosed sum. Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Partners (BBIP) has purchased the company from Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund.

There will be no changes to staffing, pricing, routes, or schedules as a result of the change of ownership, according to a company statement.

BBIP partner Steven Lowry said: ‘Wightlink is a strong and stable company with the opportunity to grow and develop in the years to come. We are delighted to be the new owners of the largest cross-Solent ferry operator and are committed to investing in the business. Wightlink has a strong and secure future with its new shareholders.’

The company runs ferries from Portsmouth and Lymington to the island.

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Book the Hover on your phone

HOVERTRAVEL has launched a free smartphone application which enables passengers to book tickets for Solent crossings.

‘Smartphones are becoming the platform of choice for booking travel arrangements. Easy-to-use, dependable applications are key to giving our customers access to tickets and real-time information about our service,’ says Loretta Lale, commercial and marketing manager at Hovertravel.

The app allows for completely paperless travel: passengers buys tickets via the app and show their on-screen boarding pass at the gate.

Another feature of the app is journey planning. It shows scheduled times for connecting services from the Isle of Wight (including Island Line trains and Southern Vectis bus services) through to mainland destinations such as London, Southampton, and Bournemouth.

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Picture Credit: "Hovercraft leaving Ryde" by Editor5807 - Own work via Wikimedia Commons.

Lunch in the Solent

NO MAN'S FORT – a man-made island in the middle of the Solent – will open its doors on March 26, after extensive renovation.

The second of the three ex-forts in the Solent owned by AmaZing Venues - www.amazingvenues.co.uk - it’s taking bookings for day trip guests and overnight stays. 

Four-course lunch prices start from £99 a head, which includes return boat transfers from Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.

The fort was built between 1867 and 1880 to protect Portsmouth from the enemy across the sea –France.

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Red Funnel to operate extra IoW sailings

TWO additional return sailings to the Isle of Wight are being introduced by Red Funnel Ferries from the spring.

An 8.10 pm departure from Southampton to Cowes on Fridays is being added from March 27, designed to cater for a growing number of short-break and weekend visitors to the island from London. A 2.40am departure on weekdays will provide additional freight capacity.

Additional services will operate during the Isle of Wight Festival, Bestival, and Cowes Week.

The extra capacity is being introduced after the company saw a record year in 2014 for vehicles carried, fuelled by growth in the total cross-Solent ferry market of 0.7% for passengers and 1.5% for cars.

www.redfunnel.co.uk

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Drunk Hovercraft pilot jailed

A HOVERCRAFT pilot who took passengers across the Solent to the Isle of Wight while nearly three times the legal alcohol limit has been jailed for eight months.

A colleague had to take the controls when the pilot – who pleaded guilty – collapsed after missing the landing pad at Ryde on the Isle of Wight in June.

The Hovertravel craft was carrying 36 passengers at the time. It had previously taken 95 passengers to Southsea in Hampshire.

Newport Crown Court heard that one of the pilot’s colleagues noticed his reaction time was slow during the crossing and that he failed to carry out a manoeuvre properly when the hovercraft came close to tanker.

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NO MAN'S FORT

A man-made island in the middle of the Solent – opens its doors in November after extensive renovation.

One of three forts owned by AmaZing Venues, it will be bookable for overnight stays, parties, corporate events, and meetings.

Built between 1867 and 1880 to protect Portsmouth from the French, it is the smaller sister venue to Spitbank Fort which has been open since 2012. The fort will be accessible by boat and helicopter. See more at: www.amazingvenues.co.uk


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All aboard for a Father’s Day treat

THINKING about a Father’s Day (June 15) treat that dad won’t forget? Spitbank Fort in the middle of the Solent might be answer.

Built in 1878, when it was armed with nine 12.5 inch muzzle loading guns, it’s now a restaurant serving lunches on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays.

The lunch experience begins at 11.30am with a pick-up from the Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport. After a 30-minute boat ride, guests are greeted with a glass of Champagne and a tour of the fort. There’s a three-course lunch in the Officer’s Mess, followed by teas and coffee in the Crow’s Nest, which has views of other Solent forts, the South Coast and the Isle of Wight.

The fort was declared surplus to Defence Department needs in 1962 – fears of a French invasion having been seen as no longer justified – and was sold by the government in 1982. It was bought by AmaZing Venues which, along with English Heritage, turned it into a unique venue for lunch and overnight stays.

For more information and bookings, go to www.amazingvenues.co.uk or call 0330 333 7222.

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