Ferry flagship gets the Wight treatment
Wight Shipyard Co (WSC) has been busy servicing one of Red Funnel’s Wight build flagships.
Red Jet 7 was built in East Cowes by the shipyard in 2018 and represents a £7m investment by Red Funnel in upgrading its Southampton-West Cowes route.
“It’s fitting that we get to service Red Jet 7 which we had the privilege to build,” says Jo Daly, COO, WSC. “There can be no better endorsement than a customer coming back time and again. It signals belief in our product and the quality of our work.”
The build for Red Jet 7 was awarded to WSC following the the Red Jet 6 build, which restarted the construction of fast ferries in the UK and on the Isle of Wight, after a gap of 16 years.
The construction of both Red Jets equated to a £13m investment by Red Funnel in the Isle of Wight and Solent economies with a further £10m spent on the twin phase expansion and redevelopment of the company’s East Cowes terminal, the first phase of which was completed in 2019.
Red Jet 7 is the greenest Red Jet in the fleet – four tonnes lighter than her sister, Red Jet 6, which aids manoeuvrability, improves fuel consumption and further reduces emissions and wash.
The scope of work carried out on Red Jet 7’s service included an overhaul of the vessel’s waterjets, a survey of the lifting equipment and AC and dehumidifier servicing. An annual survey and service of the firefighting equipment and liferafts was also undertaken.
“We are very pleased to continue our relationship with Isle of Wight-based Wight Shipyard Co as it services our Red Jet 7, a vessel it built in partnership with Red Funnel Ferries. This is an annual requirement for maintenance and safety checks of our vessels, which is imperative to ensure the safety of our passengers and staff, and the smooth running of our fleet,” says Leanna Lakes, operations director, Red Funnel.
