Ferry flagship gets the Wight treatment

A major UK ferry operator has once again called on the expertise of Wight Shipyard Co (WSC) to service one of its Wight build flagships.

Red Jet 7 was built in East Cowes by Wight Shipyard Co 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," said 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.”

Work scope

Red Jet 7’s annual service is required by Flag State requirements and the opportunity is also used to undertake planned maintenance and carefully selected upgrades. Red Funnel said that it is committed to maintaining its fleet to the highest standards and carries out many annual checks as part of this.

"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.

The scope of work carried out on Red Jet 7 includes an annual service of the navigation systems amongst other thing including 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 life rafts was also carried out in accordance with the latest IMO and SOLAS regulations.

All works were completed in accordance with Class and Flag requirements and with Covid-19 precautions taken to protect the safety of all involved. The refit was carried out at Hythe Shipyard and was completed in February 2021.

Ferry flagships

Back in 2017, the build for Red Jet 7 was awarded to WSC following the huge success of sister ship Red Jet 6 which was also built at the Wight yard in Cowes. The Red Jet 6 build 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 vessel meets tough MARPOL IMO Tier ll engine emission standards and uses vinyl instead of paint saving weight and reduce the environmental impact from Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Industry leading

WSC offers refit, repair, outfitting and overhaul services providing efficient and high-quality solutions to every shipboard need across both the commercial and leisure industries.

The WSC family has decades of combined experience in projects of all sizes and offers general refit and repairs, including vessel upgrade, life extension projects and docking.

Over and above its refit and maintenance services, WSC is known for its industry leading ferry builds and development of hybrid vessel solutions.