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Sundance (charter Vessel)
''Sundance'' is a charter vessel owned by Capital Pleasure Boats and operating on the River Thames. Former names are ''Gay Enterprise'' and ''Solent Enterprise''. History The vessel was built in 1971 for the Gosport Ferry service by James and Stone of Brightlingsea, primarily for cruising Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent. Originally called ''Gay Enterprise'', the name was changed in the winter of 1979, during her standby ferry duties, to ''Solent Enterprise''. It had a similar design to the company's two 1966 ''Queens'' ('' Portsmouth Queen'' and '' Gosport Queen'') but the interior was more comfortable because of its different duty. It was painted in later years in a blue livery with a large ''Solent Enterprise'' banner on its side barriers. In its later years of service, it was regularly used on ferry duties between Gosport and Portsmouth when either of the ''Queens'' were out of service. In 2001, Gosport Ferry Company purchased a new ferry, the '' Spirit of Gosport'', bu ...
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Gosport Ferry
The Gosport Ferry is a ferry service for pedestrians and cyclists operating between Gosport and Portsmouth in Hampshire, southern England. It is currently operated by Gosport Ferry Ltd, a subsidiary of the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company Ltd, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of FIH group plc. History The company that currently operates the Gosport ferry was created in 1883 as the ''Port of Portsmouth Steam Launch & Towing Company'', making it one of the longest serving ferry services in the UK. In 1963, it took over the ''Gosport & Portsea Watermen's Steam Launch Company'', founded in 1875 by the Watermen, who had operated ferries on the route for centuries. These Watermen had enjoyed protected rights between 1603 and 1840, limiting operation of ferries on the route to Gosport residents. In 1840, a steam operated chain ferry was introduced,South Coast Railways – Portsmouth to Southampton. Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith. . to a design similar to that already in use at Woolston. ...
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River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn. The river rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, and flows into the North Sea near Tilbury, Essex and Gravesend, Kent, via the Thames Estuary. From the west it flows through Oxford (where it is sometimes called the Isis), Reading, Henley-on-Thames and Windsor. The Thames also drains the whole of Greater London. In August 2022, the source of the river moved five miles to beyond Somerford Keynes due to the heatwave in July 2022. The lower reaches of the river are called the Tideway, derived from its long tidal reach up to Teddington Lock. Its tidal section includes most of its London stretch and has a rise and fall of . From Oxford to the Estuary the Thames drops by 55 metres. Running through some of the drier parts ...
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Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is an activity that involves living for extended time on a vessel while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages. History Boats were almost exclusively used for working purposes prior to the nineteenth century. In 1857, the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, with his book ''Canoeing in Wilderness'' chronicling his canoe voyaging in the wilderness of Maine, is considered the first to convey the enjoyment of spiritual and lifestyle aspects of cruising. The modern conception of cruising for pleasure was first popularised by the Scottish explorer and sportsman John MacGregor. He was introduced to the canoes and kayaks of the Native Americans on a camping trip in 1858, and on his return to the United Kingdom constructed his own 'double-ended' canoe in Lambeth. The boat, nicknamed 'Rob Roy' after a famous relative of his, was built of lapstrake oak planking, deck ...
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Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it is a ria: formerly it was the valley of a stream flowing from Portsdown into the Solent. At its north end is Portchester Castle, of Roman origin and the first fortress built to protect the harbour. The mouth of the harbour provides access to the Solent. It is best known as the home of the Royal Navy, HMNB Portsmouth. Because of its strategic location on the south coast of England, protected by the natural defence of the Isle of Wight, it has since the Middle Ages been the home to England's (and later Britain's) navy. The narrow entrance, and the forts surrounding it gave it a considerable advantage of being virtually impregnable to attack from the sea. Before the fortifications were built the French burned Portsmouth in 1338. Durin ...
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Solent
The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay to just over . The Solent is a major shipping lane for passenger, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually. It is sheltered by the Isle of Wight and has a complex tidal pattern, which has benefited Southampton's success as a port, providing a "double high tide" that extends the tidal window during which deep-draught ships can be handled. Portsmouth lies on its shores. Spithead, an area off Gilkicker Point near Gosport, is known as the place where the Royal Navy is traditionally reviewed by the monarch of the day. The area is of great ecological and landscape importance, particularly because of the coastal and estuarine habi ...
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Portsmouth Queen
The ''Portsmouth Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. It was built by Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire. History The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the Gosport Queen and was delivered in a green and white livery. Later, it was repainted into the now standard Gosport Ferry colours. The vessel is no longer in service, but use to run alongside the new '' Spirit of Gosport'' or the '' Spirit of Portsmouth''. In the early days it was always hard to tell ''Portsmouth Queen'' apart from her twin sister Gosport Queen. The ''Portsmouth Queen'' was sold to Absolute Charters and left Gosport for the final time on 29 February 2016, to start a new life on the River Thames in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ..., and was renamed ...
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Gosport Queen
The ''Gosport Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. It was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire. History

The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the ''Portsmouth Queen'' and was delivered in a green and white livery. Later, it was repainted into the now standard Gosport Ferry colours. The vessel is no longer in service, but use to run alongside the new ''Spirit of Gosport'' or the ''Spirit of Portsmouth''. In the early days it was always hard to tell ''Gosport Queen'' apart from her twin sister ''Portsmouth Queen''. The ''Gosport Queen'' (Ship No. 4212) was the last vessel to be built by John I. Thornycroft & Company in Woolston, Southampton. The ''Gosport Queen'' spent her final days in service as refit cover and was sold to London based company 'London Party Boats' in January 2017. She will be used for Party Cruises on the River Thames and renamed ''Pearl of London''. Ferries of England Gosport Ferry ...
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Livery
A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery will often have elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in the livery. Alternatively, some kind of a personal emblem or badge, or a distinctive colour, is featured. The word itself derives from the French ''livrée'', meaning ''dispensed, handed over''. Most often it would indicate that the wearer of the livery was a servant, dependant, follower or friend of the owner of the livery, or, in the case of objects, that the object belonged to them. In the late medieval phenomenon of bastard feudalism, livery badges worn by the "retainers" of great lords, sometimes in effect private armies, became a great political concern in England. Etymology "In the ''Black'' Book of 1483, it was laid down that each person should receive "... for his Livery at night, half a chet loaf, o ...
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Ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi. Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels. Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like the Mediterranean Sea) may also be called ferry services, and many carry vehicles. History In ancient times The profession of the ferryman is embodied in Greek mythology in Charon, the boatman who transported souls across the River Styx to the Underworld. Speculation that a pair of oxen propelled a ship having a water wheel can be found in 4th century Roman literature "''Anonymus De Rebus Bellicis''". Though impractical, there is no reason why it could not ...
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Gosport
Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite the city of Portsmouth, to which it is linked by the Gosport Ferry. Gosport lies south-east of Fareham, to which it is linked by a Bus Rapid Transit route and the A32. Until the last quarter of the 20th century, Gosport was a major naval town associated with the defence and supply infrastructure of His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth. As such over the years extensive fortifications were created. Gosport is still home to and a Naval Armament Supply Facility, as well as a Helicopter Repair base. The Town area of the Borough, including Newtown, consists of the town centre, Stoke Road shopping area, Walpole Park, Royal Clarence Yard and three modern marinas: Royal Clarence, Gosport Marina and Haslar Marina. As part of the ''Renais ...
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Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most densely populated city in the United Kingdom, with a population last recorded at 208,100. Portsmouth is located south-west of London and south-east of Southampton. Portsmouth is mostly located on Portsea Island; the only English city not on the mainland of Great Britain. Portsea Island has the third highest population in the British Isles after the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Portsmouth also forms part of the regional South Hampshire conurbation, which includes the city of Southampton and the boroughs of Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Waterlooville. Portsmouth is one of the world's best known ports, its history can be traced to Roman times and has been a significant Royal Navy dockyard and base for centuries. Portsm ...
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Spirit Of Gosport
MV ''Spirit of Gosport'' is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd and built by Abels Shipbuilders in Bristol. History ''Spirit of Gosport'' was built in 2001 to replace ''Portsmouth Queen The ''Portsmouth Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. It was built by Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire. History The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the Gosport Queen and was delivered in a green and w ...'' on ferry duties. However, the company also wanted to replace '' Solent Enterprise'', which operated cruise duties. The vessel was hardly used for the first few months and both existing ferries were kept in service. In 2003, she finally replaced '' Solent Enterprise'' on cruise duties. This continued until 2005, when a brand new vessel was purchased to replace ''Spirit of Gosport'' on cruise duties. Shortly after being awarded the contract for ''Spirit of Gosport'', Abels were awarded a follow-on contract for a second ferry, to be kno ...
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