HSC ''FastCat Ryde'' is a high speed

catamaran A Formula 16 beachable catamaran Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stab ...

ferry. The vessel was originally built in Singapore for service in the Philippines as ''Water Jet 1''. She was bought by Wightlink in 2000 and following an extensive refit entered service on the Ryde Pier to Portsmouth route in August of that year along with her sister ship HSC ''FastCat Shanklin''. From early Autumn 2009, Wightlink took delivery of two new vessels to operate the route, ''Wight Ryder I'' and ''Wight Ryder II''. Both the ''FastCat Shanklin'' and ''FastCat Ryde'' were retained by Wightlink until Spring 2010 and drafted in as replacements as teething problems occurred with the new vessels. They were then sold on to new owners in Bristol. On 12 January 2010, the ''FastCat Ryde'' crashed into Ryde Pier by landing heavily causing superficial damage to the vessel and a section of the pier. No one was injured in the crash and the vessel was sailed back empty to Portsmouth Harbour for a full investigation to be carried out. In 2010 she was sold, along with her sister craft, to Severn Link in Ilfracombe to operate a service between there and

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. As a result of a local competition she was renamed ''Rapparee''. The projected service failed to materialise and in August she returned to Southampton. In May 2011, having been sold to Alien Shipping, a Russian company, the two craft were transported to the Black Sea on board the ''Beluga Fantasy''.

References

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1354043 {{DEFAULTSORT:FastCat Ryde Ferries of England Ferry transport on the Isle of Wight 1995 ships