MV ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd and built by VT Halmatic Ltd of Portchester.

History

Shortly after being awarded the contract for the current '' Spirit of Gosport'' in 2001,

Abels Shipbuilders Abels Shipbuilders Ltd was a ship and boat builder in Bristol, England. In addition to boat building, the company branched out into architectural sculptures, tidal energy and marine restoration, but closed in 2016. Business Founded in 1980 b ...

were awarded a follow-on contract for a second ferry, which was to be known as ''Spirit of Portsmouth''. However this vessel was only partially constructed when the ferry company cancelled the order, and the unfinished hull remained at Abel's shipyard for many years, before being completed as a medical missionary ship, the '' Forth Hope''. The need for a second vessel to run alongside the similar ''Spirit of Gosport'' still existed, and the current ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' was built in 2005. She is primarily used for cruising Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent, thus enabled ''Spirit of Gosport'' to replace '' Portsmouth Queen'' on the

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 t ...

to Portsmouth

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 ...

route. The main difference between the two ''Spirit of'' vessels is the covered roof and bar on ''Spirit of Portsmouth'', making her more suited to cruising. ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' however, services the ferry route when either ''Spirit of Gosport'', the twin vessel of Spirit of Portsmouth, or the other ferry '' Harbour Spirit'' are out of service. Upon the introduction of ''Spirit of Portsmouth'', the 1966-built '' Portsmouth Queen'' was withdrawn from service. The previous vessel that was dedicated to cruise duty was '' Solent Enterprise''. ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' is currently the Gosport Ferries

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

. in 2015 they gave her a refit with a new paint job and a new engine with a 2,1 turbine and a new radar.

Characteristics

The ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' is in length and has a beam of and a draught of . She has a service speed of and a capacity of 300 passengers. She carries either 3 or 4 crew depending on the nature of the voyage.

References

External links

* *
Ferries of England Gosport Ferry Ships built in England 2005 ships {{ferry-stub