MV Devonair Belle was the original name of the MV Dart Explorer, which is a twin-
screw
A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...
passenger
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 ...
, operating on the
River Dart
The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for to the sea at Dartmouth.
Name
Most hydronyms in England derive from the Brythonic language (from which the river's subsequent names ultimately derive fr ...
in
South Devon
South Devon is the southern part of Devon, England. Because Devon has its major population centres on its two coasts, the county is divided informally into North Devon and South Devon.For exampleNorth DevonanSouth Devonnews sites. In a narrower se ...
,
UK, mainly on the circular harbour cruise route from
Dartmouth, for
Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd.
[Boyle, I, http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Dart_Pleasure_Craft.html, Referred 2009]
Design
''Dart Explorer'' is a steel-hulled catamaran. There is no passenger accommodation in the
hulls. The
main deck
The main deck of a ship is the uppermost complete deck extending from bow to stern. A steel ship's hull may be considered a structural beam with the main deck forming the upper flange of a box girder and the keel forming the lower strength memb ...
, immediately above the hulls has open passenger decks forward and aft of a large, fully enclosed and heated saloon. The upper deck, accessed by a stairway from the aft open deck, contains the wheelhouse forward, which is attached to a small passenger shelter. The remainder of the upper deck is open passenger space, and there are two slim funnels towards the stern. The saloon has fixed booth seating along each side, with a dance floor with removable chairs and tables in the center. At the aft end of the saloon is a bar, and toilets. Unlike many passenger catamarans, ''Dart Explorer'' is not a
high-speed craft
A high-speed craft (HSC) is a high-speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry.
The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and monohull designs become more popul ...
, instead using her wide beam for improved passenger facilities.
[Dart Valley Railway plc, ''River Link 2000 Brochure'',2000]
History
''Devonair Belle'' was built in 1991 for
Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd, branded as 'River Link'. She was the first vessel built for the company, and was the first large passenger vessel to enter service on the Dart since the ''
MV Cardiff Castle
The MV ''Cardiff Castle'' is a twin screw passenger vessel, operating on the River Dart in South Devon, UK, mainly on the cruise / ferry route between Dartmouth and Totnes, but also on circular cruises from Dartmouth, for Dart Pleasure Craft Lt ...
'', which entered service in 1964.
[Clammer, R & Kittrage, A. ''Passenger Steamers of the River Dart & Kingsbridge Estuary'', Twelveheads Press, 1987] In 2001 she was renamed ''Dart Explorer''. She is chiefly used on River Link's circular harbour cruises from Dartmouth, although she also runs on the Dartmouth to
Totnes
Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-so ...
route. As ''Dart Explorer'' is the most luxurious vessel in the fleet
she also runs most of the evening, disco and party cruises, and is the main charter vessel for the company.
References
External links
Dart Pleasure Craft Website- several photos and postcards of the vessel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devonair Belle
1991 ships
River Dart passenger vessels
Individual catamarans