MV ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' is a vessel owned by the

Gosport Ferry Company Ltd 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, i ...

and built by VT Halmatic Ltd of

Portchester Portchester is a locality and suburb northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton o ...

History

Shortly after being awarded the contract for the current ''

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'' on ferry duties. However, the company also w ...

'' 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 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 i ...

and the

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 ...

, thus enabled ''Spirit of Gosport'' 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 wh ...

'' 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 ...

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 dens ...

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 MV ''Harbour Spirit'' is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd and built by Tehnomont Shipyard of Pula in Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem ...

'' are out of service. Upon the introduction of ''Spirit of Portsmouth'', the 1966-built ''

'' was withdrawn from service. The previous vessel that was dedicated to cruise duty was ''

Solent Enterprise #REDIRECT 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 ...

''. ''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

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