MV Spirit of Portsmouth

MV Spirit of Portsmouth is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd and built by VT Halmatic Ltd of Portchester.[2][3]

MV Spirit of Portsmouth
Spirit of Portsmouth at Gosport
History
NameMV Spirit of Portsmouth
OwnerGosport Ferry Company Ltd
BuilderVT Halmatic Ltd
Launched2005
IdentificationIMO number: 9319894[1]
General characteristics
Tonnage377 GT; 30 DWT
Length32.60 m (107.0 ft)
Beam10.20 m (33.5 ft)
Draft2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Installed power360 hp (270 kW) Scania DI12 diesel
PropulsionVeth VZ2000 Azimuth thrusters
Speed10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Capacity300 passengers
Crew3 or 4

History

Shortly after being awarded the contract for the current Spirit of Gosport in 2001, Abels Shipbuilders 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.[4][5]

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 to Portsmouth ferry 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Upon the introduction of Spirit of Portsmouth, the 1966-built Portsmouth Queen was withdrawn from service.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. 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 32.60 metres (107.0 ft) in length and has a beam of 10.20 metres (33.5 ft) and a draught of 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in). She has a service speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and a capacity of 300 passengers. She carries either 3 or 4 crew depending on the nature of the voyage.[6]

References
  1. "Spirit of Portsmouth". IMO Number. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  2. "Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company orders new ferry from VT Halmatic". Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008.
  3. "VT Halmatic Steels Itself for Success". Maritime Journal. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 4 December 2007.
  4. "New Missionary Ship". Ships Monthly. Vol. 52, no. December 2017. p. 9.
  5. Dalton, Alastair (27 July 2017). "Harbour ferry sails from Rosyth to bring health to Amazon". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  6. "Spirit of Portsmouth (2005)". Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.



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