Cruiser in 2006 off Kilcreggan Steps, Gourock, by mid 2008 the hull was dark blue. | |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name |
|
Owner |
|
Operator | Clyde Cruises |
Route | River Clyde |
Builder | James & Stone, Brightlingsea |
Launched | 1974 |
Identification |
|
Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 119 GRT |
Length | 24 m (78.7 ft) |
Beam | 7.6 m (24.9 ft) |
Draught | 1.6 m (5.2 ft) (aft) |
Depth | 2.8 m (9.2 ft) |
Installed power | 224 KW (300 bhp) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 9 knots (17 km/h) |
Capacity | 240 passengers (max) |
Notes | [1] |
Cruiser is a passenger vessel owned by Clyde Marine Services Ltd operating in the River Clyde as part of the company's charter cruise fleet. Her former names are Southsea Queen, Hythe Hotspur and Poole Scene.
Southsea Queen was built in 1974 by James & Stone of Brightlingsea for the Gosport Ferry Company for cruising and standby ferry duties. She was similar to Solent Enterprise , from the same shipyard but with a flared pointed bow. However, at 119 GRT she proved too small for her job and just four years later was sold to White Horse Ferries for use on its Hythe Ferry service. She was renamed Hythe Hotspur and repainted from her green with red band livery to a red and white livery.
She was withdrawn from this service in 1995 and chartered to Brownsea Island Ferries Ltd for service in Poole Harbour. She initially kept the name Hythe Hotspur but was later sold to Blue Funnel Cruises in 1997 and renamed Poole Scene. She sailed from Poole Quay until early 1998, when she returned to Southampton. [2]
In 1999, she was sold to Clyde Marine Services and renamed Cruiser. As such, she operated as a charter cruise vessel out of Greenock, cruising the River and Firth of Clyde. This included the weekday Rosneath ferry service from Gourock to Kilcreggan on behalf of SPT, [3] as a substitute vessel when MV Kenilworth was out of service. In 2007 Clyde Marine introduced Seabus on this route, but in 2012 SPT accepted the tender from Clydelink for the service. [4]
Cruiser and Clyde Clipper are the two passenger vessels listed in Clyde Marine's fleet. [5]
In 2023 Cruiser was sold to Jetstream Tours Ltd and relocated to the Thames and Medway. Cruiser is to yet be put in to service with Jetstream tours however it is rumored to be later in August 2023
Caledonian MacBrayne, usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast. Since 2006, the company's official name has been CalMac Ferries Ltd, although it still operates as Caledonian MacBrayne. In 2006, it became a subsidiary of holding company David MacBrayne, which is owned by the Scottish Government.
Kilcreggan is a village on the Rosneath peninsula in Argyll and Bute, West of Scotland.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is a regional transport partnership for the Strathclyde area of western Scotland. It is responsible for planning and coordinating regional transport, especially the public transport system in the area, including responsibility for operating the Glasgow Subway, the third oldest in the world.
MV The Second Snark is a small passenger ferry, built in 1938 by William Denny of Dumbarton, later operated by Clyde Marine Services on the Firth of Clyde, Scotland.
Hythe Pier, the Hythe Pier Railway and the Hythe Ferry provide a link between the English port city of Southampton and the Hampshire village of Hythe on the west side of Southampton Water. It is used both by commuters and tourists, and forms an important link in the Solent Way and E9 European coastal paths. The ferry is the only one remaining of the various ferries that once linked Southampton with points around Southampton Water.
MV Kenilworth is a historic passenger ferry built in 1936 as MV Hotspur II. She was used on the Hythe Ferry service across Southampton Water until 1978, and then on the Kilcreggan ferry on the Firth of Clyde until 2007.
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 ferries in operation, 2 on charter and another 6 on order. The company provides lifeline services to 23 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes in the Firth of Clyde.
Sundance is a charter vessel owned by Capital Pleasure Boats and operating on the River Thames. Former names are Gay Enterprise and Solent Enterprise.
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, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of FIH group plc.
City Cruises is a cruise vessel operator in England with operations in London, Poole and York. It is a subsidiary of Hornblower Cruises.
MV Ali Cat is a motor catamaran passenger ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, which along with MV Argyll Flyer provides a service from Dunoon to Gourock across the Firth of Clyde.
MV Pioneer is a stern / side loading ferry built in 1974, in service for 29 years covering nearly all of Caledonian MacBrayne's routes. She now serves the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea and was chartered to rescue Liberian refugees.
MV Orion is a ro-ro passenger and vehicle ferry. Saturn was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland between 1978 and 2011, for the first decade of her career on the Rothesay crossing. Later, she also saw service on the Dunoon and Brodick crossings, as well as on short cruises around the Clyde.
MV Glen Sannox was a Clyde car ferry launched in 1957. Built for the Arran service, she spent her first 14 years there. Thereafter, she had a versatile career on the west coast of Scotland, lasting over 32 years, including providing cruises between 1977 and 1982. In 1989, she was sold for service on the Red Sea. She ran aground south of Jeddah and lay in a sunken condition from 2000.
MV Chieftain, ex-Seabus, is a passenger ferry built in 2007 for Clyde Marine Services to run the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) Gourock to Kilcreggan service on the Firth of Clyde.
MV Lochmor was a ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne serving the Small Isles from 1979 until 2001. Since 2009 she has operated cruises from Poole as MV Jurassic Scene.
MV Maid of Ashton was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company, initially on the Holy Loch service. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold for a new career as a floating restaurant on the Thames, under the name Hispaniola.
MV Maid of Argyll was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company, initially based at Craigendoran. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold to Greek owners in 1975. She caught fire in 1997 and was left to decay.
MV Maid of Skelmorlie was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company from 1953. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold to Italian owners in 1973. After conversion to stern-loading, she operated, as Ala in the Bay of Naples for 20 years.
MV Maid of Cumbrae was a British passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company from 1953. In the face of the car ferry revolution, in 1972, she was converted to a 15-car ferry for the Dunoon to Gourock crossing. Sold to Italian owners in 1978, she operated, as Capri Express in the Bay of Naples until 2006, when she was scrapped.