Red Funnel ferry Red Osprey withdrawn from service

The company said that defects had been found on the Red Osprey vessel and it has been taken out of service.

The move will cause travel disruption for those using the ferry over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Earlier this month the company announced that it was making 40 redundancies following a 'prolonged downturn' over the summer.

It comes as capactiy of the ferries from Southampton to East Cowes has been slashed due to social distancing rules.

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The statement said that following a routine inspection aboard Red Osprey, defects have been noted on the vessel’s aft main engine and the Voith propulsion system.

While the two defects are not serious enough to affect the safe operation of the vessel, it is important that immediate repairs are undertaken to prevent greater damage, it added.

Accordingly, said the company, the vessel has been withdrawn from service, and repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the weekend.

The withdrawal of Red Osprey from service is expected to cause disruption to Red Funnel’s timetable into the weekend.

Leanna Lakes, operations director, Red Funnel said: “We truly apologise for the anticipated disruption to our vehicle ferry service between Southampton and East Cowes, especially as we head into the bank holiday weekend.

"Our teams shore-side and on-board will be working extremely hard and doing their very best to help passengers get to their destination as quickly and as safely as possible.

"We recognise that the interruption could not have come at a worse time, especially for those with holiday plans and for this, we sincerely apologise. We will keep customers informed of our progress and hope to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”

All affected passengers with existing bookings will be contacted by Red Funnel and receive the latest information about revised expected departure times, the company said in a statement.

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Any customers wishing to amend their booking between now and the end of the bank holiday weekend can do so free of charge, with no additional amendment fees, it added.

Red Osprey first entered service in 1994 and was given a reft ten years later.

Then in 2015 Red Funnel invested £2.2m in giving the vessel, whichnormally has a capacity of 895 passengers and 220 cars, another refit.

Red Funnel said customers wishing to cancel their booking can also do so and receive a full refund, with no added cancellation fees.

The statent added that customers without a booking are advised not to arrive to the vehicle ferry terminals. This advice applies to all passengers travelling with private vehicles, including motorcycles, scooters, as well as pushbikes.

Red Funnel has taken measures to maximise space for private vehicle traffic aboard its other two vehicle ferries, Red Falcon and Red Eagle. Red Kestrel, Red Funnel’s ‘freight only’ ferry will be brought in to complete additional (previously unscheduled) trips, freeing more vehicle deck space for non-freight vehicle traffic.

With the current passenger capacity of the vehicle ferries capped at 500, in response to Covid-19 social distancing measures, the company is also redirecting all foot passenger traffic to its Hi-Speed Red Jet service, which is currently running to timetable.

The company will also be arranging transport to help streamline foot passenger movement between East and West Cowes.

Red Funnel customer service teams will be on hand to assist customers with amendments, refunds and queries.

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