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There are currently three different ferry companies that operate vessels carrying passengers and, on certain routes, vehicles across the Solent, the stretch of sea that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. These are Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel.

History

Early sail crossings

Since the Isle of Wight was separated from mainland Britain, probably about 7000 years ago,^[1] vessels have transported people and goods across the Solent.^{[citation needed]} However the earliest record of an Isle of Wight ferry service is from 1420 when the Lord of the Manor in Ashey was responsible for boats crossing between Portsmouth and Ryde. By the 17th century a rota of Ryde fishermen were required, on penalty of a fine, to make daily return crossings to Portsmouth.^[2]

In 1796 a purpose-built sailing boat called The Packet began a regular service between Portsmouth and Ryde, and by 1811 two daily return trips were made between the Bugle Inn in Ryde and the Quebec Tavern in Portsmouth.^[2] At that time the boats, known as Ryde Wherries,^[2] had to anchor a considerable distance away from the shore at Ryde, and passengers were transported by horse, cart or on men's backs across the wide and shallow sands to the town.^[3] This problem was resolved in 1814 when Ryde Pier was completed.

The introduction of steam power

In 1817 the first steamship ferry, Britannia, began to operate on the Portsmouth–Ryde route,^[2] but she was found to be unsuitable for her role and quickly withdrawn. The first successful steam-powered regular service on the route began on 5 April 1825 with the paddle steamer PS Union. Meanwhile, in 1820 the paddle steamer PS Prince of Coburg had begun a service between Cowes and Southampton.^[4]

The success of the paddle steamers prompted a period of company formation. In 1827 the Portsmouth and Ryde Steam Packet Company (P&RSPC) was formed and took over the running of the PS Union. This was followed in 1849 by the Portsea, Portsmouth, Gosport and Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company (PPG&IWSPC) operating on the same route. These amalgamated on 1 January 1852 as the Port of Portsmouth and Ryde United Steam Packet Company (PP&RUSPC). In 1873 the Southsea and Isle of Wight Steam Ferry Company (S&IWSFC) began operating between Clarence Pier, Southsea and Ryde but was quickly taken over by the PP&RUSPC in 1876.^[5]

On the Southampton – Cowes route the Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (IWRMSPC) was formed in 1820 and the Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company (IWSPC) in 1826. These merged in 1861, becoming the Southampton, Isle of Wight & South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (IW&SERMSPC).^[4] This company became commonly known as Red Funnel in 1935 and is still operating in 2021.

On the Western Solent, the first steam connection between Lymington and Yarmouth was by the Glasgow in March 1830, operated by Lymington owners and continuing also to Cowes, Southampton, Ryde and Portsmouth on various days.^[2]

The era of railway ownership

By 1880 railway lines connected to both the Ryde Pier and the Portsmouth Harbour ferry terminals. It was therefore a natural progression for the railway companies to acquire the ferry routes themselves. To do this the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) and the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) jointly formed the South Western and Brighton Railway Companies Steam Packet Service (SW&BRCSPS).^[6] This new company bought out the PP&RUSPC and the era of railway ownership of the Ryde Portsmouth route began.

In 1884 the Isle of Wight Marine Transit Company started a rail freight ferry link between the Hayling Island Branch line at Langstone and the Bembridge branch line at St Helens quay. To provide the link the rail ferry PS Carrier was moved from Scotland. The project was unsuccessful and despite being acquired in full by the LB&SCR in 1886 ended in 1888.^[6] It remains the only rail ferry to have operated a service to the Isle of Wight.

In 1884 the Lymington service was bought by the L&SWR.^[4]

In addition to paddle steamers, the SW&BRCSPS used tow boats and a tug to carry livestock and subsequently motor cars from Broad Street, Portsmouth to the slipway at George Street, Ryde.^[6]

During the First World War four of the SW&BRCSPS paddle steamers were commandeered by the Royal Navy as minesweepers, leaving only two behind. The PS Duchess of Richmond was lost to a mine in the Mediterranean Sea.^[6]

On 1 January 1923 the SW&BRCSPS was taken over by Southern Railway which had been created in the Grouping ordered by the Railways Act 1921.^[5]

Present day

Three commercial ferry operators currently provide services across the Solent. These are Hovertravel, Red Funnel and Wightlink. A list of routes is described below.^[7]

Route	Operator	Type of craft	Journey time
Southsea to Ryde	Hovertravel	Hovercraft	10 minutes
Portsmouth to Ryde	Wightlink	Catamaran	22 minutes
Portsmouth to Fishbourne	Wightlink	Car Ferry	45 minutes
Southampton to West Cowes	Red Funnel	Catamaran	25 minutes
Southampton to East Cowes	Red Funnel	Car Ferry	1 hour
Lymington to Yarmouth	Wightlink	Car Ferry	40 minutes

Vessels

Name	Type^†	Operator(s)^††	Route(s)^†††	In service	Out of service	Notes	Image
PS Brittania ^[spelling?]	P		PR	1817		Built in Gainsborough, Lincs, in 1816. Unsuccessful experiment with steam power. Quickly withdrawn from service
PS Union	P	P&RSPC	PR	1825
PS Arrow	P	P&RSPC	PR	1825
PS Lord Yarborough	P	P&RSPC	PR	1826
PS Earl Spencer	P	P&RSPC	PR	1833
Prince Albert	P		PR	1847
Her Majesty	P		PR	1850
Lindsey	P		PR	1850
Prince of Wales	P		PR	1850
Princess Royal	P		PR	1850
Prince Consort	P	PP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPS	PR	1859	1882	Built by J. Scott Russel, London
Princess of Wales	P	PP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPS	PR	1865	1885	Built by Lewis & Stockwell, London
Gareloch	P		PR	1863
Chancellor	P		PR	1863
Duke of Edinburgh	P	PP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPS	PR	1869	1884	Built by Money, Wigram Co, Blackwall
Princess Alice	P	PP&RUSPC, SW&BRCSPS	PR	1869	1882	Built by Money, Wigram Co, Blackwall
Ventnor	P		PR	1873
Shanklin	P		PR	1873
Southsea	P		PR	1873
Ryde	P		PR	1873
Heather Bell	P		PR	1876
Albert Edward	P		PR	1878
Alexandra	P		PR	1879
Victoria	P		PR	1881
PS Carrier	R	IWMTC, LB&SCR	LS	1884	1888	Built in 1858 by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co, Greenock. Failed rail ferry project. Sold in 1892 to Swedish company.
Duchess of Edinburgh	P		PR	1884
Duchess of Connaught	P		PR	1884
Duchess of Albany	P		PR	1889
Princess Margaret	P		PR	1893
Duchess of Kent	P	SW&BRCSPS, SR	PR	1897	1933	Built by Day, Summers & Co, Southampton. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War. Replaced by PS Sandown
Duchess of Fife	P	SW&BRCSPS, SR	PR	1899	1929	Built by Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Co, Glasgow. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War
Duchess of Richmond	P	SW&BRCSPS	PR	1910	1915	Built by D&W Henderson, Glasgow. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War. Mined and sank in Med.
Duchess of Norfolk	P	SW&BRCSPS, SR	PR	1911	1937	Built by D&W Henderson, Glasgow. Served as Royal Navy minesweeper in First World War
Shanklin	P		PR	1924	1950	Sold to Cosens & Co Ltd and renamed Monarch	As Monarch at Swanage Pier
Merstone	P		PR	1928
Portsdown	P		PR	1928
Southsea	P		PR	1930
Whippingham	P		PR	1930
Sandown	P		PR	1934			Sandown and Ryde at Portsmouth Harbour 15 July 1965
PS Ryde	PPS	SR, BR	PR	1937	1970	Built by Denny in Dumbarton	In Portsmouth in 1969
Southsea	P		PR	1948
Brading	P		PR	1948
TSMV Shanklin	P	SL	PR	1951	1980	Built by Denny in Dumbarton. Renamed Prince Ivanhoe and sank off Welsh coast in 1981	Shanklin
HSC Our Lady Patricia	PC	SL / WL	PR	1986	2006
HSC Our Lady Pamela	PC	SL / WL	PR	1986	2006
HSC Fastcat Shanklin	PC	WL	PR	2000	2009
HSC Fastcat Ryde	PC	WL	PR	2000	2010		HSC Fastcat Ryde in 2002
MV Fishbourne (1927)	VP		PF	1927	1961	Built by Denny in Dumbarton^[8]
MV Wooton	VP		PF	1928	1961	Built by Denny in Dumbarton^[8]
Hilsea	VP		PF	1931
MV Lymington	VP		PF	1938		Built by Denny in Dumbarton
Farringford	VP		PF	1948
Freshwater	VP		PF	1959
Camber Queen	VP		PF	1961
MV Fishbourne (1961)	VP		PF	1961	1983	Built by Philip & Son in Dartmouth^[8]
MV Cuthred	VP	SL	PF	1969	1984	Built by Richards (Shipbuilders) Ltd in Lowestoft
Shearwater	PH	RF	SC	1969	1973
Shearwater 2	PH	RF	SC	1970	1971
Shearwater 3	PH	RF	SC	1972	1992
Shearwater 4	PH	RF	SC	1973	1992
Shearwater 5	PH	RF	SC	1982	1999
MV Caedmon	VP	SL / WL	PF(1973) / LY(1983)	1973	2009	Built by Robb Caledon in Dundee	MV Caedmon
MV Cenwulf	VP	SL / WL	PF(1973) / LY(1983)	1973	2009	Built by Robb Caledon in Dundee	MV Cenwulf
MV Cenred	VP	SL / WL	PF(1974) / LY(1983)	1974	2009	Built by Robb Caledon in Dundee	MV Cenred
MV St Catherine	VP	SL / WL	PF	1983	2010		MV St Catherine in 2008
MV St Helen	VP	SL / WL	PF	1983	2015		MV St Helen in 2008
MV St Cecilia	VP	SL / WL	PF	1987	2019	Built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in Selby	MV St Cecilia in 2008
MV St Faith	VP	WL	PF	1990		Built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in Selby
MV St Clare	VP	WL	PF	2001			MV St Clare in 2003
PS Gem	P	IWSPC, RF	SC	1840	1883	Built by J. White, Cowes. Scrapped in 1889.
PS Ruby	P	IWRMSPC, RF	SC	1841	1872	Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam for the South Western & Isle of Wight Steam Navigation Co as 'The Pride of the Waters'
PS Pearl	P	IWRMSPC, RF	SC	1844	1867	Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam. Scrapped in 1875
PS Queen (I)	P	IWRMSPC, RF	SC	1848	1876	Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam.
PS Prince of Coburg	P	IWSPC	SC	1820		Built in Gainsborough, Lincs, in 1817
Earl of Malmsbury	P	IWSPC	SC
George IV	P	IWSPC	SC
PS Medina (I)	P	IWRMSPC, RF	SC	1852	1882	Built by J. White, Cowes as The Times
PS Emerald	P	IWSPC, RF	SC	1857	1871	Built by Day, Summers & Co. Northam.
PS Saphire	P	IWSPC, RF	SC	1860	1873	Built by CA Day. Northam.
MV Carisbrooke Castle	VP	RF	SC	1959	1974	Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston. Sold to operator in Naples^[9]
MV Osborne Castle	VP	RF	SC	1962	1978	Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston.sold to a Canadian ferry company.
MV Cowes Castle	VP	RF	SC	1965	1994	Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston.sold to Jadrolinija for service in Croatia.
MV Norris Castle	VP	RF	SC	1968	1994	Built by J Thornycroft & Co. Ltd in Woolston.sold to Jadrolinija for service in Croatia.
MV Netley Castle	VP	RF	SC	1974	1997	Built by Ryton Marine Ltd in Wallsend. Sold to operator in Croatia^[9]
MV Bergen Castle	VP	RF	SC	2003	2005	Purchased by Red Funnel to maintain a 3 ship service while the Raptor class where away being refitted
MV Red Eagle	VP	RF	SC	1996			MV Red Eagle in 2005
MV Red Falcon	VP	RF	SC	1994			MV Red Falcon in 2009
MV Red Osprey	VP	RF	SC	1994			MV Red Osprey in 2009
Red Jet 1	PC	RF	SC	1991	2009
Red Jet 2	PC	RF	SC	1992	2009
Red Jet 3	PC	RF	SC	1998	2019
Red Jet 4	PC	RF	SC	2003	2024		MV Red Jet 4 in 2006
Red Jet 5	PC	RF	SC	2009	2016
MV Wight Light	VP	WL	LY	2009			MV Wight Light in 2008
MV Wight Sky	VP	WL	LY	2009			MV Wight Sky in 2009
MV Wight Sun	VP	WL	LY	2009
Freedom 90	H	HT	SR	1990	2018
Island Express	H	HT	SR	2002	2017
Solent Express	H	HT	SR	2007	2011	The Solent Express was used on Kirkcaldy to Portobello hovercraft passenger trials in 2007.	Solent Express in 2007
Solent Flyer	H	HT	SR	2016
Island Flyer	H	HT	SR	2016
Red Jet 6	PC	RF	SC	2016
Red Jet 7	PC	RF	SC	2018
MV Victoria of Wight	VP	WL	PF	2018			MV Victoria of Wight in 2018
MV Red Kestrel	F	RF	SC	2019		Operates as a freight only vessel

Key
^†	Vessel type	P = Passenger, VP = Vehicle and passenger, PC = Passenger catamaran, PPS = Passenger paddle steamer, H = Hovercraft, F = Freight, PH = Passenger Hydrofoil
^††	Operators	RF = Red Funnel, WL = Wightlink, HT = Hovertravel, SL = Sealink, IWSPC = Isle of Wight Steam Packet Company, IWRMSPC = Isle of Wight royal mail steam packet company, P&RSPC = Portsmouth and Ryde Steam Packet Company, SW&BRCSPS = South Western and Brighton Railway Companies Steam Packet Service, PP&RUSPC = Port of Portsmouth and Ryde United Steam Packet Company,
^†††	Routes	PR = Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head, PF = Portsmouth Harbour to Fishbourne, SC = Southampton to Cowes, SR = Southsea to Ryde, LY = Lymington to Yarmouth

References

^ "Geology – The Official Isle of Wight Tourism Website". Retrieved 15 August 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Chronological history of Wightlink's services". Wightlink. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
^ Archer, Lynette; Woodford, John (2003). Ryde Postcards. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus Publishing Limited. p. 11. ISBN 0-7524-2954-X.
^ ^a ^b ^c O'Brien, Capt F T O. Early Solent Steamers: A History of Local Steam Navigation.
^ ^a ^b Brown, Alan (1985). Shanklin Ill Fated Prince. Troon: Waverley Excursions Ltd. ISBN 0-9505177-1-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jordan, S (1998). Ferry Services of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. Usk: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-521-7.
^ "Isle of Wight Ferries – VisitIsleOfWight.co.uk". Visit Isle of Wight. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Faulkner, John. The Fishbourne Car Ferry. Colourpoint Books. ISBN 978-1-904242-87-1.
^ ^a ^b "Red Funnel: Vessel Archive 1951–1980". Red Funnel. Retrieved 11 May 2009.

Bibliography

Adams, R B (1986). Red Funnel and Before. Southampton, Hampshire: Kingfisher Railway Productions. ISBN 0-946184-21-6.
Haws, Duncan (1993). Britain's Railway Steamers: Western & Southern Companies + French & Stena. Hereford: TCL Publications. ISBN 0-946378-21-5.
Hendy, John (1993). Wightlink: Isle of Wight Ferries (2nd ed.). Narberth, Pembrokeshire: Ferry Publications. ISBN 0951309366.
Hendy, John (2008). Lymington-Yarmouth: The New Generation. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781906608019.
Hendy, John (2010). Solent Seaways: Wightlink – Isle of Wight Ferries. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781906608118.
O'Brien, Capt F T O (1973). Early Solent Steamers: A History of Local Steam Navigation. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5654-2.(covers period up to the 1860s)