Isle of Wight: Red Funnel brings passenger shipbuilding back to the region

Red Funnel has confirmed that it is bringing fast ferry construction back to the UK with the announcement that its new passenger ferry Red Jet 6 will be built in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

After receiving tenders from shipyards around the world, the company has placed an order for a 40m high-speed catamaran with Shemara Refit LLP for delivery in summer 2016. Costing £6 million, Red Jet 6 will be the first vessel of her kind to be built in the UK for 15 years.

Aluminium fast ferries have been designed and built on the Isle of Wight in the past. Three pioneering Solent class catamarans were built by FBM Marine in Cowes for Red Funnel in 1991, 1992 and 1998, and FBM’s customers included the Ministry of Defence and Thames Clippers.

Vessels were also constructed for operators in Portugal, Greece and Asia and large 45m and 53m TriCat catamarans were built between 1995 and 1999 for service in Greece, Hong Kong and Macau.

The Cowes shipyard closed in 2000, marking the end of building displacement fast ferries in the UK until now.

Isle of Wight-based Shemara Refit won the order for Red Jet 6 by offering a competitively-priced vessel which met Red Funnel’s design brief and desire to have the vessel built on the Isle of Wight. Confidence in Shemara Refit’s management capabilities and quality of workmanship stemmed from the impressive restoration of the famous motor yacht Shemara for Sir Charles Dunstone.

Kevin George, Red Funnel’s CEO, commented: “From the outset, Shemara Refit shared our vison to bring fast ferry construction back to the UK and particularly to Cowes on the Isle of Wight where the specialist aluminium fabrication skills and yard facilities still exist. The fact they could do this at a competitive price is a credit to the team at Shemara.

"The Red Jet 6 contract will bring significant inward investment to underpin the Island’s marine manufacturing sector and help to further grow the Isle of Wight economy. Red Jet 6 will serve the Isle of Wight for many years and we believe that it is important for as many young Islanders to be involved as possible. We will be inviting local schools to participate in mini projects and will be seeking to develop our existing support with the Royal Yacht Squadron Isle of Wight Foundation to ensure apprenticeship opportunities are open to young Islanders. In the competitive world of ship building, it is fantastic news that Red Jet 6 will be built for the Isle of Wight, on the Isle of Wight, by the Isle of Wight.”

Peter Morton, MD of Shemara Refit, said: “The Red Jet 6 contract will create 40-50 new jobs at Venture Quays in East Cowes as well as securing other jobs in the supply chain. Wherever possible these jobs will go to Islanders who have the right skills. We very much look forward to the re-birth of high-speed passenger shipbuilding by producing a technically advanced vessel which we believe will have the potential for further orders in the future. As a consequence we will be taking on a number of apprentices to provide the skills for the future."

Jonathan Bacon, leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said: “We are delighted that Red Funnel has chosen a company based on the Isle of Wight to construct its newest Red Jet craft. This certainly demonstrates that the Island has the necessary skills and facilities to build these types of vessels – on a competitive basis with shipyards around the world – and sends out a strong message that the Island is a great place to do business."