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Blue Funnel Cruises

 

Solent & Wight Line Cruises

 

Page 1: Acquired Vessels 1952-1973

 

 

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of Blue Funnel Cruises and Solent & Wight Line Cruises.

 

Blue Funnel Cruises are based in Southampton, and in 2006 run public and charter cruises around the Solent area to Portsmouth, Rivers Hamble, Beaulieu, Itchen & Test, etc, plus shorter Southampton Docks cruises. Solent & Wight Line Cruises work out of Portsmouth and Isle of Wight ports running harbour trips and excursions, whilst the versatile fast "Jenny" boats can also be used on ferry trips and emergency ambulance work.

 

The origins of Blue Funnel can be traced back to the 1930s, when the Barkham family were building small motor boats in Southampton. They pioneered the running of organised trips in their boats, to view the ocean liners. Horace Barkham took over the company at the age of 18 in 1935 on the death of his father. The business concentrated on the war effort until the 1945, after which trips restarted from the Town Quay, since the Royal Pier was still requisitioned. Horace sold the engineering business to concentrate on running harbour tours, and teamed up with Walter Hogg to form Favorite Boat Cruises c.1950. The original small motor boats soon proved inadequate, and so the Gosport ferry Varos was acquired. The company also collaborated with Doug House of Ryde, who also ran an ex-Gosport ferry, the Wight Queen (ex-Ferry Queen). The two vessls were run as the Solent Boating Company from c.1955. Further redundant Gosport ferries were acquired, the Solent Queen (ex-Ferry King), Sandringham, Princessa, Venus and Verda. These were all converted to diesel operation at the company's yard on the River Itchen. The last of the fleet to run as a steam boat was the Venus of 1948, bought in 1966. Cruises expanded away from the harbour tours, runing to other Solent attactions such as Baulieu for the motor museum. The name Blue Funnel Cruises was adopted c.1965.

 

The first purpose-built vessel was the Solent Scene of 1974, followed by her sister the Island Scene in 1978. An even larger vessel, the Leisure Scene, was delivered in 1985, the last of the Gosport ferries, Princessa departing the fleet soon afterwards. Horace Barkham retired from the comapny in 1979, selling out to his partner William Hogg.

 

The "Jenny" boats began operating for M.J.Rayment of Cowes from about 1980. These are fast purpose-built launches with speeds of around 18 knots that can be used as excursion vessels, workers' trip boats and for emergency ambulance work. Rayment acquired a 50% interest in the Solent Scene and began operating her as Wight Line Cruises, later Solent and Wight Line Cruises, whilst retaining the same Blue Funnel fleet colours. When the two similar large vessels Wight Scene and Ocean Scene were delivered in 1992 and 1994, one was allocated to each company. Wight Scene arrived first in 1992, and Mark Rayment's son took Solent Scene to Poole, and later also ran Poole Scene (ex-New Forrester) there. Delivery of Ocean Scene to Blue Funnel was delayed, causing financial difficulties, and the Poole-based Rayment bought out Blue Funnel from William Hogg. Both Blue Funnel Cruises and Solent & Wight Line Cruises were then owned by the Rayment family, but the companies retain separate identities, and separate websites, but work together to cover the whole of the Solent area, with Blue Funnel still based in Southampton, and Solent & Wight Line Cruises working out of Portsmouth and Isle of Wight ports. Solent Scene passed to Blue Line Cruises in May 1998, and continues services from Poole in 2006.

 

 

Boats on this Page:-

Princessa (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1958-1986)

Solent Queen (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1962-1984)

Venus (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1966-1978)

Verda (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1958-1984)

Wight Queen (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1956-1986)

 

Boats on Page 2:-

Ashleigh-R (Blue Funnel Cruises: 2004- )

Island Scene (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1978-c.1994)

Jenny Lee (Solent & Wight Line: 1985- )

Jenny M of Medina (Solent & Wight Line: 1988- )

Jenny R (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1984- )

Leisure Scene (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1985-2002)

Ocean Scene (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1994- )

Solent Cat (Solent & Wight Line: 2000- )

Solent Scene (Blue Funnel Cruises: 1974-1998)

Wight Scene (Solent & Wight Line: 1992- )

 

Blue Funnel Cruises Pages:-

Blue Funnel Cruises - Page 1 - Acquired Vessels 1952-1973 - this page!

Blue Funnel Cruises - Page 2 - New Vessels 1974-2006

 

Solent Area Pages:-

Blue Line Cruises

Hythe-Southampton Ferries

Hovertravel

Portsmouth Harbour Ferries

Portsmouth Harbour Tours

Solent Steam Packet Ltd - SS Shieldhall

 

Associated Pages:-

UK Excursion Ships

Ferry Postcards

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcards

Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates

Simplon Postcards - Home Page

 

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References:-

Trip Out Guides - Written and published by G.P.Hamer - various editions from 1977 to 2005 consulted

Trip Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fleet List

 

Page 1: Acquired Vessels 1952-1973

 

 

 

Varos

(Solent Boating Co: c.1952-1965 - built: 1929)

(Blue Funnel Cruises: 1965-1984)

 

 

Varos at Southampton

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Varos on the Thames, 5th March 1978

Photo: © Ian Boyle

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Wight Queen

(Solent Boating Co: 1956-1965 - built: 1908)

(Blue Funnel Cruises: 1965-1986)

 

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Sandringham

(Solent Boating Co: 1956-1965 - built: 1900)

(Blue Funnel Cruises: 1965-1969)

 

 

 

 

 

Princessa

(Solent Boating Co: c.1958-1965 - built: 1921)

(Blue Funnel Cruises: 1965-1986)

 

48 gross tons - 65 ft long - 170 passengers

 

Princessa was built by Camper & Nicholson in Gosport for the Port of Portsmouth Floating Bridge Company in 1921. She was intended for use as an excursion vessel rather than a harbour ferry. Princessa was used on trips around Portsmouth Harbour and across the Solent to Seaview. She was powered by a 2-cylinder compound engine by Plenty of Newbury. She was bought by the Solent Boating Company and fitted with a Gardner diesel engine and small deckhouse. Princessa was employed on Southampton Water and the Beaulieu River until 1986, when she moved to Falmouth to work for the Pill family. Since 2001 she has been run by John Pill (as Falmouth Pleasure Cruises), and operates morning and afternoon cruises to the Helford River. She is the largest excursion boat on the River Fal. See www.boattrips-falmouth.co.uk for details.

 

 

Princessa at Southampton Royal Pier on 15th April 1976.

Photo: © Ian Boyle

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Verda

 

(Solent Boating Co: c.1958-1965 - built: 1929)

(Blue Funnel Cruises: 1965-1984)

 

Verda was built in Millwall for the Port of Portsmouth Steam Launch & Towing Company in 1929. She was used on the Gosport crossing. She was powered by a 2-cylinder compound engine by Plenty of Newbury. She was bought by the Solent Boating Company and fitted with a Gardner diesel engine and small deckhouse. Verda was employed on Southampton harbour tours, and other Solent cruises. She survived in 2008 as a bizarre house boat at Shoreham.

 

 

Verda leaving Portsmouth in May 1975.

Photo: © Ian Boyle

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Solent Queen and Verda at Ryde in 1977.

Photo: © Ian Boyle

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Verda in use as a house boat at Shoreham

There is a second bus on the other side.

Photo: © John Hendy, 24th February 2008

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Verda in use as a house boat at Shoreham

Photo: © John Hendy, 24th February 2008

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Solent Queen

(Solent Boating Co: c.1962-1965 - built: 1918)

(Blue Funnel Cruises: c.1965-1984)

 

Solent Queen was built as the Ferry Queen by Camper & Nicholson in Gosport for the Gosport & Portsea Waterman's Steam Launch Company in 1918. She was sold to the Solent Boating Company in 1962, and rebuilt with diesel engine and deckhouse. She was renamed Solent Queen and cruised with them until 1984.

 

 

Solent Queen and Verda at Ryde in 1977.

Photo: © Ian Boyle

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Venus

(Blue Funnel Cruises: 1966-1978 - built: 1948)

 

Venus was built by Camper & Nicholson in Gosport for the Port of Portsmouth Steam Launch & Towing Company in 1948, the last steam built for the Gosport Passage. She was powered by a triple expansion engine. Venus was used on the Gosport ferry until 1966 when she was sold to Blue Funnel Cruises. She initially retained her tall steamer funnel in Blue Funnel service, but was later rebuilt like her sisters. In 1978, Venus was sold to London owners when replaced by the Island Scene.

 

 

Venus in Portsmouth harbour in June 1974.

Photo: © Ian Boyle

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