Disruption Expected As Red Funnel's Red Osprey Taken Out Of Service

Red Funnel is expecting disruption this Bank Holiday Weekend as its Red Osprey ferry is taken out of service due to engine trouble.

The cross-Solent company 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.

Accordingly, the vessel has been withdrawn from service, and repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the weekend - but Red Funnel said that this is expected to cause disruption to Red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.

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. Customers wishing to cancel their booking can also do so and receive a full refund, with no added cancellation fees - according to the company.

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 said it 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 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. The teams can be reached via 02380 019192 between 08:00-19:00 Monday to Friday and 08:00-18:00 on weekends, including bank holiday Monday. Requests and queries can also be sent via email to [email protected].

Customers with existing bookings should consult the company’s ‘Live Service Status’ page for the latest expected departure times for current bookings and can visit www.redfunnel.co.uk/Service for full details.