Feature, Freight News, Road, Sea

Red Kestrel ready to fly to Wight

[ April 18, 2019   //   Chris ]

A new vessel has arrived to take up duties on the UK’s newest freight ferry route. The Red Kestrel, the newest addition to Isle of Wight operator Red Funnel’s fleet, arrived in Southampton from Cammell Laird’s Mersey shipyard early today (18 April).

Red Kestrel will operate between Southampton and the Isle of Wight and will officially enter service in May. As a freight vessel, she is limited to 12 passengers and constructed specifically to provide additional year-round freight capacity for Red Funnel’s Southampton to East Cowes route, which currently handles 53 per cent of all freight movements across the Solent.

She will provide 265 lane metres of Ro-Ro freight capacity. To minimise environmental footprint, the hull shape has been designed specifically to reduce wash and she meets the latest Tier III emission regulations.

Red Kestrel will use the same berths as Red Funnel’s existing Raptor class ro-pax vehicle ferries in Southampton and East Cowes.

Tags: Red Funnel