The iconic former Isle of Wight paddle steamer PS Ryde/Ryde Queen has been saved from a uncertain future and the risk of being scrapped.
Lisa-Marie Turner and her team have now entered into a contract to purchase the dilapidated vessel with an aim of restoring the historical steamer to its former glory.
PS Ryde was commissioned and run by Southern Railway as a passenger ferry between Ryde Pier and Portsmouth from 1937 to 1969. She saw wartime service and later became a nightclub at Binfield on the River Medina.
Avoiding the scrapyard, PS Ryde was bought by 2 Isle of Wight entrepreneurs and in September 1970 she began a new career as a nightclub. Renamed the Ryde Queen, she replaced the smaller P.S Medway Queen in moorings at Binfield Marina on the River Medina near Newport.
Sadly, in 1977 the Ryde Queen caught fire with damage estimated at £100,000, but she was repaired. However, by the late 1980s her popularity had waned and the nightclub was closed. She remained derelict and abandoned on her mooring, gradually deteriorating. In August 2006 her funnel collapsed and she is now possibly beyond repair.
In September 2009 it was announced that enthusiasts were attempting to raise funds to buy the steamer, held by receivers after her former owner, Island Harbour Holdings LTD, went into administration. A non-profit company, PS Ryde Trust, wished to restore the vessel to once again be in the condition to sail tourists across the Solent.
In early 2010, work began to dismantle the vessel, beginning with asbestos removal. In 2012, the ship’s bridge collapsed. The PS Ryde Trust failed to negotiate a deal to save the vessel at this time and the PS Ryde was left to continue to deteriorate.
Now, following the signing of the contract for the PS Ryde, Lisa-Marie Turner will take over the PS Ryde Trust from the former trusties.
Lisa-Marie Turner has today said:
“After a very long 9 months, stress, tears, blood, plenty of sleepless nights, endless flights up and down the country, we can now announce that Tuesday last week we signed the contract for purchase and we are delighted to say that we have now signed on the dotted line and have entered a contract to purchase the vessel.
“This will be a 24 month venture. We are paying for the vessel in lump sums, but as you can imagine we are delighted to be given an opportunity for this.
“Now, this is where we get to the nitty gritty… our time scale is 24 months. Starting April we will be starting groundworks and applying for permits.
“We now start our funding applications, and we look forward to working with Island Harbour, National Historic Ships and all other companies which we are slowly appointing”.
The PS Ryde Trust currently have a GoFundMe appeal where donations are being welcomed for this stage of the restoration. Over £5,000 has already been raised.
You can access the appeal at https://www.gofundme.com/ps-ryde-trust-help-us-save-ryde.
