Red Funnel has cancelled 12 vehicle ferry sailings on its East Cowes-Southampton route today (Sunday) as the operator continues to battle engines issues with Red Osprey.
Yesterday, a number of timetabled sailings were cancelled as engineers worked to fix a problem with the aft engine on board Red Osprey, a problem which appears to have reared its head on Friday evening.
With work still ongoing to bring the vessel back into service, it has been confirmed that the 0430, 0730, 1030, 1330, 1630 and 1930 sailings from Southampton have been pulled today alongside the 0600, 0900, 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2100 sailings from East Cowes.
It comes just days after an issue with the aft engine on board sister ship Red Eagle too, which also led to cancellations.
The third vessel in the fleet, Red Falcon, is currently in dry dock for annual refit. That means Red Funnel’s vehicle ferry operation is reliant on just 1 vessel this weekend.
Red Funnel apologises for any inconvenience to your journey.
UPDATE @ 17:22 – Red Funnel has confirmed that repair works to Red Osprey’s engine have been completed.
However, sea trails must now take place in favourable weather conditions.
Red Funnel plans to test the vessel first thing tomorow morning, meaning the 04:30 sailing from Southampton and the 06:90 from East Cowes have been cancelled.
So, not really a service at all! Mind you, I expect traveller numbers are down at this time of year, so better to save money and come up with excuses as to why ferries aren’t running, rather than run boats only half full. At least a vacant apology will help. Maybe the new CEO will have her salary adjusted for every time a ferry doesn’t run, then we can all send our apologies to her for any inconvenience caused.
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Am I wrong or were red funnel awarded a prestigious award for their services…. maybe technical always breaking down services , that fits…..