Scoot Ferries Ltd, who are set to introduce at least 4 new passenger ferry routes to and from the Isle of Wight, officially named their first vessel last night (Thursday) at Trinity Landing in Cowes.
The honour of naming the vessel was given to a lucky member of the public, Ferry Godmother Katie M, who was chosen from a list of entries to a competition on Scoot’s Facebook page. The traditional process of pouring champagne over the bow of the boat took place in front of invited guests and members of the public, including the Island’s MP Andrew Turner.
Tours of the boat were given by the crew, who pointed out free wifi, charging points and USB points for all passengers as well as free bicycle transport.
Zoë Ombler, CEO of Scoot Ferries, said:
“From the sailors of old right through to now, the naming ceremony has been an essential part of the life of any boat – the ceremony is said to afford good fortune to the boat and the crew throughout the life of the vessel.
“We have been working so hard up until this point to create a service that will be appreciated by the Isle of Wight and so we think it’s fitting that one of the Island’s residents will be able to officially name the boat ‘Scoot 1’ before she launches on its special Cowes Week service.”
Scoot Ferries is a new foot passenger ferry service for the Isle of Wight, launching tomorrow (Friday 7th August) with a special Cowes Week service between Cowes and Hamble. Scoot initially began as an idea in 2014 and has developed into a ferry service that will work 365 days a year to connect the Isle of Wight with a wider range of mainland locations with a fast foot-passenger ferry service, operating from early morning to late in the night.
Ben Colman, Sales and Marketing Manager of South Boats IOW, said:
“The ceremony is extremely exciting to us – after building the brand new boat from scratch and seeing her now make her way out on the water officially for the first time is a great feeling. We have a great relationship with Scoot, and have supported them on their venture since their initial idea, and are looking forward to continuing with them on this journey.”
Scoot’s Yarmouth to Lymington route will begin from 1st September 2015, with pre-booking for season tickets opening later this month. Pre-registration for 30-day season tickets will open on this route from Monday 3rd August 2015, with 24 hours’ priority booking for pre-registered customers opening just after midnight on Monday 17th August. Tickets will go on general sale from Tuesday 18th August.
Pre-booking is now open for Scoot’s special Cowes Week Service and is available via the official website https://scootferries.co.uk/.
