Hovertravel
Encyclopedia
Hovertravel is a ferry company operating from Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....

, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

 to Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...

, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. They are the only company operating in Britain with passenger hovercraft, after Hoverspeed
Hoverspeed
Hoverspeed, formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd, was a ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005....

 stopped using their craft in favour of catamarans. Hovertravel are now the world's oldest hovercraft operator.

The route

The company operates between Southsea Common, next to Clarence Pier, and Ryde Transport Interchange. Terminal facilities are provided at both ends, and services run every 30 minutes during daylight hours. However, in high season (generally July and August) the frequency increases to every 15 minutes or less. The crossing time is less than 10 minutes, and is therefore the fastest route across The Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...

 from land to land. However, the inconvenient site of the Portsmouth terminal means this is not reflected for through journeys.

Southsea

At Southsea, the terminal is located on Southsea Common, next to Clarence Pier. It is also near to the aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...

, although further from Southsea Castle
Southsea Castle
Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, also known as Henrician Castles, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island . The castle was built to guard the eastern entrance to the Solent and entrance to Portsmouth Harbour...

. It is also a significant distance from Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...

 and Portsmouth and Southsea railway station
Portsmouth and Southsea railway station
Portsmouth and Southsea railway station is the main railway station in central Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It is close to the Commercial Road shopping centre....

. This is because when the hovercraft started running in the mid 20th century, the area near Harbour station (the ideal location due to its good connections) was a mixture of residential and naval space, with all remaining land occupied by the fishing harbour and Wightlink
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...

 car ferry terminal.

This problem is solved with a Hoverbus link, operated by Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...

, which runs between the Southsea Terminal and Portsmouth & Southsea Station and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

city centre, it also now serves The Hard Interchange. It is timed to connect with all hovers on the basic 30-minute timetable.

The terminal refurbishment was completed in April 2009 with new lighting and toilets and a general cleaning up. A new wall was built separating the Hoverport and the esplanade complete with viewing windows.

Ryde

At Ryde, the terminal has recently been rebuilt. The new building was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...

 in 2004. It is located conveniently near to Ryde Esplanade railway station
Ryde Esplanade railway station
Ryde Transport Interchange or Gateway serves the town of Ryde, Isle of Wight, England.The interchange consists of Ryde Esplanade railway station on the Island Line, the connected bus station and taxi ranks, and the nearby Hoverport. The existing facilities were due to be rebuilt from October 2007...

 and Ryde Bus Station, however passengers must cross the railway by means of a footbridge, as they are located on the opposite side of the line. The whole complex is due for rebuilding, commencing in 2007, in order to create a new transport interchange. Also nearby is the Ryde Arena ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...

 and LA Bowl.

Littlehampton & Bognor Regis

Hovertravel announced that on the 10th & 24th August 2011 that it will be doing day trips between Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....

 & Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...

 landing on the Beach at Banjo Road in Littlehampton & the east end of the Esplanande in Bognor Regis, with journey time being 15mins giving passengers time to explore the pleasures of Hover Travel.

Connections

Most bus services connecting with the hovercraft on the Island are run by Southern Vectis
Southern Vectis
The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches...

. In addition to these routes, Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...

, another local operator, run Service 20 that stops nearby. Island Line
Island Line, Isle of Wight
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...

 trains run from there to Brading
Brading
The ancient 'Kynges Towne' of Brading is the main town of the civil parish of the same name. The ecclesiastical parish of Brading used to cover about a tenth of the Isle of Wight. The current civil parish now includes the town itself and Adgestone, Morton, Nunwell and other outlying areas between...

, Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...

, Lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 and Shanklin
Shanklin
Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the...

, where buses can take you to Ventnor
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...

. By changing trains at Smallbrook Junction
Smallbrook Junction railway station
Smallbrook Junction railway station is a railway station on the Isle of Wight, England. It is unusual because it has no public access but exists purely to provide a connection between two rail systems....

, one can also visit the Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the Isle of Wight. The railway passes through 5½ miles of unspoiled countryside from to station, passing through the small village of Havenstreet, where the line has a station, headquarters and a depot...

.

Full details of services from near the Ryde terminal can be found at Ryde Transport Interchange.

A recent innovation is the introduction of Hoverliner tickets that allow travel from an origin railway station on the UK mainland, on the Hoverbus, a crossing on the hovercraft and travel on the Island Line
Island Line, Isle of Wight
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...

, and return journey. These are also available for journeys starting on the Island, the only difference being the name used, which is Hoverline.

1972 accident

On 4 March 1972 Hovertravel's SR-N6 012 overturned off Southsea with a loss of five lives, including one person missing presumed drowned. This was the world's first fatal accident involving a commercially operated hovercraft, and the first fatal accident involving a hovercraft in the United Kingdom.

The craft en-route from Ryde to Southsea was hit by a very large freak wave
Freak wave
Rogue waves are relatively large and spontaneous ocean surface waves that occur far out in sea, and are a threat even to large ships and ocean liners...

, after a strong beam wind against an adverse tide combined to produce a dangerous beam sea. The hovercraft overturned about quarter of a mile (400 metres) offshore. After rescuing all visible survivors, the hovercraft was towed ashore at Southsea.

Service suspension

Hovertravel suspend the timetable when the wind reaches gale 8 and above. The service was suspended on 18 November 2011 after an incident on 30 October 2011 in which the hovercraft Solent Express suffered a propeller failure. Services resumed with one craft on the afternoon of 21 November 2011.

Current

  • AP1-88 - Freedom 90 (1990- )
  • AP1-88 - Island Express (2002- )
  • BHT130 - Solent Express (2007- )

Past

  • SRN6-025 (1968–1980)
  • SRN6-026 (1966)
  • SRN6-130 (1965–1980)
  • Freedom (19??-1983)
  • Sea King (19??–198?)
  • Gravity (1983–198?)
  • Tenacity (1983–1990)
  • Resolution (1983–1987)
  • Perseverance (1985–1988)
  • Double-O-Seven (1989–2003)
  • Courier (19??-2000)
  • Idun Viking (1998–2002)

Scotland

Hovertravel hovercraft have occasionally been chartered to operate temporary services across the Firth of Tay
Firth of Tay
The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the council areas of Fife, Perth and Kinross, the City of Dundee and Angus, into which Scotland's largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay, empties....

 between Carnoustie
Carnoustie
Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...

 and St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....

 in connection with major golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

 tournaments (due to Carnoustie's relative lack of hotel accommodation). Also, the Solent Express was chartered to operate an experimental service across the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...

 (marketed as "Forthfast") between Portobello
Portobello, Edinburgh
Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach....

 (Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

) and Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...

between 16–28 July 2007.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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