Balmoral (ship, 1949)
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The Balmoral is a British passenger ship built in 1949 .
history
The ship was built in 1949 under the hull number 4120 at the John I. Thornycroft & Company shipyard in Southampton for the shipping company Red Funnel Steamers . It was used as a passenger ferry between Southampton and Cowes on the Isle of Wight and in the summer months also for excursions around the Isle of Wight. Other ports on the Isle of Wight such as Ryde , Sandown , Shanklin and Ventnor were also called.
In the 1960s, private transport increased significantly and the demand for the ability to cross over to the Isle of Wight in your own car increased. The Balmoral , which had only a very limited vehicle capacity, was then taken out of service in September 1968.
In 1969 the ship was chartered to P. & A. Campbell and from May 23rd it was used in the Bristol Channel between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare as well as Penarth and Ilfracombe . In addition to other ports, trips were also offered from Swansea and Tenby, as well as to Lundy Island .
P. & A. Campbell ceased operations in 1979. The Campbell brothers bought the ship that had been chartered up until then in 1980 and continued to use it for trips to Lundy together with the Landmark Trust . However, this service was also discontinued in October 1980.
The ship was temporarily in Bristol and Avonmouth . In March 1982, it was sold to Craig Inns who used it as a floating restaurant in Dundee . As this turned out to be unprofitable, it was abandoned after a few months.
In 1985 the ship was sold to Waverley Steam Navigation Company and overhauled and partially rebuilt in early 1986 at Govan Dry Dock in Glasgow . From April 1986 it was again used by Waverley Excursions for trips on the Bristol Channel. Waverley Steam Navigation Company sold the ship to the MV Balmoral Fund in March 2015. It is operated by the White Funnel company, which is owned by the MV Balmoral Fund.
The ship is part of the UK's National Historic Fleet. Due to necessary repairs, the ship had to be laid up repeatedly in the 2010s . The ship was laid up for several years from 2012 and again after the 2017 season.
Technical data and equipment
The ship was originally of two two-stroke - six-cylinder - Diesel engines powered by Newbury Sirron. The engines were built by John I. Thornycroft & Company. The reversible motors acted directly on the shafts and propellers .
The ship was re-motorized in spring 2003. The previous Newbury Sirron engines were two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines of the manufacturer Grenaa engine factory, each with 588 kW power replaces that act via reduction gears two propellers. The plan to exhibit the old engines in the Internal Fire Museum of Power in Wales could not be carried out due to the condition of the engines.
Originally, two Lister diesel generators, each with 35 kW output, as well as an emergency and harbor generator from Lister were available to generate electricity on board. As more and more electrical consumers were used on board over the years , an additional generator powered by a Cummins diesel engine was installed on the aft deck of the ship in order to be able to absorb power peaks.
In the rear of the ship there was a mostly open deck on which ten cars could be transported. The access to the deck was via ramps attached to the side. The open deck was used by P. & A. Campbell as an additional deck for passengers while the ship was in use for excursions around the Isle of Wight and when the ship was in use in the Bristol Channel.
In 1985 the ship was rebuilt. Among other things, the deck superstructure was extended to the aft deck, which had been open until then, and a new saloon was set up here. New, open deck areas were created on the new superstructures.
The ship has four decks including the wheelhouse . The engine room is located on the lower deck in the midship area . Behind the engine room there is a lounge for the passengers, in front of the engine room there are accommodations for the crew. The officers' cabins have a wash basin that can be folded up to save space. The hot water is supplied using a jug. On the main deck there is superstructure with various facilities for the passengers, the crew mess and the reception with the paymaster's office . In the front area there is another lounge, in the rear area - where there was previously an open deck area that was used as a ferry for the transport of vehicles during the ship's service - the saloon, which was set up in 1985 and houses the on-board restaurant that was previously in the front rooms. The galley was also located here. On the promenade deck above the main deck there are various open deck areas as well as a kiosk and a smaller lounge. Above is the bridge deck with the wheelhouse. The hull , which consists of six watertight compartments, is riveted .
literature
- Alistair Deayton, Iain Quinn: MV Balmoral: The First 60 Years. Amberley Publishing, 2009.
Web links
- MV Balmoral Fund
- MV Balmoral Fund ( Memento from June 15, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
- Inside Balmoral
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Balmoral , Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Passenger Vessel Archive , Red Funnel Ferries. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ MV Balmoral , Virtual Museum of Maritime History. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Balmoral , National Historic Ships. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ↑ Peter Collins: Campaign to save Balmoral excursion ship gathers steam , Wales Online, April 17, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ↑ Martin Cox: Balmoral Restoration , Maritime Matters, June 11, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ↑ Red Funnel customers help fund restoration of an old friend , Island Echo, February 18, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ↑ Heather Pickstock: Why Bristol passenger ship The Balmoral will not be sailing again in 2019 , Bristol Live, November 11, 2018. Accessed July 28, 2020.
- ^ MV Balmoral , Newbury Diesel Company. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ↑ Newbury Sirron O Type , Internal Fire Museum of Power. Retrieved July 28, 2020.