Yard number 018 Launched 3 April 1995 Draft 1.7 m | Construction started 15 June 1994 Length 40 m Operators Wightlink, Severn Link | |
Name Water Jet 1
Supercat 17
Fastcat Ryde
Fastcat-Ryde
Rapparee
Sochi-1 Owner 2011 onwards Rosmorport Port of registry 2011 onwards Novorossiysk, Russia Route Ryde to Portsmouth 2000-2010
Swansea to Ilfracombe 2010-present Builder Kværner Fjellstrand, Singapore |
HSC FastCat Ryde is a high speed catamaran ferry which operates between the Isle of Wight and mainland England. The vessel was originally built in Singapore for service in the Philippines as Water Jet 1. She was bought by Wightlink in 2000 and following an extensive refit entered service on the Ryde Pier to Portsmouth route since August 2000 along with her sister ship HSC FastCat Shanklin.
From early Autumn 2009, Wightlink took delivery of two new vessels to operate the route, Wight Ryder I and Wight Ryder II. Both the FastCat Shanklin and FastCat Ryde were retained by Wightlink until Spring 2010 and drafted in as replacements as teething problems occurred with the new vessels. They were then sold on to new owners in Bristol.
On 12 January 2010, the FastCat Ryde crashed into Ryde Pier by landing heavily causing superficial damage to the vessel and a section of the pier. No one was injured in the crash and the vessel was sailed back empty to Portsmouth Harbour for a full investigation to be carried out.
In 2010 she was sold, along with her sister craft, to Severn Link in Ilfracombe to operate a service between there and Swansea. As a result of a local competition she was renamed Rapparee. The projected service failed to materialise and in August she returned to Southampton. In May 2011, having been sold to Alien Shipping, a Russian company, the two craft were transported to the Black Sea on board the Beluga Fantasy.