BALMORAL – Passenger Ship
735 grt / 1949 blt / UK / 5034927
Off Ilfracombe – June 1977
Don Smith Collection
Notes:-
Balmoral was built as a ferry by John I Thorneycroft & Co at Woolston in 1949, for the Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.Limited, more normally known as the Red Funnel Line.
As built, Balmoral could carry up to 10 cars on her aft car deck, and she normally operated on her owner’s ferry service from Southampton on the English mainland to Cowes on the Isle of Wight .
From her introduction she also occasionally performed excursion duties, but as dedicated car ferries were introduced to her main route, her role became more focussed on offering coastal cruises around the South Coast.
Red Funnel ceased operating excursions in 1968, after which Balmoral was acquired by P & A Campbell.
She moved to the Bristol Channel, where she became part of P&A Campbell’s White Funnel Fleet until 1980, by which time she was the last working member of the fleet.
Balmoral moved to Dundee to become a floating restraunt.
This was unsuccessful and the ship was placed for sale again.
