Hoverwork BHT130

(British Hovercraft Technology - 130 passengers)

The BHT130 hovercraft has a 20 tonne or 131 passengers payload, designed by Hoverwork and fitted out at their St Helens works.

The first welded aluminium hull (fabricated by Aluminium Ship Builders, Fishbourne, Isle of Wight) arrived at Hoverwork's St Helens works in August 2005 (see pictures below).

The first one, named 'Solent Express', was due to enter service on the Ryde Southsea route in 2006 - well this didn't happen, the first sight of the craft outside the workshop was February 2007 (see picture below), and at the Ryde Hovercraft terminal March 2007 (see pictures below) from where sea trials were conducted (see pictures below).

The 70 tonne BHT130 completed trials and received Maritime and Coastguard Agency approval - it entered cross-Solent service on 14th June 2007, 40 years to the day after the launch of the SR-N1 at Saunders Roe Cowes.

In July 2007, the 'Solent Express' was charter to Stagecoach for a two weeks trial on a new passenger service between Kickcaldy and Portobello across the Firth of Forth in Scotland - for more details see 'BHT130 in Scotland'.

Technical data:

• 29.3m long
• 15m beam
• 70 tonne all up weight
• Service speed over water 45 knots
• 131 passengers
• 4 crew
• Lift engines - 2 x air-cooled, turbo charged, MTU 12V2000-R1237K37 diesels - each producing 675kW
• Propulsion engines - 2 x air-cooled, turbo charged, MTU 16V2000-R1637K37 diesels producing 899kW
• 2 x 3.5m diameter, five-bladed, variable pitch propellers for propulsion

see also 'Seattle boatbuilder constructs large hovercraft to serve remote Alaskan village'

(Click on an image to get a larger version)

February 2007 - at the St Helens' Works

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March 2007 - at Hovertravel's Ryde Terminal

Port side

On the cushion at Ryde
(photo contributed by Mark Porter)

Bow off cushion

Coming into Ryde

On the slipway with a couple of AP188s

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BHT130 on sea trial - April 2007 BHT130 crossing behind AP188 coming into Ryde
June 2007 In mid Solent heading for Southsea BHT130 at Southsea Hover Terminal
Arriving	Leaving

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August 2005 saw the arrival of the welded aluminium hull at Hoverwork's St Helens works after being towed from Aluminium Ship Builders, Fishbourne, Isle of Wight where it had been fabricated.