Isle of Wight ferry firm Red Funnel has announced 12 further cancellations for today (Friday, September 6), bringing its total number of cancelled vehicle ferry sailings this week to almost 40.

Read more: Isle of Wight ferry crisis continues with more cancellations

The reason for the cancellations is due to "extended works" on Red Eagle's Voith unit.

See Friday's cancellations below

A total of 39 crossings have been cancelled on the East Cowes to Southampton route this week alone due to the same technical issue.

The Red Eagle vehicle ferryThe Red Eagle vehicle ferry (Image: IWCP)

Red Eagle's woes started on Tuesday, with four sailings cancelled and delays of around 45 minutes later in the evening.

This was followed by 11 cancellations on Wednesday, 12 on Thursday and a further 12 today.

The following sailings have been cancelled on Friday, September 6

  • From Southampton: 5am, 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm and 8pm.
  • From East Cowes: 6.30am, 9.30am, 12.30pm, 3.30pm, 6.30pm and 9.30pm.

Red Eagle also experienced issues with its Voith unit last month (August), as previously reported.

A Red Funnel spokesperson said the cross-Solent operator apologises to its customers for any inconvenience.

The Red Falcon vehicle ferry at East CowesThe Red Falcon vehicle ferry at East Cowes (Image: IWCP)

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Earlier this year, eight Red Funnel directors resigned as part of a plan to replace the operator's “ageing vehicle ferries.”

A spokesperson told the County Press in March: “We are keen to replace our ageing vehicle ferries to ensure we continue to provide our essential lifeline services for decades to come and to support residents and visitors alike with modern, greener and more customer-friendly ships.”

It was revealed later that the ferry firm plans to replace its aging fleet with three new vessels, albeit they will not be around for another four or five years.

The Red Osprey vehicle ferryThe Red Osprey vehicle ferry (Image: IWCP)

Red Funnel's current vehicle ferries

Red Falcon was built in 1994. Ten years later, it was refitted and extended, before another decade passed and an interior refit was carried out.

Red Osprey was also built in 1994, and in 2003 it was refitted and extended. In 2015, the vessel was given an interior refit.

Red Eagle was constructed in 1996 and refitted and extended in 2004. This was followed by a complete interior overhaul in late 2018.