Hoverwork BHT130

The Griffon Hoverwork BHT130 is a large hovercraft, designed by Hoverwork and fitted out in St Helens. The type was found to be too large for the cross-Solent route and was withdrawn after 4 years in service (2007-2011), although other BHT variants are found currently in service around the world in various commercial and civil roles and designated as BHT 130 / 150 / 180.

As a civil passenger hovercraft it seats up to 130 passengers, hence the numerics in its name, the first welded aluminium hull (fabricated by Aluminium Ship Builders, Fishbourne, Isle of Wight) arrived at Hoverwork's St Helens works in August 2005. “BHT” stands for British Hovercraft Technologies.

The first of its kind, named the Solent Express entered cross-Solent service on 14 June 2007; also, in the July of the same year, it was put on trial at a new passenger service between Kirkcaldy and Portobello across the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It remained in service on the Solent until 2011 when it was sold to Griffon Hoverwork Ltd and laid up pending sale.

Technical specifications

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