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 Balmoral
- The estimated cost of the new Balmoral in 1947 was
£154,750. Of this, £79,480 was for the hull, machinery
£37,100, overheads £27,970 and the builders profit
£10,200.
- After the launch of Balmoral by Mrs Pinnock, over 200
guests gathered at the Polygon Hotel in Southampton to see her
presented with a platinum wrist watch, set with diamonds. Toasts
were proposed to 'The Ship and her Sponsor', The Builders' and
'The Company'.
- The corporate logo of Red Funnel Ferries today still depicts
Balmoral's flat-topped funnel as its central image.
- Over
£300,000 was required to refit and renovate the Balmoral
to service in 1985.
- At the 1953 Coronation
Fleet Review at Spithead, Balmoral was accompanied by
large number of famous pleasure steamers including; Royal
Daffodil, Royal Sovereign, Cardiff Queen,
Bristol Queen, Medway Queen, Glen Gower,
Consul, Embassy, Monarch and Emperor
of India.
- Balmoral
originally had a car deck to convey around 12 cars to the Isle
of Wight. When free of cars this became a much-sought after
sun deck for deckchairs. The car deck now forms the space occupied
by the Dining Saloon.
- When Balmoral
acted as a tender to the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1995, both
vessels required bunkering of gas oil. Unfortunately, the supplier
got the invoices mixed up and the QE2 got a bill for
£2,000 whilst the Balmoral received one for £120,000!
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