''Sundance'' is a charter vessel owned by Capital Pleasure Boats and operating on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

. Former names are ''Gay Enterprise'' and ''Solent Enterprise''.

History

The vessel was built in 1971 for the

Gosport Ferry The Gosport Ferry is a ferry service for pedestrians and cyclists operating between Gosport and Portsmouth in Hampshire, southern England. It is currently operated by Gosport Ferry Ltd, a subsidiary of the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company Ltd, ...

service by James and Stone of Brightlingsea, primarily for cruising

Portsmouth Harbour Portsmouth Harbour is a / biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. It is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it ...

and the

Solent The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and mainland Great Britain; the major historic ports of Southampton and Portsmouth lie inland of its shores. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit whi ...

. Originally called ''Gay Enterprise'', the name was changed in the winter of 1979, during her standby ferry duties, to ''Solent Enterprise''. It had a similar design to the company's two 1966 ''Queens'' (''

Portsmouth Queen ''Portsmouth Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. It was built by Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire. History The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the Gosport Queen and was delivered in a green and whit ...

'' and ''

Gosport Queen ''Gosport Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company. It was built by John I Thornycroft & Company of Woolston, Southampton. History The ''Gosport Queen'' was built in 1966 to the exact design to the '' Portsmouth Queen'' and was d ...

'') but the interior was more comfortable because of its different duty. It was painted in later years in a blue

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

with a large ''Solent Enterprise'' banner on its side barriers. From 1979, it was regularly used on

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

duties between

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hampshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 70,131 and the district had a pop ...

and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

when either of the ''Queens'' were out of service. In 2001, Gosport Ferry Company purchased a new ferry, the ''

Spirit of Gosport MV ''Spirit of Gosport'' is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd and built by Abels Shipbuilders in Bristol. History ''Spirit of Gosport'' was built in 2001 to replace ''Portsmouth Queen ''Portsmouth Queen'' was a vessel owne ...

'', but the company also wanted to replace the ''Solent Enterprise'' in its cruising role. Both ''Queens'' therefore stayed on, and the ''

'' only had a few ferry duties in its first few months. In 2005, another new vessel was purchased, '' Spirit of Portsmouth''. This was fitted out with a covered top deck and a bar and to suit its cruise duties. This meant that ''Solent Enterprise'' was no longer required by the

service and she was sold to Capital Pleasure Boats in 2005. Her new owners renamed her ''Sundance'' and she operated on the

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

as a charter vessel catering for parties, corporate entertainment, weddings and other functions. Later, she was sold again and moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

to be used as a floating cafe. However, in the early hours of the morning of 11 February 2016, a fire broke out on board completely engulfing the top deck and left her badly damaged. ''Sundance'' was repaired and turned back into a houseboat but remains in

today under new ownership.

External links

* * * *{{cite web , url=http://www.cpbs.co.uk/sundancepartyboathire.html , title=Sundance , website=Capital Pleasure Boats

Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...

Gosport Ferry 1971 ships