THE unusual sight of a large hovercraft on the seafront has raised interest among County Press readers.

They spotted the visiting vessel parked on the slipway at Ryde Hovertravel base.

The hovercraft, not part of the Hovertravel fleet, has been in Ryde since before Christmas.

With no Hovertravel logos and being much larger than the current cross-Solent crafts, many have come to wonder why it is parked on the Ryde slipway.

The hovercraft, owned by Griffon Hoverwork, is called Solent Express (GH2145).

The company is moving its manufacturing base and has relocated the craft to Ryde while the change is ongoing.

The craft was built in 2007, with a hovering length just shy of 30m.

The Solent Express once operated on the Hovertravel route, carrying passengers from Ryde to Portsmouth.

It is capable of carrying 130 passengers, plus crew, and was last used on August 6, 2013.

The top speed of the diesel-powered craft, at full payload, is 40 knots.

Solent Express will be parked in Ryde for the foreseeable future.

Isle of Wight County Press: The hovercraft is much larger than the current Hovertravel crafts. Picture courtesy of Gavin Hackshaw.

Thanks to Gavin Hackshaw for the above picture and Pamela Parker for the main picture.