Builders: William Denny & Bros Dumbarton 1906
Propulsion type: Turbine
Owners: General Steam Navigation Co Ltd
Service dates: 1906 - 1938
Tonnage: Gross 983
Comments:
Kingfisher was ordered by the GSN Co after the success of King Edward on the Clyde. Kingfisher was a fast boat, with a speed of over 20 knots, but this speed also caused her trouble. Employed on the London, Southend, Margate and Bolougne service, her speed generated a considerable wash, which made her unpopular with other river users. She also suffered from a lack of manoeuvrability when coming alongside the piers of the Thames. As a result of this and the fact that she was not good in rough weather, she was not the success her owners had hoped for and she was sold in 1912 for use on the Adriatic. Her new owners renamed her Venzia and she remained on the Adriatic until 1928, ending up in Hong Kong in 1938. She did, however, have one dubious distinction, that of carrying Dr Crippen and his mistress over the English Channel.