Pirate Ship (Ocean Beach Pleasure Park)

Ride
Pirate Ship
At Adventure Island in the 1990s
Ocean Beach Pleasure Park
Location South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Status Defunct
Operated June 2009 to 2022
Rider height
  • Minimum: 100 cm
  • Min. unaccompanied: 120 cm
Funland Hayling Island
Location Hayling Island, Hampshire, England, UK
Operated 2004 to 2008
Replaced Viking
Adventure Island
Name Pirat Galleon
Location Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK
Operated 1990s to 2003
Fort Regent
Location St Helier, Jersey, UK
Operated 1986 to 1990s
Statistics
Manufacturer Zamperla
Product Galleon
Type
Capacity 42 per cycle
HELP

Pirate Ship was a Pirate Ship built by Italian manufacturer Zamperla previously located at Ocean Beach Pleasure Park in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, UK. The ride was exported to Bulgaria following the 2022 season.

History

The ride was built by Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla, who market their version of the Pirate Ship as Galleon. It arrived at the Fort Regent complex on the island of Jersey for the 1986 season. Prior to 1986 the complex had been home to various fairground attractions operated independently by showmen, however the park took a new direction in 1986 by purchasing their own rides. The Pirat Galleon (as the ride’s top sign read) was one of these new rides.

At some point during the early 1990s the ride was sold by Fort Regent to Peter Pan's Playground in Southend-on-Sea. The park had long featured an assortment of amusement rides, although primarily aimed at small children. The 1990s saw the park expand in both size, and in terms of thrill-seeking capabilities, along with a name change to Adventure Island. Whilst many of the attractions added around the same time as the Pirat Galleon were removed towards the end of the 1990s, this ride managed to survive until the end of the 2003 season.

The next home for the ride was Funland Hayling Island, owned by Marshall Hill. It replaced the park’s previous Viking Pirate Ship ride, which had been scrapped at the end of 2003 due to wear and tear. The Galleon as it was now simply known sat in the same spot as its predecessor. In June 2009 the Galleon was sold to Albert Sheeran, owner of Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, South Shields.

Images