Frustrated motorists blockaded the terminal at Yarmouth after having been forced to sleep overnight in their cars due to ferry cancellations on the morning of Sunday 2nd September 1973.
Police were called to make the motorists move after they had prevented vehicles from embarking and disembarking from the Yarmouth to Lymington car ferry by parking across the marshalling yard entrance.
The problems for the British Rail ferry operators had begun on the Saturday when the Cuthred – operating between Fishbourne and Portsmouth – was taken out of service with engine trouble.
On Saturday evening, the Farringford – leaving Yarmouth for Lymington – struck an object in the water, damaged a paddle and had to be towed across the Solent by a tug.
On Sunday night, the Fishbourne struck and sank an unmanned yacht near the Fishbourne terminal. This caused a further 6-hour delay as divers moved the yacht from the fairway to allow the car ferries to operate.
Further trouble occurred early on the Monday evening. As the Freshwater was docking, a suspicious package was spotted on a seat. The captain – fearing he was carrying a suspected bomb on board – called the police.
The suspicious object turned out to be a sandwich hamper.
Isle of Wight Times, Thursday 6th September 1973
Sounds like a normal day of operation for the chainferry in 2023
and still the same today but with the prices a lot higher
This was News in 1973.
Now, with Wightlink it is a daily occurrence.
Nothing changes look at the chaos in east Cowes this week it’s about time they had contingency plan when a ferry has an emergency on board which can happen anytime , but to let it block the town completely every which way should not be an option,,
why the hell don’t the shore staff get the cars off the road instead of standing at the entrance having full scale conversations when York Avenue is blocked also so was the tiny high street as cars trying to find quicker way to get aboard .
There should be si age no ferry traffic to try and board from our tiny high street.
Also a box junction by the zebra crossing to stop pedestrians having to walk off the crossing to get across the road and risk getting knocked over
Ah, the good old days when there were proper excuses for cancellations. None of this ‘unavailability of a staff member’ nonsense. And as Wallace might say, “cracking photos Gromit’.
Perhaps a few blockades wouldn’t go amiss today, to bring them to their senses over the fares?
At least the people did something about it then! The masses just roll over and take it nowadays… You get what you deserve..
Make the first move Zed, I haven’t seen you talking action?
Brilliant old photos, I remember the old ferry so that’s nice to see. Who’s up for blockading the ports then ?