Wightlink have now been forced to cancel a number of sailings on its Yarmouth-Lymington route due to staff shortage.
Yesterday, the cross-Solent operator was running with cancellations on its Fastcat service to and from Ryde. Later in the day, it was announced that the Fishbourne-Portsmouth car ferry service would see cancellations today (Friday).
Now, it has been announced that the 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:05 sailings from Lymington and the 15:05, 17:05, 19:00 and 21:10 sailings from Yarmouth have all been cancelled.
Although the reason for the staff absence hasn’t been confirmed, it could be related to self-isolation during the coronavirus crisis.
UPDATE @ 14:30 – Wightlink has confirmed that there will be further cancellations tomorrow (Saturday).
The 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 sailings from Lymington and the 13:05, 15:05 and 17:05 sailings from Yarmouth have all been cancelled on the Yarmouth-Lymington route for Saturday 21st March 2020.
For help with your booking, call Wightlink on 0333 999 7333.
So it begins.
I can only hope that those who thumb down the concerns of our Ferry vulnerability will perhaps wake up to the fact that many who panic buy are foreseeing likely issues for an Island who relies on such for food, fuel and essentials.
Whilst we won’t be left to our own devices, and all necessary foods, fuels and essentials will no doubt arrive, by Army, Navy personal if need be, yet disruption will not be easily accepted by our young, who have never ‘gone without’ and hence the mass hoarding of items.
Lets hope the staff just have the usual bugs of the season, and they soon are well and working again, but hope is somewhere between ‘wish and desperation’.
So don’t blame the population for acting what many of you see as irrationally, everyone has a different ‘take’ on this unique situation, and will do what they think is best for their loved ones. Care for others comes when ‘you’ feel your family is as safe and secure as you can provide for.
Surely something must be done about the ferrys soon we have no ferrys and train running what a unreliable service
Are you living on another planet, this is an illness that at this present time could be serious. Have some consideration for all those that are still working in places of high risk and stop being so bloody selfish, just hope you dont feel ill and have to take time off thats if you work at all.
Harry Your such an idiot what a stupid comment to make with what is currently going on employees could well be taking the governments advice and self isolating
Do you watch the daily updates on the news Harry? You obviously don’t understand the seriousness the world is in due to this virus. We are very lucky to have water between us and the mainland, at the mo the numbers have been very low, only 3 people? This could increase very quickly if people from the mainland keep travelling over here, likewise, if IOW residents travel to the mainland then back here again we will be in a whole load of trouble if the virus takes hold.
What’s the problem? You’re not supposed to be going anywhere any way. Why don’t you know that?
Maybe the navy/ forces could bring our supplies over.
Will be more reliable.
why oh why are so many going sick ,using covic 19 as a get out only three cases confirmed , the sooner we get a bridge the better
3 confirmed cases is just those in hospital. Lots more have it but are either not that bad yet or have it mildly or have it but don’t know it yet!
OMG, a bridge… That’s the last thing we bloody need. We live on an ISLAND – if people dont like it and keep bleating on about being isolated and the inconvenience of the ferries, ‘MOVE’ go live on the mainland. Totally different to our beautiful ISLAND.