For the third day running those travelling to and from the Isle of Wight are facing disruption – this time on Wightlink’s Fastcat service.
Wightlink has advised that the 08:40 sailing from Portsmouth Harbour and the 09:10 from Ryde Pier Head have both been cancelled due to a mechanical issue.
Furthermore, the 08:15 from Portsmouth will be delayed by around 15 minutes, as will the 08:47 from Ryde.
It is unknown if there will be any further cancellations or delays throughout the day.
UPDATE @ 14:15 – As a result of waiting for an underwater inspection due to suspected fouling of the propeller on Wight Ryder 1, Wightlink will be operating an adjusted timetable this evening.
The 16:40, 17:40 and 18:45 sailings from Portsmouth Harbour and the 17:10, 18:10 and 19:15 sailings from Ryde Pier Head have been cancelled.
I wonder if they had to pay compasation things would be different…..
Wightlink do pay some form of compensation, however you have to wade through pages of terms and conditions to find the complaint form..
no it wouldn’t be any different. The services can be impacted by the weather at any time and under consumer rights legislation, that relates to ferry services, they are not required to pay compensation for reasons of service interruption that is beyond their control, and every effort was made by them to avoid the disruption.
would you rather the ferry operators sent the boats out in awful weather or skimmed on the maintenance etc to keep running, just to avoid a financial penalty – as that is exactly what will happen.
if you want contingencies in place, then that requires a third boat for wightlinks ryde to portsmouth route – are you going to pay higher fares, to cover the cost of building, running, maintaining and keeping a boat on standby at all times. bet you won’t
Can none of these companies run a decent, reliable ferry service ? The answer I fear is ‘Not since the ‘bean counters’ took over.
The only 100% reliable link, is a fixed link, but basically majority opposed to it because it makes it too easy to get here! Can’t have it both ways..
No fixed link it’s an island keep it that way.
If you don’t like it move to the mainland!!
Trouble with that comment is u need the boats to move you off the island, and they not running.
There is no desire for the exit/entrance ramp of a fixed link in any of the counties on the mainland, as there is no economic benefit to them. They will be used as a conduit to the island and nothing else. The ferries currently limit the amount of external traffic that can arrive at any one time and also prevents scores of travellers in caravans simply arriving and parking up anywhere they feel like it. which is what happens around the mainland UK now. The crime rate on the Island is where it is, because people cannot easily flee the scene without using a ferry service first.
The eye watering cost of a fixed link, can only be funded by the infrastructure funds that invest in this type of business. They are the very same funds that own wightlink and red funnel. They won’t be paying out to build a tunnel or bridge and trash their own ferry investments.
Unless you were born on the island, then you had a choice whether to move here or not. You knew that it is served by ferry companies – don’t like it, then don’t move here.
There will not be any fixed link any time soon and it is unlikely in the next few decades either.
never, ever be 100% – any bridge would be closed for many days a year, due to high winds -guaranteed. Any tunnel will be closed whenever, someone breaks down in it.
Well said indeed
Well the euro tunnel seems to work well. People moan that all the shops etc, are closing this will carry on without the fixed link. I work in hospitality and this is the worst year ever, with guests complaining about the price of ferries. I and all my family have worked ever since we came here 23years ago and I would happily give money for a fixed link.
pay up then. They have only raised £21k for their study and they need £130k – been at it for months – only 202 people put cash up so far, out of a population of over 120,000 – hardly a ringing endorsement is it
euro tunnel was dogged with problems, heavily over budget and nearly closed down because of its inability to pay back the lenders.
The idea of a fixed link for the isle of wight, is just that, an idea and it isn’t going to be getting any traction, any time soon.
You can’t blame the Ferry for a fowled propeller unless their crew dropped a line overboard.