Wightlink has announced that it has had to cancel a number of its Fastcat sailings on Friday morning (11th March) due to the absence of an essential member of crew.
The following sailings have been cancelled on the Ryde Pier Head-Portsmouth Harbour service:
From Portsmouth Harbour: 05:15, 06:15, 07:15, 08:15, 09:15, 10:15 and 12:15
From Ryde Pier Head: 05:45, 06:45, 07:45, 08:45, 09:45, 10:45 and 12:45.
Customers with Wightlink tickets or passes can travel with Hovertravel during this time – if the service is operating. A bus will be available for transport between Wightlik’s Fishbourne Car Ferry terminal and Hovertravel’s terminal in Ryde, with the Hoverbus also in operation between Hovertravel’s Southsea terminal and Portsmouth Harbour.
Wightlink apologises for any changes to your travel plans.
UPDATE @ 15:35 – Wightlink has also announced the cancellation of some sailings on its Yarmouth car ferry route.
Due to the absence of an essential member on the West Wight service, the 06:15 sailing from Lymington and the 07:30 sailing from Yarmouth have been cancelled tomorrow also.
So even with 24 hours’ notice they still can’t find standby staff. Something the MCA should be aware of?
And why is a bus needed between Fishbourne and Ryde?
It’s a long walk from Fishbourne to Ryde !!!!
I can use my fastcat ticket on the hovercraft tomorrow morning, but as they are expecting cancellations after 0800, Hovertravel have put on a bus, to take all theirs and us fastcat customers to fishbourne to get the car ferry if they do cancel it and to bring customers back to ryde from fishbourne. Normally we see the hovercraft customers on the fastcat when they cancel, but no cat tomorrow morning either.
at least hovertravel are trying to sort out alternatives for us wightlink customers
I asked the hovercraft staff this evening about it. They even said they will be running extra services to cope with expected demand during the rush hour.
Another fuel saving exercise as prices are high …did the same in the epidemic….
Unbelievable, oh no hang on this is Wightlink, quite believable! Also are there the same foot passenger restrictions on Red Funnel?
No staffing contingency ??
Hard to believe that the scheduling and delivery of this service can be cancelled to the tune of over a dozen timetabled departures, just because ONE staff member is not available.
Hardly a business continuity plan.
Outdated Mickey Mouse marine transport links between the island and the mainland will inevitably produce a Mickey Mouse “service” from its providers.
Unbelievable in this day and age they can’t find an extra member of staff what about people for hospital appointments what about people travelling to the airports ridiculous it’s a joke, any decent essential travel company would have members of staff on standby the amount of money they charge for the ferry fares Ithey could easily have some stand by essential staff and pay them a retainer
If the essential crew member is the person I think it is then he is currently doing DIY instead of turning up for work and has been in my opinion been swinging the lead for some time. Since Covid many people in our soft society (not all) have lost the work ethic and are indignant about returning to the work place.