Wightlink’s new £30million flagship Victoria of Wight is on her way to the Solent to join the rest of the company’s fleet.
The environmentally friendly hybrid energy ferry departed from the Cemre shipyard in Yalova, Turkey yesterday (Monday) for the 3,019 nautical mile journey to Portsmouth, where she will serve the Fishbourne to Portsmouth route for decades to come.
The brand new ship does not have cabins onboard because Wightlink crew work daily shifts and go home at the end of each shift. To allow a delivery crew to sleep onboard, Victoria of Wight is being towed back to the Solent by a specialist towage company who have experience of delivering many ships from the Sea of Marmara to northern Europe.
She is being towed by the tug Amber II through the Sea of Marmara, past Gallipoli through the Dardanelles, then westward through the Mediterranean passing Greece, Sicily and Spain before turning north at Gibraltar to sail along the Portuguese coast, across the Bay of Biscay and into the Channel. The trip should take 17 days if weather conditions are favourable.
Keith Greenfield, CEO of Wightlink has said:
“We are delighted to announce Victoria of Wight is on her way home. This is the final stage of our £45million investment in the Portsmouth – Fishbourne route and we look forward to introducing her to our staff and customers this summer.
“Victoria of Wight will set new standards for comfort and her environmental credentials are impressive.”
The new ship has room for up to 178 cars and more than 1,000 passengers. Powered by hybrid energy, Victoria of Wight will be quieter and with fewer emissions than other vessels.
Wightlink selected Cemre to build its new flagship following a competitive tendering process based on quality, delivery time and price. Although there was interest from many shipbuilders around the world, no UK yards submitted a tender which complied with Wightlink’s requirements.
Project Director John Burrows has frequently travelled to and from Turkey to observe progress over the last 2 years:
“We have a wonderful ship for our staff and customers to enjoy. She performed well in sea trials, almost reaching 14 knots in the Sea of Marmara, and will transform our services on the key Portsmouth-Fishbourne route”.
When she arrives in the Solent, Victoria of Wight will be made ready to enter the fleet, stocked with catering and other supplies and crews will be trained to operate her. Wightlink expects the ship to enter service this summer.
