Wightlink issue apology as St Clare ferry returns to service after repair work - extra overnight crossings scheduled
Repair work on a Wightlink ferry have completed after two days of disruption and crossing cancellations.
An engine fault was found on the St Clare ferry on Thursday, February 20 which led to long delays for passengers between Portsmouth and Fishbourne. Many car passengers were forced to wait for over five hours before successfully make the crossing to the Isle of Wight.
Wightlink have confirmed that repairs to the St Clare have now completed and it will return to action for the 5pm crossing today (February 21).
A spokesperson for the ferry company said: “Round the clock repair work on Wightlink's St Clare ferry has proved successful and the ship will return to service with the 5pm sailing from Fishbourne to Portsmouth this evening.
“We sincerely apologise for the disruption the recent cancellations will have caused to customers’ travel plans. Original bookings on St Clare (from 5pm) which had been cancelled, will be restored in our reservations system. Customers may choose to travel on these bookings or go online to amend or cancel them free-of-charge.”
To mitigate the disruption, five extra round-trip sailings have been scheduled overnight between Lymington and Yarmouth. From Lymington they will depart at 10pm, 11pm, 11.59pm, 2am, and 4am. From Yarmouth it depart at 11.05pm, 12.05am, 1.05am, 3.05am and 5.05am.
The Wightlink spokesperson added: “Wightlink's timetables will return to normal tomorrow. Again, Wightlink is sorry for the inconvenience caused to customers.”
The disruption was exacerbated by the fact that Wightlink were unable to call upon the third ferry that operates on that route, Victoria of Wight, as it was undergoing annual maintenance.
News of the repairs will be a relief to regular commuters on the service. Many car passengers were left frustrated after the long delays on Thursday with the ferry company initially advising of delays of two hours before extending it to three. For some, the delay proved much longer.