WIGHTLINK BEGINS £8MILLION WINTER FLEET AND PORT REFIT PROGRAMME
Wightlink’s annual programme of maintenance for its 8-strong fleet is underway, with the cross-Solent operator set to spend more than £8million this Winter.
The ferry company is working to keep all its vehicle ferries, FastCat passenger catamarans and port facilities in excellent condition to carry around 4million passengers a year to and from the Isle of Wight both in safety and comfort.
The 6-month-long programme began as soon as the school holidays ended with the Yarmouth-Lymington ferry Wight Sky sailing to Hythe Shipyard. Works undertaken included painting the vehicle deck, pouring new resin flooring in passenger walkways and installing a new control box. Wight Light will be the next ferry to be sent to Hythe in October.
Wight Ryder 1 is currently in drydock at Trafalgar Shipyard in Portchester and her sister Wight Ryder 2 will follow in early 2025. This means the Fastcat service is reliant on just 1 vessel.
From now until Easter, all ferries will be withdrawn from service in turn for refurbishment, as required by their maintenance schedules. A Refit Captain and crew accompanies each ship and will carry out much of the work as they have expert knowledge of their vessel.
John Burrows, Fleet and Operations Director at Wightlink, says:
“Routine maintenance is carried out all year round but annual refit work on our fleet, including dry docking, is essential.
“Our engineers plan their schedules many months in advance and engage specialist contractors for complex tasks. We also make sure we keep Wightlink port infrastructure in good order as it needs to work efficiently in all weathers.”
