Victoria of Wight has left Cemre shipyard in Turley and will arrive in her new UK home early this August
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Wightlink’s first-ever hybrid battery-powered ferry is on track to enter service in the UK this summer after departing Cemre’s shipyard in Yalova, Turkey on 16 July.
The £30 million (US$39.3 million) Victoria of Wight will be towed by a specialist tug throughout the 3,019-nautical-mile journey from Turkey to Portsmouth, UK, which is expected to take 17 days. The ferry will travel through the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles, before passing Greece, Sicily and Spain in the Mediterranean and turning north at Gibraltar to sail along the Portuguese coast, across the Bay of Biscay and into the English Channel.
When Victoria of Wight arrives in Portsmouth, Wightlink will stock her with necessary supplies and train her crew to operate her before she starts services in summer. The 1,000-guest vessel will also accommodate up to 178 cars on two fixed vehicle decks and she will be the most environmentally friendly ferry to have ever operated on the route between Portsmouth and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight. Her hybrid propulsion system will reduce emissions, noise and vibrations, compared to other Wightlink ferries.
“We are delighted to announce Victoria of Wight is on her way home,” said Keith Greenfield, Wightlink’s chief executive. “This is the final stage of our £45 million 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.”