Must say I'm surprised by the size of that ship and the capacity numbers point towards a very popular route. Would love to explore that area, looks right up my street and I think you and me both love a wee ferry crossing! A wee bit shorter than the Santander route, but a very enjoyable watch, cheers.
It's not so much a popular route Steve as an essential one for us Isle of Wighters. The passenger ferry and the hovercraft from Ryde to Portsmouth don't run beyond 9.00 pm in winter and that means the Fishbourne ferry is our connection to the mainland.
Cheers Steve, certainly do love the ferries and this one was right up there despite only being 45 minutes journey time. Really quiet noise-wise, clean, everything you need on board and some lovely deck space.
Have to agree with the comments , was chatting away and didn't even realise we were moving, no noise, vibration like most ships. Now have the 2 P&O hybrids to compare and have to say it is certainly the way to go for short sea crossings.
I use this route once most years to get to the steam railway. It seems to get very few foot passengers, maybe 4-6 typically, and sometimes I have been the only one. An exception was one year when I shared it in both directions with an entire women’s football team. The first generation of catamaran ferries on the Ryde pier route could not operate in rough seas, so at those times a special bus was laid on to take passengers between the termini in Portsmouth and another between Ryde and Fishbourne. I don’t know if this still applies now that we are on the third generation catamarans.
I always find Lymington to Yarmouth the most scenic crossing. Then straight onto what must be the most scenic bus route in Britain up to the Needles Battery.
Have travelled this route back in the 80s, quite a few times also Lymington/ Yarmouth and also Red Funnel - a longer journey from Southampton to Cowes...great to see again...
Live in Portsmouth and holiday on IOW every couple of years or so. Only thing that spoils it is the cost of taking the car . A little tip. If you stay at one of the two Warners sites you can get a ferry for about £30 -£60 return when you book with them otherwise it's around £150 and upwards and really expensive during school holiday rip off times
Pompey local here. Great vlog Mark. Little fact, Robbie Williams filmed part of his video for Road to Mandaley on the Isle of Wight ferry back in the day. Not the one you travelled on, sadly.
That's a lovely video. I think cross-Solent travel is different for the holidaymaker than it is for the resident. The ferries are big, spacious, clean, new and well supplied. As a start to someone's holiday it is great. As a resident who regularly uses Wightlink's services, we just want a more regular and cheaper service. It is an essential service for IOW residents. Glad you enjoyed your visit to the Island.
Cheers Tony, yes totally agree it’s different for us tourists. On a slightly different subject, I often wondered whether anyone had ever considered the feasibility of a small commercial airport (have to say I haven’t really researched this, just seems like a potential option but again for holidaymakers rather than regular commuters obviously).
@@LetsMakeaTrip There are 2 working airports on the Island at Bembridge and Sandown but they are purely for small private aircraft. What has kicked around for what seems like ever is the fixed link debate. The Island really needs a permanent like. As nice as Wightlink's (and Red Funnel) ferries are, we can't rely on them but the campaign for a link doesn't have support of our MP.
Fishbourne brings back memories from long ago! The Ferry seems to have grown a lot over the last 50 years! Still think I'd take the Hovercraft if I didn't have a car though!
Southern Vectis advertise that bus 9 leaves Fishbourne only once a day, (sometime before 1am). Thats so the bus doesn't get in the way of other traffic when the ferry is loading.
Excellent as usual, and a fantastic day for it! I must explain my amusing story of that ferry. Taking the car a few years ago with very young kids, our eldest (4yo) needed the loo as we pulled up at the waiting area at Portsmouth. I got out with him to use the facilities in the terminal. By the time we came out, the ferry had gone, along with our car, my wife and younger child! Quick turnaround, certainly! She'd mentioned us to the staff but they told her to drive on, we then were told to walk on the next ferry! No tickets or anything, as all the paperwork was in the car! At least we made it in the end, she'd pulled up by the Fishbourne port.
My worst nightmare that. Doubt it would happen as my partner doesn’t drive. Sitting in line to board ferries though, there’s always one or two cars whose occupants haven’t come back from the toilets or cafe or somewhere and everyone’s driving around them 😂Great story mate (with a happy ending) 👍
That’s the crossing we used to do back in the 80’s on our family holidays. Often the weather on the Isle would be much better than Portsmouth. As a child always exciting to cross.
It was! Only a small ferry crossing this time but definitely worth it. Especially with the weather and there’s lots to see as well. If I wasn’t filming, I’d have just been on deck I think, relaxing 😊
Great video, living near Portsmouth I love going down to the old part to watch the ferries come and go. Have been on that one before and going back in August for a holiday, it’s very relaxing and fishbourne is really good. Staff are always excellent, can get very expensive at peak times though.
Cheers Tony, yes the old part of Portsmouth is fantastic isn’t it. So atmospheric in the evening watching the boats going past. I could easily have a holiday there without actually going anywhere else!
Great day out sir; you will have to try the other routes and options to the Island including the Cats to Ryde pier ( and the unusual train) and the " white" class ferries on the Lymington to Yarmouth run... not forgetting the options from Southampton to Cowes with Red funnel... Thanks for your vlogs !!
Thanks for the comment Richard - appreciated. There are a few options left to try yes. If I had to choose, it’d be the Southampton- Cowes route purely from a tourist, sightseeing perspective 😊👍
When I've gone to the island from Portsmouth, I've always gone to Ryde on the ferry. Not done that trip for over 20 years. Years ago when you were booked on the car ferry, you had to give a return time.
Great video! Yes it is easier to walk from kite hill on the no. 9 bus as the bus does stop in the Wightlink car park but that is only once in the middle of the night at 00:35
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yeah it's for the night ferry, just strange how it doesn't go there at other times because I expect the service will be used alot for people if they are getting off at the terminal even if it just serves it 2 or 3 times a day
As a regular on this route as my mum lives on the iow i can confirm it gets soo busy during the summer holidays etc that you struggle to find a table! Nice video. I also love going on the hover too
Cheers Hannah, thanks for the info. Yes I can imagine summer holidays all over the island can get a bit fraught! Brings money in I guess but for me, yep, I’ll come back when it’s quiet again I think 😊
Excellent video. It reminds me of crossing between Malta and Gozo onboard the Gozo Channel Ferry (a conventional ferry too). My longest ferry trip was six years ago between Malta and Catania, 8 hours. Will definitely pay a visit to the isle of wight someday
To get a cheaper ticket, move to the Island (called a Multilink) - then you can join us in complaining about the ferry prices when you need to get to the mainland with your car in the tourist season! lol. We are off the Island for a few days at the end of August going on the shortest route (Yarmouth - Lymington 30mins), booked well in advance - a snip at £180.50...
I got this ferry as a foot passenger myself last year, I personally didn’t mind it, I find the ferry more handy as it runs later than the hovercraft, I walked down for the number 9 bus too 😂
I use wightkink alot and the ships even the older ones are all kept well and have good facilities. The crews are friendly too. Just a shame that its normally far cheaper to sail to France than take a car to the Island
Cheers mate, yes I’ve been on one or two of the older Wightlink ferries myself. This latest/largest is fantastic though. I can’t remember how much I paid to take my car on them Years ago but no I don’t think it was particularly cheap.
Are you planning another trip to the IOM when the new ferry Manxman is in service. It finally arrives at Douglas today after its long journey from the builders in South Korea
@LetsMakeaTrip I bet. I went many years ago before hand and the seacat broke down. I think people had to be rescued from it. Sealink though. I'm old seemingly
I am old enough to remember not being allowed out of the car on this crossing as the ferry had no facilities for passengers travelling on their own. All foot passengers had to use the ferry from Portsmouth to Ryde which was a passenger only ferry.
Yeah I think that's how I was told about it. No facilities. Tbh I thought that was still the case. I went to IoW once in 1989 on the catamaran and one broke down 😮 unsure whether people where on it though but was the one I was booked on. This was sealink.
I have done the Fishbourne one but not many people on foot know about it.I think that foot passengers mainly use the West Cowes Southampton, the Ryde Portsmouth and in the west of island Yarmouth Lymington.I walked to Fishbourne when I used that ferry but maybe Southern Vectis do a bus to it from other places on the island?The East Cowes to Southampton is the longest one I'd imagine.
I’d like to try the Cowes - Southampton one from a tourist, sightseeing perspective tbh. Someone did mention the bus calls at the ferry terminal in the early hours apparently to meet one of the ferries 😊👍
One journey on the 9 comes to the terminal each way in the early hours of the morning, 0046 a 9 to Newport, and 0050 a 9 to Ryde, as normally foot passengers would use the Ryde catamaran which has last crossing at 2245 from Portsmouth so those trips allow foot passenger connection off the 2359 car ferry sailing
@@LetsMakeaTrip probably because of the foot passenger catamaran link, but a lot of folk have said it would make sense to divert one bus an hour even, or just the 4s, which run every hour anyway
Hello mate long time no see great content just like I expected I got some news for you apparently I'm going to Brighton on holiday on the 24th of July now you might think that i would take the train right? WRONG! I will be taking national express so basically I live in Northampton right and Brighton is near the end of England so it would take me six hours to get there another thing is that I would be taking two national express coaches I would be taking the first coach route 455 to London Victoria and the second coach route 025 to Paul valley coach station which is basically in Brighton as you might expect anyways sorry this comment might not be about your amazing video it's just that I want to share the news to someone who's been on national express before
Must say I'm surprised by the size of that ship and the capacity numbers point towards a very popular route. Would love to explore that area, looks right up my street and I think you and me both love a wee ferry crossing! A wee bit shorter than the Santander route, but a very enjoyable watch, cheers.
It's not so much a popular route Steve as an essential one for us Isle of Wighters. The passenger ferry and the hovercraft from Ryde to Portsmouth don't run beyond 9.00 pm in winter and that means the Fishbourne ferry is our connection to the mainland.
@@tonycook603 ah fair point!
Cheers Steve, certainly do love the ferries and this one was right up there despite only being 45 minutes journey time. Really quiet noise-wise, clean, everything you need on board and some lovely deck space.
@@steve-marsh Get yourself down here Steve. Love your videos around Scotland and beyond, the IOW is a beautiful place.
Great facilities in Fishbourne I thought too. A very modern service all round.
2.47 - 'The Stunning City Of Portsmouth over there' - Biggest laugh I've had all week!
Have to agree with the comments , was chatting away and didn't even realise we were moving, no noise, vibration like most ships. Now have the 2 P&O hybrids to compare and have to say it is certainly the way to go for short sea crossings.
I use this route once most years to get to the steam railway. It seems to get very few foot passengers, maybe 4-6 typically, and sometimes I have been the only one. An exception was one year when I shared it in both directions with an entire women’s football team. The first generation of catamaran ferries on the Ryde pier route could not operate in rough seas, so at those times a special bus was laid on to take passengers between the termini in Portsmouth and another between Ryde and Fishbourne. I don’t know if this still applies now that we are on the third generation catamarans.
I always find Lymington to Yarmouth the most scenic crossing. Then straight onto what must be the most scenic bus route in Britain up to the Needles Battery.
For the ones I’ve tried so far, I agree because the road out of Lymington itself is really nice too. Cheers for the comment 😊👍
Have travelled this route back in the 80s, quite a few times also Lymington/ Yarmouth and also Red Funnel - a longer journey from Southampton to Cowes...great to see again...
I'd quite like to do that Red Funnel route. Maybe next time I'm down there. Cheers.
Another lovely trip that I always wanted to do - to visit the IoW where I have never been.
Cheers Paul. I would definitely recommend the IoW however you get to it - there are many interesting travel options. 😊👍
Didn’t know that you can from Portsmouth to Fishbourne. I am attempting to go to the Isle of Wight and to go ride on the Island Line.
What a cracking ferry. I’ve got to say not having to battle against heavy doors to get out on deck is a revelation! Brilliant video mate.
Cheers Tim, glad I’m not the only one who struggles with those doors 😂
Live in Portsmouth and holiday on IOW every couple of years or so. Only thing that spoils it is the cost of taking the car . A little tip. If you stay at one of the two Warners sites you can get a ferry for about £30 -£60 return when you book with them otherwise it's around £150 and upwards and really expensive during school holiday rip off times
You were like a kid in a sweet shop in this video Mark 😅 top marks
I was! Love exploring new (to me) ships. Cheers Mark 😊👍
Pompey local here. Great vlog Mark. Little fact, Robbie Williams filmed part of his video for Road to Mandaley on the Isle of Wight ferry back in the day. Not the one you travelled on, sadly.
Cheers Barry, I’ll have to watch that now, nice one 😊
Thanks Mark lovely video 👍
Cheers James, thanks for the comment 😊👍
Great trip. It may be slower than Hovercraft, but you can get sea breeze during the trip.
That’s absolutely true. And you can’t beat the sea air really 👍
thank you for the video and inspiration to travel
Thanks for watching - much appreciated and if my stuff helps others to get out more, job done! Cheers 😊👍
Did this 3 months ago in my camper - nice place
Cheers Pete, yep, lots of interesting transport opportunities all over the island. I’ll definitely be back at some point 👍
Reverse is fine Mark, or “go astern”. Great video, never got to the IOW in my MN days. Cheers from Oz
Go astern, cheers Jim, I’ll try and remember that 😊👍
great video i have been on mon san michelle with my motorbike to france excuse my french lol
Great trip that mate, keep up the good work, as always, Cheers for now 😉
Cheers Gareth, glad you enjoyed it 😊👍
That's a lovely video. I think cross-Solent travel is different for the holidaymaker than it is for the resident. The ferries are big, spacious, clean, new and well supplied. As a start to someone's holiday it is great. As a resident who regularly uses Wightlink's services, we just want a more regular and cheaper service. It is an essential service for IOW residents. Glad you enjoyed your visit to the Island.
Cheers Tony, yes totally agree it’s different for us tourists. On a slightly different subject, I often wondered whether anyone had ever considered the feasibility of a small commercial airport (have to say I haven’t really researched this, just seems like a potential option but again for holidaymakers rather than regular commuters obviously).
@@LetsMakeaTrip There are 2 working airports on the Island at Bembridge and Sandown but they are purely for small private aircraft. What has kicked around for what seems like ever is the fixed link debate. The Island really needs a permanent like. As nice as Wightlink's (and Red Funnel) ferries are, we can't rely on them but the campaign for a link doesn't have support of our MP.
Fishbourne brings back memories from long ago! The Ferry seems to have grown a lot over the last 50 years! Still think I'd take the Hovercraft if I didn't have a car though!
Southern Vectis advertise that bus 9 leaves Fishbourne only once a day, (sometime before 1am). Thats so the bus doesn't get in the way of other traffic when the ferry is loading.
So glad you had a wonderful visit! Hope we get to see you back on board again sometime soon (and please bring this wonderful weather back with you!!)
I did - a fantastic ship this, I was really impressed. I will be back one day, I always seem to be in and around Portsmouth travelling on something!
It's nice to see Jimmy Taylor in the videos. He needs to feature more on your adventures. Lovely video local to me too.
He’s a good lad 😊👍
Excellent as usual, and a fantastic day for it! I must explain my amusing story of that ferry. Taking the car a few years ago with very young kids, our eldest (4yo) needed the loo as we pulled up at the waiting area at Portsmouth. I got out with him to use the facilities in the terminal. By the time we came out, the ferry had gone, along with our car, my wife and younger child! Quick turnaround, certainly! She'd mentioned us to the staff but they told her to drive on, we then were told to walk on the next ferry! No tickets or anything, as all the paperwork was in the car! At least we made it in the end, she'd pulled up by the Fishbourne port.
OMG! What an amazing adventure! 😱
My worst nightmare that. Doubt it would happen as my partner doesn’t drive. Sitting in line to board ferries though, there’s always one or two cars whose occupants haven’t come back from the toilets or cafe or somewhere and everyone’s driving around them 😂Great story mate (with a happy ending) 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip apparently she wanted to wait for us but wasn't allowed 🤣
That’s the crossing we used to do back in the 80’s on our family holidays. Often the weather on the Isle would be much better than Portsmouth. As a child always exciting to cross.
Love the vibe of the ferry trip and oh so much, love the music!
Thanks Norman, I try hard to find suitable music so it’s good to know it’s appreciated 😊👍
Well done haircut! Another great video. Very informative.
Well that truly looked like a wonderful trip, start to finish. Thanks for taking us along! See you on the next one!
It was! Only a small ferry crossing this time but definitely worth it. Especially with the weather and there’s lots to see as well. If I wasn’t filming, I’d have just been on deck I think, relaxing 😊
Mark another great video about this fantastic island. What a great ferrry, I must give it a whirl. Many thanks and wishing you well. D
Cheers David, yep I really enjoyed it, all aspects of the travel really. I’ll definitely be back.
Great video, living near Portsmouth I love going down to the old part to watch the ferries come and go. Have been on that one before and going back in August for a holiday, it’s very relaxing and fishbourne is really good. Staff are always excellent, can get very expensive at peak times though.
Cheers Tony, yes the old part of Portsmouth is fantastic isn’t it. So atmospheric in the evening watching the boats going past. I could easily have a holiday there without actually going anywhere else!
Great day out sir; you will have to try the other routes and options to the Island including the Cats to Ryde pier ( and the unusual train) and the " white" class ferries on the Lymington to Yarmouth run... not forgetting the options from Southampton to Cowes with Red funnel... Thanks for your vlogs !!
Thanks for the comment Richard - appreciated. There are a few options left to try yes. If I had to choose, it’d be the Southampton- Cowes route purely from a tourist, sightseeing perspective 😊👍
Great adventure and great weather!
Greatings from Hull 🤗
Hello, I must get there one day and try your ferry route! Cheers for the comment 😊👍
Very nice trip and up to your usual high standard, thanks and stay safe, cheers.
Cheers Simon 😊👍
That's the one ferry route to the Island that I have yet to try. Thanks for sharing. Looks like a great trip
Cheers Paul, it was but yep, I’ve got a few more routes to try myself yet 👍
When I've gone to the island from Portsmouth, I've always gone to Ryde on the ferry. Not done that trip for over 20 years. Years ago when you were booked on the car ferry, you had to give a return time.
Yes I’m not sure many take this crossing as a foot passenger tbh. I wasn’t even sure we could until we got there!
Great video! Yes it is easier to walk from kite hill on the no. 9 bus as the bus does stop in the Wightlink car park but that is only once in the middle of the night at 00:35
Yes I gather it’s to meet a late night ferry. Not sure why it wouldn’t bother in the day aswell though?
@@LetsMakeaTrip Yeah it's for the night ferry, just strange how it doesn't go there at other times because I expect the service will be used alot for people if they are getting off at the terminal even if it just serves it 2 or 3 times a day
As a regular on this route as my mum lives on the iow i can confirm it gets soo busy during the summer holidays etc that you struggle to find a table! Nice video. I also love going on the hover too
Cheers Hannah, thanks for the info. Yes I can imagine summer holidays all over the island can get a bit fraught! Brings money in I guess but for me, yep, I’ll come back when it’s quiet again I think 😊
Something to look forward to on a Friday is an upload from LMAT 👍
Cheers Mike, hope you enjoyed it 😊👍
Excellent video. It reminds me of crossing between Malta and Gozo onboard the Gozo Channel Ferry (a conventional ferry too). My longest ferry trip was six years ago between Malta and Catania, 8 hours.
Will definitely pay a visit to the isle of wight someday
Oh yes, having done that trip myself, I very much agree. Definitely recommend the Isle of Wight Enrico, lots of transport options 👍
Very enjoyable excellent video aboard
Thanks Mel 😊👍
Another great video. I must admit I really enjoy a ferry crossing my favourite by a long way is Aberdeen to the Shetland islands. 😊
Cheers Neil. I did do that a few years ago before the RUclips thing. It was rough! I should do it again though now, maybe next year 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip i did it last june weather was good. I had a sleeping pod. Very comfortable got about 6 hours sleep each which was fine.
To get a cheaper ticket, move to the Island (called a Multilink) - then you can join us in complaining about the ferry prices when you need to get to the mainland with your car in the tourist season! lol. We are off the Island for a few days at the end of August going on the shortest route (Yarmouth - Lymington 30mins), booked well in advance - a snip at £180.50...
£180???? I thought Jersey was a knock at about £300 when I was looking, price per mile you folk have that beat on expensive heh.
Like Nodster says - a lovely island but I couldn’t afford to live there unless my sub/view count increases significantly!
It's a lovely stretch of water, I'm led to believe it's the most expensive crossing anywhere in the world but I'm probably wrong lol
Oh I wouldn’t be surprised!
I got this ferry as a foot passenger myself last year, I personally didn’t mind it, I find the ferry more handy as it runs later than the hovercraft, I walked down for the number 9 bus too 😂
Cheers Jack - such a good ferry this, I’m certainly glad I found it as a foot passenger and well-worth the money imo 👍
I use wightkink alot and the ships even the older ones are all kept well and have good facilities. The crews are friendly too. Just a shame that its normally far cheaper to sail to France than take a car to the Island
WightKink?
Cheers mate, yes I’ve been on one or two of the older Wightlink ferries myself. This latest/largest is fantastic though. I can’t remember how much I paid to take my car on them Years ago but no I don’t think it was particularly cheap.
Are you planning another trip to the IOM when the new ferry Manxman is in service.
It finally arrives at Douglas today after its long journey from the builders in South Korea
I think so. I did see it was arriving so just gotta plan something in. Looks nice too 👍
I might have to go again not been since i was 11!
You should. I would recommend this yes but the hovercraft was super-exciting!
@LetsMakeaTrip I bet. I went many years ago before hand and the seacat broke down. I think people had to be rescued from it. Sealink though. I'm old seemingly
I am old enough to remember not being allowed out of the car on this crossing as the ferry had no facilities for passengers travelling on their own.
All foot passengers had to use the ferry from Portsmouth to Ryde which was a passenger only ferry.
Yes Adrian, there was some debate between us as to whether foot passengers were allowed on this one or not, but it turned out to be ok (fortunately) 👍
Yeah I think that's how I was told about it. No facilities. Tbh I thought that was still the case.
I went to IoW once in 1989 on the catamaran and one broke down 😮 unsure whether people where on it though but was the one I was booked on. This was sealink.
Bedankt
Thank you sir 😊👍
I have done the Fishbourne one but not many people on foot know about it.I think that foot passengers mainly use the West Cowes Southampton, the Ryde Portsmouth and in the west of island Yarmouth Lymington.I walked to Fishbourne when I used that ferry but maybe Southern Vectis do a bus to it from other places on the island?The East Cowes to Southampton is the longest one I'd imagine.
I’d like to try the Cowes - Southampton one from a tourist, sightseeing perspective tbh. Someone did mention the bus calls at the ferry terminal in the early hours apparently to meet one of the ferries 😊👍
One journey on the 9 comes to the terminal each way in the early hours of the morning, 0046 a 9 to Newport, and 0050 a 9 to Ryde, as normally foot passengers would use the Ryde catamaran which has last crossing at 2245 from Portsmouth so those trips allow foot passenger connection off the 2359 car ferry sailing
Cheers, why don’t they do any stops there in the day just out of interest?
@@LetsMakeaTrip probably because of the foot passenger catamaran link, but a lot of folk have said it would make sense to divert one bus an hour even, or just the 4s, which run every hour anyway
Those connections sound too tight for comfort to me ! - wonder if the buses wait of the ferry is late ?
Awesome video more boats videos please
Coming next mate, cheers 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip i can't wait cheers for now
Lymington / Yarmouth is a better trip and the ferry is slightly smaller....also Red Funnel is a longer trip from Southampton - Cowes.
I’d quite like to try Red Funnel one day, watch this space!
Nice
Thank you 😊
Excellent 🍾🍾🍾🍾🥂🥂🥂🥂🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
Cheers Derisley ⛴️⛴️⛴️⛴️⛴️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️🍺🍺🍺🍺🫶🫶
Hello mate long time no see great content just like I expected I got some news for you apparently I'm going to Brighton on holiday on the 24th of July now you might think that i would take the train right? WRONG! I will be taking national express so basically I live in Northampton right and Brighton is near the end of England so it would take me six hours to get there another thing is that I would be taking two national express coaches I would be taking the first coach route 455 to London Victoria and the second coach route 025 to Paul valley coach station which is basically in Brighton as you might expect anyways sorry this comment might not be about your amazing video it's just that I want to share the news to someone who's been on national express before
Hi Pixle, sounds like you’re going to have a great time on the coaches. Enjoy 😊👍
Reverse = astern in nautical terms
Thank you 😊👍
how many knots??
red funnel is much better
"Go about" not run around.