FRESHWATER

That must have been possibly prior to her sale to Western Ferries.My pic of her in that guise in the Ferries Forum.

Can I please have a quid for every time I travelled on her.

T'was indeed, she had just arrived from Portsmouth
and was off to the Clyde thereafter.

Would she have taken me from Portsmouth to Ryde (IOW) when I was with Trinity House (about '67)? I remember returning to the mainland on the hovercraft from Cowes to Southampton - cost a packet, carried about 20 passengers and took 20 minutes instead of about 2 hours. World's first hovercraft service I think.

She was on the Lymington to Yarmouth service.

Freshwater was the infamous ferry which stood in for the Southsea and Brading on the Ryde Portsmouth route in the early 80s whenthey were in refit / repair. So poor was the accommodation onboard that a single decker bus was parked on her car deck to improve facilities!

I remember taking the crossing on the Southern Vectis Bus/Freshwater on a cold winter evening. There was a small passenger lounge on either side but no facilities. It was deadful but everyone took the whole thing in good humour !