Victoria of Wight hull damage explained

A picture appearing to show damage to the hull of Wightlink’s new flagship vessel has emerged.

The perceived damage has been met on social media with with a string of gags, however the ferry company say it’s just a minor bit of damage sustained during her voyage to our shores.

A spokesman for Wightlink explained the ship had travelled 3000 miles, chains used to tow her have damaged the paint on the hull, but she will be repainted as soon as the weather improves.

Wightlink’s new £30million flagship Victoria of Wight arrived in Portsmouth Harbour on August 10.

The ship can carry up to 178 cars and more than 1000 passengers. Powered by hybrid energy, from a combination of batteries and conventional engines, Victoria of Wight will be quieter than other similar vessels with fewer emissions.

Wightlink selected Cemre to build its new flagship following a competitive tendering process based on quality, delivery time and price. Although there was interest from many shipbuilders around the world, no UK yards submitted a tender which complied with Wightlink’s requirements.