A lifelong love of ferries – Brian’s story

To mark 100 years of the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route, we’ve been speaking to Wightlink colleagues with a deep connection to our ships and services. Their stories offer a unique, behind-the-scenes look at life on one of the Island’s most important routes.

This is Brian’s story — press play to listen to the full interview, or read the summarised version below.

 

I’m Brian Smith, one of the Resource Planning Business Partners here at Wightlink. I started with the company two years ago. Before that I spent 30 years as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police in central London.

When I retired, I already had some connections down here and had known Wightlink for many years. I started out working as a rating on the Lymington–Yarmouth route, and fairly quickly progressed into management, using the skills I’d developed as a business manager in the police.

Now I’m part of the resource management team here at Gunwharf, and I’m very pleased to be working here.

My enthusiasm for ferries goes right back to my childhood. In the 1970s my family travelled to the Isle of Wight all the time, always on the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route. As a young child I got incredibly excited about travelling on the car ferries.

I became really attached to the ships themselves; particularly Caedmon and Cuthred, which were operating at the time.

As I got older and was allowed to travel on my own, I’d come down to Portsmouth by train just to ride the ferries. I’d cross to the Island and come straight back again, sometimes multiple times in a day. I absolutely loved it.

When the newer ships arrived – like St Catherine – I got even more excited. One of my favourite years was 1983, when I’d come down on summer Saturdays and deliberately travel on as many different ferries as possible.

For example, I might go over on Caedmon, come back on St Catherine, then maybe travel again on one of the older 1961 twin ferries. In one day I could travel on four completely different ships. For a young enthusiast, that was incredibly exciting.

The ferry crews were fantastic with me. They knew I was an enthusiast and they were always very welcoming. They’d let me visit the bridge, show me around the engine rooms, and explain how everything worked. Those were wonderful days and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

What really cemented my connection with the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route came later, when St Faith was being built.

By that time I was about 20 years old and had been photographing ferries for years. I asked the company if it would be possible to visit the shipyard and photograph the build.

The media manager at the time arranged for me to go up to Selby, where the ship was being constructed. So once a month I travelled up there – usually on Saturdays because the yard was quiet – and I had the run of the ship while she was being built.

On my first visit in August 1989 she was nothing more than steel plates on the floor. I kept going back month after month, watching her grow.

I was there for lots of major milestones, including when the bridge was lifted into place. But the most memorable moment was the launch day.

The launch took place on 28 February 1990, and it was absolutely freezing. Bitterly cold, sleet in the air, dark and miserable. Completely the opposite of what you’d hope for a big celebration.

She was supposed to launch early that morning, but the tide wasn’t right. So we all stood there waiting for hours because the launch could happen at any moment – none of us dared leave. We’d been there since about four in the morning!

Finally, around midday, they launched her. I was standing right beside the ship as she went into the water. Captain Brian Bowers smashed the champagne bottle, and within seconds she slid down the slipway. It was an unforgettable moment.

Later that year, when St Faith arrived to serve on the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route, I was invited on board for the christening celebrations.

They held two special sailings – a lunch event during the day and a dinner and dance in the evening. It was a glorious summer day. Completely different from the launch. I remember standing there in a suit in the blazing sun, absolutely roasting. But it was a fantastic occasion.

And of course after that we had four of the “Saints” operating together – St Catherine, St Helen, St Cecilia and St Faith. I’d come down and travel on all of them in a single day when I could. Those were wonderful times.

Even when I was serving in the police and living in London, I’d still come down to Portsmouth.

Most people would take the ferry just to get to the Isle of Wight. I’d go across… come straight back… and then sometimes go again!  It’s something that’s been part of my life since childhood. Over the years I built up a huge collection of photographs and memorabilia from the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route.

And now, in my retirement years, I’m actually working here at Portsmouth Gunwharf. It’s amazing how things have worked out. I’m incredibly proud to be part of the route; especially in this centenary year as we celebrate 100 years of the Portsmouth–Fishbourne service.

Caedmon was the newest ship when I was young, so naturally that made her exciting to me. She was the biggest and most impressive ferry on the route at the time, even though by today’s standards she’d seem quite small. St Catherine was the first of the newer generation of ships that followed, and she just captured my imagination.

I remember when my parents would phone up to book crossings – because that’s how it was done back then – I’d insist they book us onto Caedmon. Those two ships always stuck with me. But I’ve enjoyed travelling on every ship on the route for different reasons.

For me it was simply the experience of travelling by sea. Some boys were interested in trains or cars. For me it was always ships. In the 1970s, going on a cruise was something very special and quite expensive. My family certainly couldn’t afford that. But ferries were a way of experiencing ships and the sea.

Later on I expanded that interest beyond the Isle of Wight route. I started travelling on ferries to France and the Channel Islands; ships run by Townsend Thoresen, Sealink and later Brittany Ferries.

One of my favourites was Brittany Ferries’ Normandie — a beautiful ship, incredibly luxurious.  Eventually my photography of ferry construction became known in the industry.

Over the years I’ve been invited to photograph ships being built all over the world.

I’ve photographed ferries like Brittany Ferries’ Mont St Michel and Pont-Aven, and cruise ships including P&O’s Britannia. I’ve worked with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and many others.

One of the most memorable trips was to Tasmania, where the ferries Our Lady Patricia and Our Lady Pamela were built. I travelled there to photograph the shipyard. So ferries have literally taken me around the world.

But despite all that, the ferries here on the Isle of Wight are still my favourites.

Meyer Werft in Germany is my favourite shipyard in the world. What makes it unique is that the entire shipyard is indoors. Most shipyards are open-air, but Meyer Werft builds their ships inside covered halls. It’s incredibly modern and efficient.

For photography it’s perfect. It’s fully lit, even at four in the morning, which means you can capture amazing images during construction. I’ve built some great friendships there over the years and feel very privileged to be allowed access.

And from where I live in Southampton, I can drive there in about 12 hours. That makes it much easier than flying somewhere with all my camera equipment.

There’s a huge enthusiast community online now, particularly on Facebook. There are groups for Wightlink, P&O heritage, Sealink history and many others. It’s a great place to connect with people who share the same interest. These groups often organise meet-ups when special events happen; for example, the last sailing of a ship that’s leaving the fleet.

If you’re contacting ferry companies or visiting ships, my main piece of advice is simple: Follow the rules. If the crew say you can’t go somewhere, respect that. If enthusiasts behave responsibly, companies are far more likely to allow access in the future. If people break the rules, those opportunities disappear for everyone.

So be respectful, enjoy the ships, and connect with other enthusiasts — it’s a fantastic hobby.

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