Heavy berthing incident on St Clare – Portsmouth Gunwharf terminal – Tuesday, 17 February 2026

Incident Summary
A Wightlink car ferry, St Clare, was involved in a “heavy berthing incident” at the Portsmouth Gunwharf terminal on 17 February 2026. The vessel made contact with the berth, resulting in damage to both the ferry and shore infrastructure, including the linkspan. Sailings on the Portsmouth–Fishbourne route were suspended for much of the day while assessments were conducted. Passengers on board were initially unable to disembark due to the inability to deploy loading ramps.

Vessel Information

• Vessel Name: St Clare
• Vessel Type: Ferry
• Operator/Cruise Line: Wightlink
• Flag State: Not specified
• Passengers on Board: Not specified
• Crew on Board: Not specified

Details of the Incident
The incident occurred during an early morning arrival at Portsmouth Gunwharf terminal on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, when St Clare made contact with the berth. Wightlink described the event as a “heavy berthing incident”.

Following the contact, the linkspan and associated shore facilities were reported as unable to support the boarding or disembarkation of vehicles and foot passengers while assessments were carried out. Passengers aboard St Clare at the time were unable to leave the vessel immediately because loading ramps could not be deployed, and the vessel remained secured alongside the damaged berth.

Scheduled sailings between Portsmouth and Fishbourne were cancelled for the better part of the day, with services not expected to resume until late afternoon at the earliest. Other Wightlink routes, including passenger services between Ryde Pier Head and Portsmouth Harbour, continued to operate.

Injuries and Casualties

• Fatalities: None reported
• Injuries: None reported
• Passengers Affected: Passengers aboard St Clare were unable to disembark immediately due to the linkspan/loading ramps being unavailable; cancellations affected customers booked on Portsmouth–Fishbourne sailings.

Emergency Response

• Not specified
• Not specified
• Port and ferry teams conducted assessments of damage to the linkspan and associated shore facilities before services could resume.

Maritime Investigation
Investigations were reported as underway, with port and ferry officials reviewing operational data and equipment performance to determine factors leading to the berthing impact and to support reinstatement of the route once infrastructure is repaired and certified safe.

• Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA): Not specified
• Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB): Not specified
• Police/coroner involvement: Not specified

Operator Response
Wightlink apologised to customers affected by the disruption and stated that full refunds would be issued for all cancelled sailings. The operator stated teams were working to assess the extent of damage and plan safe restoration of operations, and advised no alternative sailings would be available on the Gunwharf–Fishbourne route before later in the day.

Conclusion
The Portsmouth–Fishbourne service was suspended for much of 17 February 2026 while damage to the berth infrastructure, including the linkspan, was assessed. Investigations by port and ferry officials were reported as ongoing, with services to resume once repairs and safety certification allow.