After the latest clutch of Wightlink-bashing letters, I have decided to redress the balance a little.

The last thing Wightlink would have wanted was their flagship to blow an engine just as lockdown was easing.

In marine terms the vessel is hardly run-in and further proof that nothing is built to last these days.

Rather than risk a similar occurrence, the company wisely decided to have all four engines rebuilt, which meant that the vessel was out of commission for several weeks.

It’s not difficult to work out that with 40 per cent of their carrying capacity down there were going to be booking issues, though it was a relatively quiet time.

However, the good old British public failed to grasp that you can’t get a quart into a pint pot and made a big issue of the situation.

Wightlink didn’t just sit on their hands and within 48 hours they had introduced a 24-hour, seven days a week, back-to-back service at great expense to themselves and at enormous inconvenience to their staff, who worked punishing extra shifts to keep the service running.

The staff behaved with consummate professionalism and good humour throughout, even though some of them suffered tirades of verbal abuse. I was at times ashamed to have to sit in my truck and watch.

As usual it was the professional drivers who accepted the situation, even though for some, including myself, it caused enormous problems later in the day, while private motorists were the ones continually kicking off. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the ground staff, crews and back room staff.

Fifty per cent of all letters voice concerns of the ‘P’ word — that’s profit to you and me. People are obsessed with the fact that the fares are so high because the greedy parent company is making an obscene amount of profit.

Wightlink has invested an enormous amount of money in ground installations and the new vessel over the last four years and the money has to come from somewhere, with some aside for future investment.

What is an obscene profit? Look at all the big supermarkets, oil companies, banks, software companies, on line sales, Richard Branson, Dyson, these are all making obscene profits. Wightlink isn’t even at the bottom of the page.

Finally, for all those advocating a bridge/tunnel — forget it! If feasibility and geological studies were to start tomorrow, it would be at least ten years before completion and in ten years time I think we are going to be living in a very different world!