Wightlink's new £30 million (US$39 million) flagship Victoria of Wight left Cemre Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey on Monday July 16 for the 3,019 nautical mile journey to Portsmouth.
The trip should take 17 days if weather conditions are favourable.
Victoria of Wight has been specifically designed and built to serve the Isle of Wight on the Portsmouth – Fishbourne route.
The ship does not have cabins onboard because Wightlink crew work daily shifts and go home at the end of each shift. Because she has no cabins to allow a delivery crew to sleep onboard, she will be towed back to the Solent by a specialist towage company that has experience delivering ships from the Sea of Marmara to northern Europe.
The new ship has room for up to 178 cars and more than 1,000 passengers.
Wightlink expects the ship to enter service this summer.
