THIS WEEK IN 1971: Passengers swap ships in the Solent

Hundreds of passengers had to be transferred from a crippled Isle of Wight ferry in the Solent.Â

Shortly after MV Brading left Ryde Pier for Portsmouth Harbour, the 23-year-old ferry suffered engine failure which left it drifting helplessly near the North Sturbridge buoy.

The ferry's skipper radioed for assistance and Brading's sister ship came to the rescue. When passengers arrived in Portsmouth, they arrived two hours after boarding the ferry at Ryde.

The journey normally took 25 minutes.Â