Former cross-tyne ferry Shieldsman, laid up at South Shields since being replaced in 2007 by new ￡1.9 million vessel Spirit of the Tyne, sailed south under her own power in mid-February after purchase for conversion into a floating bar/ restaurant at Portsmouth, only to suffer an engine failure off Norfolk which resulted in a three hour tow to Great Yarmouth by the Gorleston lifeboat. During three decades of service, Shieldsman (below) was estimated to have carried 30 million passengers between South and North Shields. Now service operator Nexus is concentrating solely on the ferry service and has stopped river cruises and charter bookings.
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