For more than forty years P&O Ferries have been trawling Europe’s northern oceans. Here we have a look back at how the story was born, in the winter of 1965.

In December of 1965, Britain was caught in the winds of change. The previous winter had been the last for one of its most celebrated sons, Sir Winston Churchill, and as he was lowered carefully into his grave at St. Martin’s Church in the heart of England – with him could have gone many of the trappings of a dying Britain.

A glorious sweep of change was flowing through society, right before the population’s eyes: on 16th December the Beatles had returned to the top of the charts for another five week stint with the riff-heavy, Day Tripper, a day earlier Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 had performed the first controlled rendezvous in orbit and on 17th December North Sea Ferries (which was to become known as P&O Ferries in time), set off on its maiden voyage from Hull to Rotterdam.

The ferry making the first voyage was called the Norwave and as she made her way steadily across the North Sea, the significance of her journey was not lost on spectators. There was little new in the fact that she could carry 249 passengers, what was revolutionary was the fact that the ship had a capacity for amongst other cargo, trucks, trailers and cars.

Due to the work of North Sea Ferries, Europe was being opened up to the British tourist. This was far before air travel was an economically viable option for many and usual holiday destinations included Southend, Scarborough, Bournemouth and Blackpool. Suddenly, trips to Holland or the north coast of France became a reality. Families could travel for extended periods of time, bringing their car or perhaps a caravan for comfort. The journey of the Norwave was a significant one, connecting the British to the continent in a way that they had never been previously.

That maiden voyage did not pass without its difficulties, weather reports show that there was a howling gale and the ship was tossed violently upon the waves. Upon her arrival in Rotterdam, however, a significant advance had been made in maritime travel: the age of the ferry was upon us.

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