RECENTLY Looking Back featured a trip down memory lane to when Weymouth was a commercial port.

These timely memories have been sparked by Condor Ferries leaving Weymouth for the last time last week on its final sailing.

The longest vessel ever to call into the port was the Kas Marianne.

Portland historian Stuart Morris got in touch to share memories of when the Kingsnorth Fisher, specially built for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), came to Weymouth and travelled across town on a giant air cushion!

Despite its size the ship’s draught was only some 12 feet.

In September 1969 this special vessel delivered an enormous non-divisible 233-tonnes transformer for the new Chickerell electricity substation, which was offloaded onto Custom House Quay.

Stuart said: "Transporting this massive load through the town was a major exercise.

"A huge Wynns transporter had to negotiate South Parade, Alexander Gardens, the Esplanade, Westham Road, etc. to site off Radipole Lane, behind where the football stadium now is.

"I was a civil engineer on the council at the time and for this operation I was involved in checking clearances and load bearing of the roads and covers, getting traffic signs and lights moved.

"A big concern was crossing Westham Bridge (actually a dam, but of cellular construction). This was only possible as the Wynns transporter had an innovative air-cushion, on hovercraft principles, to spread the load over the highway surface.

"The movement was at night to avoid too much disruption, as St Thomas Street then still carried all the main road traffic."

*IF you have memories of more unusual vessels visiting Weymouth port