Yes, and it was also convenient for storage and transport to the battle area. The two halves were stored "flat packed", with the crew in position, then joined together when needed !
Anyway, we left Bovington at around 17.15 hrs, bidding farewell to Max and Barbara (who live near Southampton), and set out on the one hour drive to our hotel near the ferry terminal at Portsmouth, where we had a meal and a few beers, before retiring early, as we had to be at check-in by 06.30 hrs the following morning.
The check-in and boarding procedure was smooth, simple and fairly quick - none of the nonsense with delays caused by the newly-introduced European Entry/Exit system at UK airports, and we were soon slipping past the Royal Navy Dockyards toward the Solent, and the six hour trip across the Channel to Caen (Ouistreham), Normandy.
Our ship was the Brittany Ferries "Mont St. Michel", a large, modern vessel carrying vehicles and foot passengers, with excellent facilities, and as the sea was calm and as flat as a mill pond, we had an effortless, smooth crossing, no doubt much better than the troops that had departed from this same port for D-Day, eighty two years earlier, and bound for Sword beach at Ouistreham.
I used my 'phone for photos during the crossing, and as I haven't yet sorted those images, I've used a "stock shot" of the ferry, and some of Karl's photos below.
Pic 1. Our ship, "Mont St. Michel".
Pics 2 to 4. Passing some rather worn-looking RN ships, including the carrier "HMS Prince of Wales", which was broken, apparently something to do with the rubber bands that power the screws. But in true "Matelot" fashion, the crew had erected a party marquee on deck, in order to enjoy the odd "rave" whilst having b*gger all else to do ................
I'll be back when I've sorted the rest of the photos.