She was not sold and after main engine repairs and a full repaint "Woodchurch" returned to service in 1983, freeing up "Overchurch" to become the primary ferry to be used on a new Otterspool service, set up for the 1984 International Garden Festival. The ferries all operated on a normal 20 minute route throughout this. When the ferries were taken over by the PTE, they lost their original liveries and these were swiftly replaced with sky blue and primrose yellow. This was in turn replaced with black and green, and then colours of the Union Jack for the Garden Festival. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw very limited budgets for maintenance and the ferries are noted to look in poor condition during this period. In 1989, "Mountwood" and "Woodchurch" were withdrawn and extensively refurbished internally which resulted in complete rewiring and main engine repairs. They were given new modern interiors and their separate bridge wings and wheel houses were plated over to form one large bridge, although none of the original equipment was removed from the new bridge. They entered service by July 1990 in time for the "QE2's" first visit to the Mersey and also operated the new "heritage cruises". They also were given a new black and red livery replacing the red white and blue given for the Garden Festival season of 1984. The "Overchurch" also underwent some refurbishments at Bootle. She was then moved to the ferries' regular berth on the East Float, where she was used as a stand by vessel and during the busy summer season. In 1996 the "Overchurch" was given a small refit which involved the enclosing of the promenade deck shelter. The ferries companies were identifiable by their different colour liveries displayed on each vessel's funnel. Wallasey ferries carried a black and white colour scheme. Early Birkenhead steamers carried red and black, however this appears to have changed to orange in the 1920s or 1930s and this remained up until the merger of the two fleets under the MPTE in 1969. From January 2015, MV "Snowdrop" had a special livery applied, based on the World War I dazzle camouflage and designed by Peter Blake. The "Overchurch" was given her major refit in 1998 at Lengthline Ship Repairers in Manchester, which resulted in a major rebuilding of all decks and fitting of new engines and navigation equipment. She was renamed "Royal Daffodil" and returned to service in 1999.