The Curious Case of Manxman’s Wonky Week

What a week it’s been on the high seas for our beloved Manxman.

The flagship of the Steam Packet fleet seems to have had a reputational wobble – more than a wobble actually (if the infamous Manx social media is to be believed).

Wearing our captain’s hats, and armed with zero knowledge of nautical matters (aside from a brief trip on Onchan’s bumper boats), we’ve tried to speculate as to what went on with the vessel this week.

And it all kicked off on Monday.

The £80 million Manxman, shiny and new (apart from a sizable dent), decided it wasn’t really feeling the whole ‘sailing’ thing.

‘Adverse forecast weather’, it grumbled.

Now, we can’t blame it entirely – who hasn’t looked outside on a Monday morning and thought, ‘Nah, not today’? But for a boat, it’s kind of the one thing it’s supposed to do.

Tuesday wasn’t much better.

Morning came and went, and still no sign of Manxman at Heysham.

The folks waiting on the Lancashire coast were left standing there like it was the world’s worst surprise party (We hope nobody was actually stood out, and if you were, check the bloody SPC website!)

The afternoon saw a little more action, though!

After some coaxing, the Manxman finally budged from Douglas, albeit an hour late – better late than never, as they say, unless you’re trying to catch a ferry, of course.

Wednesday morning followed suit, with more delays and disruptions as Manxman tried its best to play catch-up.

By this point, the island’s social media was buzzing with more theories than a room full of conspiracy theorists.

Could it be that Manxman was seasick?

Did it miss South Korea and was pining for home?

The Steam Packet team took to their blog, sharing some insights from their fleet operations guru, James Royston, and Captain Tom Turner, the helmsman who’s trying to steady the ship (quite literally!).

Captain Turner must’ve felt like a substitute teacher in a rowdy classroom, trying to keep order while the rest of us sat back, popcorn in hand, watching the drama unfold.

As for the crew at Steam Packet HQ, they were up to their elbows, trawling through social media like detectives in a whodunit.

Here’s the questions, or statements, posed by the public in full, with answers from James Royston (JR) and Tom Turner (TT).

Manxman’s been cancelled, why not send Ben-my-Chree?

JR: The maximum wind speed, per the risk assessments, for Ben-my-Chree to berth in Heysham is very similar to Manxman’s. Therefore, Ben-my-Chree couldn’t sail if Manxman wouldn’t have been able to either.

Why not sail Manxman to Liverpool if it can’t berth in Heysham?                        

JR: Trials have not yet been carried out for Manxman to operate from Liverpool. Once the trials are successfully completed, we’ll have more flexibility to consider Liverpool as an option in the future. However, it is not possible to transport freight via the Liverpool terminal, due to circumstances outside of our control.

It’s not even windy

JR: This is given as a statement, not a question!

TT: The short answer is that it’s not just about the current weather, but the forecast as well. We assess the weather for the entire journey, not just the port. The forecast might show conditions beyond what is considered safe according to our risk assessment, which takes into account a variety of factors to ensure the safety of everyone on board.

I’ve looked at a website and it’s only 20-25 knots of wind at Heysham. Why was the sailing cancelled?

JR: We have access to a wide range of weather data, much of it is not publicly accessible. There are many weather sources available, and forecasts can vary. We use several of these to make the best possible decision, prioritising safety. While some might show lower winds, others indicate conditions that might pose a risk. We never take cancellations lightly, and we always aim to operate whenever it’s safe to do so.

TT: In the Isle of Man – particularly in Douglas, we are largely sheltered when the wind comes from the North West, however Heysham’s landscape leaves little shelter for the vessel.  Our Masters take their local knowledge of the ports and apply it.  Looking at a forecast can be helpful, but local factors often come into play.  So for example 30 knots from the North West in Heysham would have a larger effect on the vessel than if it was 30 knots from the South West in Heysham – as we receive shelter from the Nuclear Power station, as an example.

Unlike the aviation industry, ships don’t have the luxury of assessing a ‘stable’ approach, then invoking a ‘go around’ if an unstable approach is determined.  Hence the manoeuvre is planned with a factor of contingency, a margin which ensures the vessel can safely berth with a sudden increase of wind (i.e. gusts / windshear).

How can, for instance, Manannan sail and not Manxman?

JR: The wind conditions in Heysham can be very different to those in Liverpool. Also due to the topography of the land and buildings around the ports, they are affected by winds of a different direction.

Manxman is too big for Heysham.         

JR: Manxman’s dimensions are based more on Douglas than Heysham, as Douglas is a smaller port. Manxman is 133m long but other vessels using Heysham are up to 147m long. It’s draught is pretty much the same as Ben-my-Chree’s and can be altered in port through the use of ballast tanks and the in-built stability system.

Manxman was a cancelled cruise ship

JR: Manxman was designed and built specifically for the IOMSPC to a bespoke design, based on the requirements of the Sea Service Agreement and using input from customer surveys.

Manxman is not as precise or controllable as Ben-my-Chree.

TT: For a ship of Manxman’s size – she is a substantially powered and capable vessel in terms of Propulsion / Thrust. She has 3300kW of bow thruster power up forward compared to 1800kW on Ben-my-Chree.  Manxman also has special high lift rudders to aid with manoeuvrability.