Breaking
Low Tides Hit Sailing Schedule (Again)
The good news however is that the Manannan’s engine issue has been fixed
A number of changes have been made to ferry crossing times this week due to a combination of low tides and harbour conditions in Douglas.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company did not confirm the revised timings online at the time, but said all passengers affected would be notified directly via text or email.
Issues linked to a build-up of silt in the harbour following recent storms and very low tides came to a head on Saturday, March 1, when the Manxman became stuck while manoeuvring into port.
It remained grounded until the tide rose, allowing it to berth safely.
As a result, the Steam Packet made several amendments to its schedule in recent weeks, including rescheduling sailings to avoid critical low water periods.
Announcing the latest adjustments to the sailing schedule, a spokesperson for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said: ‘With arrival and departure times in Douglas Harbour coinciding with low water from Wednesday, April 9 through to Tuesday, April 15, the company is having to make adjustments to the schedule to avoid lowest water conditions.
‘Sailings affected are those operated by Manxman or Ben-my-Chree, which require the same under keel clearance to operate safely.’
The Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure’s Harbours Division scheduled plough dredging work to begin this week to help address high spots within the harbour.
In a separate announcement, the department confirmed that a more extensive five-day dredging programme would take place later this month.
A spokesperson said: ‘A five-day dredging programme is scheduled to take place in Douglas outer harbour from Friday, April 18. The work will be undertaken by specialist contractors Boskalis, who visited the Island for three days’ dredging last month following the completion of a survey by Clydeside Surveys. The focus of the maintenance dredge will be on the No 5 berth, the tanker berth and a charted feature that requires the use of specialist machinery.’
The Steam Packet also confirmed that Ben-my-Chree would cover the Isle of Man to Heysham sailing on Monday, April 15, while the Manxman was temporarily withdrawn from service to complete its annual Marine Evacuation System deployment exercise.
Passengers affected by changes to sailings were contacted directly, and full refunds or amendments were made free of charge where applicable. The company said it appreciated customers’ patience and understanding during the disruption, particularly for those travelling with time-sensitive plans.
The company added: ‘We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this situation and thank passengers for their continued support.’
Separately, the Steam Packet confirmed that fast craft Manannan, which had been operating at reduced speed over the weekend due to a technical issue, was now running on all four engines. A fault with the control system on one of its engines was detected during a sailing on Saturday, and the engine was temporarily shut down as a precaution. Engineering teams worked to resolve the issue, and the vessel has since returned to full operational power.
