Cannan – We Made The Right Call

Chief Minister Alf Cannan says he remains convinced the gov made the right call to buy the Steam Packet.

In 2018, while Treasury Minister, he negotiated the deal to buy the company for £124n.

Since then, the gov has refinanced the company’s debts, which in part allowed it to get on with building Manxman.

Below is the Chief’s speech from the official welcome of the new flagship.

It is an incredible privilege to be here today as your Chief Minister.

In fact, as much as a privilege as it was to be your Treasury Minister five years ago, when the Council of Ministers supported the proposals to purchase the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

It is not often that one can look back on decisions and say that 100% the right decision was taken. But in the case of the purchase of the Steam Packet Company in 2018, I have no regrets and judging by the warmth and excitement shown towards the arrival of the Manxman, neither to the people of Mann.

The Manxman, as we can see, is a beautiful ship, and has been designed and built to the highest specifications to meet the needs of the island that she serves.

Three outside decks, two pet lounges, plus onboard kennels, four lifts, hybrid electric diesel engines, 40 cabins, 495 metre squared for freight and vehicles, eight decks, cafe, restaurant, reserved lounges, all designed for full disability access, by the time you are finished looking around the Manxman, I suspect the sailing will be over.

It truly looks to be a unique experience. I want to congratulate the chairman Lars Ugland and the board for the excellent manner in which they have conducted operations since the government purchased the company in 2018. This is clearly demonstrated today by the arrival of the Manxman to our shores on time and on budget.

It has been no small task and has required extensive thought, planning and oversight. Thank you, Lars, your colleagues on the board and indeed the executive team., you have done an incredible job and thank you also to the crew of the maximum for bringing her to our shores in such fine condition, although I half suspect it may well have been more of a pleasure than a chore.

The Manxman now joins an illustrious list of boats that have belonged to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. In fact, I note she is the third in the fleet to hold the name Manxman and with a length of 436 feet or 133 metres and a capacity of 950 passengers, is the largest vessel in the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s history and demonstrates, I believe, the ambition of the company and indeed the island to grow its business and its economy.

I keep saying the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, but it is more than just a company, the company is a national asset, an asset that transports our daily necessities, a company and an asset that transports our infrastructure that transports and delivers our food transports and delivers our exports that transports and delivers our visitors and an asset that transports and delivers our island residents to and from their island home.

In fact, it has been thus now for 193 years when what was the Mona’s Isle company was established by the people of this island, in response to their frustrations with an unreliable see service to the island, and a need to provide greater security around the delivery of their modern day essentials to the island. A meeting of residents and businessmen in 1829 led a call for subscriptions, and the sum of £4,500 pounds was subscribed to get the Mona’s Isle up and running in June of 1830.

‘The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s first wooden paddle steamer, named the Mona’s Isle, was launched by John Wood and Company’s yard in Glasgow after being built on the river Clyde. She arrived in Douglas 46 days later on the 15th of August 1830 ready for her first passenger sailing.

I imagine then that the excitement of the arrival of their new ship not to be too dissimilar to the excitement experience today, as the announcement is effectively commissioned, and how appropriate that we do so with the company back in the hands of the island that she will serve.

‘God bless the Manxman and all who sail in her.’