Manxman Won’t go Out at Night

With the Steam Packet yet to confirm when the Manxman will enter service, the company has said she will only be serving day service to begin with.

The new vessel, built as a replacement for the Ben-my-Chree, will eventually take over the Douglas-Heysham route entirely, but initially will only operate the 8.45am sailing from Douglas to Heysham, and the return sailing at 2.15pm.

While the Ben will continue to do the night service, the chance will be taken for Manxman to give her crew greater opportunity to maximize training and familiarisation as well as to implement operational learnings as they get to know the vessel and her systems.

Passengers booked to travel over the Summer months may see Ben-my-Chree or Manxman as the vessel named on their tickets, however there is no guarantee that Manxman will operate any particular sailing and there may be last minute changes of vessel with no notice.

Managing Director Brian Thomson said: ‘We’ve always been clear Manxman will only enter service when her crew, the shoreside team and regulators are happy she is ready. Getting a brand new vessel up to the exacting standards of safety needed for daily passenger service in the Irish Sea is a complicated task and there are no shortcuts.

‘We’ve got a great team working literally around the clock to have Manxman ready for service, but we’re not going to push for an artificial date. Manxman will be in service when Manxman is ready for service. We fully appreciate the travelling public’s interest in Manxman, and we are just as keen to have her in regular use, welcoming passengers on board. Let me reassure everyone that every effort is being made, but it’s also important to remember Manxman is due to serve the island for the next twenty-plus years so it is worth taking a little time to get everything right at this stage.’