Manannan's replacement will be slower

Documents say £30m down payment is due this year

Manannan's planned replacement is likely to add an extra 45 minutes on crossings to Liverpool.

Documents released following a freedom of information request from Manx Radio show the planned new vessel will likely take three and a half hours to cross from Douglas to Merseyside.

The fast-craft currently averages a crossing time from Douglas to Merseyside of two hours and 45 minutes, but the documents show the new vessel would likely take three and a half.

According to a letter from the Steam Packet's chairman to Treasury's Chief Financial Officer Caldric Randall, the new ship will be a conventional ropax vessel around four knots faster than the Manxman.

This would enable her to reach Liverpool in just under three and a half hours in most weather conditions all year round.

The letter states that the company's view, broadly supported by respondents to a recent survey of the travelling public, is that a further conventional ropax vessel will add to the resilience and passenger amenity it is able to offer year round.

Chairman Dan Clague wrote that the new vessel would be an effective back-up for the Manxman when she is out of service, and vice versa.

Reflection

A £30 million down payment is due this year, forming part of the fleet strategy noted by the Council of Ministers earlier this year and agreed by the Treasury.

However, a Council of Ministers minute from 30 July records that the situation may require the company to reflect on what has been committed to before proceeding.

The minute also notes that should the board of the Steam Packet have any concerns over the commissioning of the new vessel in light of the forthcoming engineers' report into the Manxman damage, it would be expected to request a pause.

The Manxman has been in dry dock since significant wear to both propeller shafts and associated seawater-lubricated shaft bearings was discovered, the cause of which is yet to be determined. 

In his letter to Mr Randall, Mr Clague said the operational experience with the Manxman, including matters relating to reliability, resilience and service performance in Irish Sea conditions, is helping inform the specification, design and procurement work for the proposed Manannan replacement.

He wrote: "The objective remains to ensure that the next vessel is suited to the Island's long-term strategic, operational and passenger requirements."

Mr Clague added: "The board will continue to test the proposed investment against those requirements, including lessons learned from Manxman, and will keep the shareholder informed as the specification develops."

The chairman also said the board would welcome continued engagement with Treasury and other Government departments to ensure the relevant lessons are captured and that ministers have appropriate assurance as the project progresses.

He added that the company was due to review its strategy at an all-day offsite conference in mid-October, with a well-known firm of transport strategy consultants attending. 

The Council of Ministers was told on 30 July that the specification for the new vessel has been chosen by those with relevant expertise.

Mr Clague further noted that the long-term resilience of the Island's sea links depends not only on vessel reliability but also on the continued suitability of harbour infrastructure in Douglas, Heysham and Liverpool.

He said maintenance of adequate berth and approach channel depths to meet Sea Services Assessment requirements is a critical factor in ensuring safe and reliable operations for both existing and future vessels.