The newest ferry (passenger and freight/Ro-Pax vessel) for the Isle of Man UK has successfully completed a series of trials in two crucial ports.
The owned by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessel Manxman underwent berthing tests in both Isle of Man ports (Douglas and Heysham) along with making an initial visit to Belfast.
This process involved ensuring the GBP 78 million ship could be skillfully maneuvered and securely docked at these homeports, as part of the essential pre-passenger service assessments.
The ferryboat is poised to replace the 1998-built Ben-my-Chree (IMO 9170705) as the primary Ro-Pax ship for the region.
Although a specific date for the ferry's inaugural voyage has not been set, Brian Thomson (company's managing director) indicated that it should be a matter of "weeks rather than months" before the maiden voyage occurs.
Numerous other preparations have been ongoing since Manxman's arrival on July 2nd, including safety drills and crew training.
Additionally, work continues on a list of supplementary modifications, such as enhancing the coating on both car decks. The publicly-owned monopoly ferry operator's spokesperson highlighted this ongoing effort.
In line with prior announcements, during the initial 4 weeks of service, the Manxman will exclusively operate daytime sailings, while the Ben-my-Chree will handle evening sailings.
For this period, the departure time for the Douglas to Heysham route will be delayed by one hour, at 20:15 BST. Subsequently, MV Manxman will transition to conducting only nighttime sailings for the following four weeks.