Isle of Man Ferry Incident Leads to Delays and Cancellations Due to Rough Seas

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company‘s main ferry, Manxman, experienced damage while docking at Heysham Port on the morning of Thursday, August 22, as reported by the ferry operator.

No injuries were reported among the crew and passengers, though the specifics of the incident were not disclosed.

Travelers who were set to depart on the Manxman’s 02:15 a.m. service were relocated to an alternative vessel, Ben-My-Chree, which set sail just after 05:00 a.m. This switch led to significant delays for the scheduled 08:45 a.m. service heading to Heysham.

Additionally, escalated gales across the Irish Sea led to the cancellation of all afternoon services to and from Liverpool, including remaining routes between Douglas and Heysham. The Steam Packet Company highlighted safety concerns and port slot limitations as the reasons for these cancellations.

The cancellation of the fast ferry service to Liverpool was confirmed earlier due to high wind speeds and unsafe wave heights for the Manannan. The Manxman’s trip from Douglas to Lancashire previously set for Tuesday at 19:45 BST also faced a 45-minute delay due to rough sea conditions.

Representatives from the Steam Packet Company declared that the damaged Manxman would remain in Heysham for repairs. To mitigate the impact, alternate arrangements have been made utilizing Ben-My-Chree for passenger transport and the Arrow for freight services.

The incident has been reported to the relevant authorities, including the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch. The Ben-My-Chree, primarily used for a freight trip, came back to Douglas Harbour at 09:00 a.m. today, with a deferred return to Lancashire planned for 11:30 a.m.