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Displaying items by tag: Easter Bank Holiday

#FerryNews - This morning the first Dublin-Isle of Man sailing for season 2018 began with fastferry Manannan departing on time at 10.45 in advance of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The fast ferry service taking 2hrs 55mins is operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Manannan made an arrival to the Irish capital having departed on the outward leg from Douglas at 07.00.

In recent days Manannan also resumed daily operated Isle of Man sailings to Liverpool and yesterday began serving through Belfast. These sailings compared to the Dublin route are marginally shorter taking 2hrs 45mins on the Ulster link.

On occasions when conventional ropax Ben-My-Chree provides these services, the sailing times are longer on both the Irish routes. 

The Steam-Packet has more than 900,000 offer seats available during the season. Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘The return of our fast craft Manannan is always an exciting and busy time for us, and we are looking forward to welcoming our passengers on board. It is always great to see a combination of Island residents heading off on their travels, along with curious visitors on their way to discover our special island!’

Manannan can take 200 vehicles and 850 passenger and crew. There are a variety of seating areas, including two cinema lounges, a large bar area at the stern and the Coast-to-Coast cafe that offers a wide selection of food options.

On the upper deck is the enlarged skylounge providing accommodation for the Niarbyl Reserved Lounge, the Manannan Premium Lounge and the Manannan Executive Club. 

Published in Ferry

Coastal Notes Coastal Notes covers a broad spectrum of stories, events and developments in which some can be quirky and local in nature, while other stories are of national importance and are on-going, but whatever they are about, they need to be told.

Stories can be diverse and they can be influential, albeit some are more subtle than others in nature, while other events can be immediately felt. No more so felt, is firstly to those living along the coastal rim and rural isolated communities. Here the impact poses is increased to those directly linked with the sea, where daily lives are made from earning an income ashore and within coastal waters.

The topics in Coastal Notes can also be about the rare finding of sea-life creatures, a historic shipwreck lost to the passage of time and which has yet many a secret to tell. A trawler's net caught hauling more than fish but cannon balls dating to the Napoleonic era.

Also focusing the attention of Coastal Notes, are the maritime museums which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of historical exhibits for future generations.

Equally to keep an eye on the present day, with activities of existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector and those of the energy exploration industry.

In addition Coastal Notes has many more angles to cover, be it the weekend boat leisure user taking a sedate cruise off a long straight beach on the coast beach and making a friend with a feathered companion along the way.

In complete contrast is to those who harvest the sea, using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety poses an issue, before they set off to ply their trade at the foot of our highest sea cliffs along the rugged wild western seaboard.

It's all there, as Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied to the environment from which they came from and indeed which shape people's interaction with the surrounding environment that is the natural world and our relationship with the sea.