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Displaying items by tag: IOMSteam Packet

Officers employed by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, will according to a union, refuse to work overtime from 27 December in a dispute over changes to contracts.

In a ballot of union members from Nautilus International, who make up 48 of the ferry firm’s 70 officers, it had showed 89% had supported in taking industrial action.

At the centre of the ongoing dispute is the live-aboard arrangements for the crew working on the new custom-built £76m flagship Manxman during rest periods.

The newbuild with a capacity for 948 passengers had entered service in August on the main Douglas-Heysham route. 

This week the ferry company also faces weather disruption on the Irish Sea with gales affecting sailings yesterday. Afloat adds today, 21 December, sailings are subject to possible disruption or cancellation due to severe gale conditions.

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The Steam Packet has also warned of further disruption to sailings on the Manx-UK route which could last until Christmas Eve due to the weather.

BBC News has more on the dispute.

Published in Ferry

A Manx ferry Ben-my-Chree will be out of action for 'at least a week' as it undergoes repair work to one of its propellers.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company says it sustained damage when entering Heysham harbour, and it'll go into dry dock on Tuesday.

After inspection by divers, as well as investigations by the manufacturers of the propeller control systems, it's been decided the repairs can't be carried out whilst the vessel is afloat.

Manx Radio understands the Ben-my-Chree only returned to Douglas at around 12:30 this morning.

It'll sail from Douglas to Falmouth dry dock on Tuesday, with a further inspection and assessment by specialists to take place there.

The ropax built in 1998 Afloat adds having sailed overnight from the Irish Sea is currently off the Cornish coast while at Falmouth anchorage.

Published in Ferry

There has been a 'positive' response to a company survey according to the Isle of Man Steam Packet.

As Manx Radio reports, more than 7,000 people took part after it was launched at the end of last month.

The Company is trying to gain a better understanding of passenger views on travel services and on-board facilities.

Results from the survey will be taken into account during the design of a new vessel, which is due to replace the Ben-my-Chree over the next 2-3 years.

Published in Ferry

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!