#Obstruction – An Isle of Man ferry that was stuck from entering Heysham Port on New Year’s Day due to a ‘submerged obstruction’, it now transpires was caused by a large piece of timber that broke free during the winter storms.

The timber had become embedded on the sea bed at the entrance to the Lancashire port. As a result the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s 12,504 tonnes ropax Ben-My-Chree had to await sufficient clearance before safely entering the port channel.

The ferry is currently operating to a revised sailing schedule as the Heysham Port Authorities are trying to deal with the obstruction. The port authority have warned the Steam Packet’s and other port users that they cannot attempt to remove the obstruction before tomorrow, Sunday 3rd January, at the earliest.

Commenting on the port obstruction, Steam Packet CEO Mark Woodward said ‘As a result of this problem, which is outside of our control, the Ben-my-Chree schedules will be affected. We will only be able to approach and leave the port at higher states of tide; there will also be a knock-on effect to the weekend daytime Birkenhead sailings. Passengers on the affected sailings will be contacted by our customer services team. We will also keep passengers advised if any further changes are required’.

Provisionally, the revised sailing schedule by the Steam Packet and additional contact details are available by clicking here.