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Displaying items by tag: South Korean shipyard

21st August 2021

Construction of Manxman Begins in South Korea for Isle of Man Steam Packet

Construction has commenced on Manxman, the new flagship ferry for the Isle of Man Steam Packet. Key stakeholders were in attendance at the steel-cutting ceremony in Ulsan, South Korea where a formal pushing of the button took place to mark the first piece of steel to be cut.

Construction of Manxman has begun at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea with the vessel to become the new flagship ferry for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. 

The first steel cut for the 133m-long Manxman took place yesterday at the Asian shipyard contracted to build the ferry which is due to replace Ben-my-Chree when the ro-pax enters service in 2023.

The new ferry will be able to carry 949 passengers and 495m2 of additional space for freight and vehicles.

Attending the steel cutting ceremony in Ulsan were officials from the Steam Packet Co, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Sea Quest Marine Project Management (specialist shipbuilding consultants), Houlder Naval Architects and Lloyds Register (Class Surveyor).

At the milestone event to cut the steel involved a formal pushing of the button to mark the first piece of steel being cut. The event signified the detail design of the vessel comprising a total of around 300 detailed plans. This was finalised and agreed by the Steam Packet's Project Team for construction to commence.

Plasma files are produced from the approved construction drawings to allow the shipyard’s plate cutting machines to automatically and accurately cut each piece of the vessel. There will be up to two months of plate cutting, panel production, plate bending and pipe production before block construction, and then keel laying, can commence.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Managing Director Brian Thomson said: ‘The steel cutting ceremony is a milestone occasion and cause for celebration which signifies that after years of planning, the construction of Manxman is under way. The Project Team has been working incredibly hard to ensure the project stays on track and it’s fantastic to see everything progressing as scheduled.

‘This is a very exciting time for the Company and we’re looking forward to keeping the Island community up-to-date with the progress of Manxman ahead of her coming into service, scheduled for spring 2023.’

Published in Shipyards
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1st August 2020

Isle of Man Steam Packet Signs Contract in Asia for New Purpose-Built Ferry

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is excited to announce that our new purpose-built vessel will be constructed in South Korea by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), one of the world’s major shipbuilders

Shipbuilders in Asia are to custom-build a ferry for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company at a facility in South Korea with the newbuild due to enter Irish Sea service in 2023.

The agreement was officially confirmed yesterday by the Manx operator's Board of Directors, having signed a contract with one of the world’s major shipbuilders, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), based in Ulsan.

It follows a week-long visit to Korea by senior personnel from the IOMSPCo, during which they visited the shipyard where the vessel will be built, viewed a recently completed ship to assess the standard of work and discussed technical and commercial considerations with HMD executives.

Work on physically constructing a replacement for the conventional ferry, Ben-my-Chree, is now due to start in mid-2021 after detailed plans are finalised and agreed between builder and buyer.

The process began last autumn when the Company commissioned a tender exercise, during which a large number of shipyards around the world expressed an interest in building the bespoke vessel.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘For some time we have been conducting detailed analysis as we develop plans for major investment in our fleet. ‘I am delighted to confirm that, following lengthy discussions with a leading shipyard in South Korea, we have confirmed specifications for the vessel and today signed a contract with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.

‘This truly is an exciting time in our history and, in the year we marked our 190th anniversary, the new vessel will take the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company forward to our 200th anniversary and beyond.’

The new vessel, expected to commence service in Spring 2023, will be an important part of the Company’s future plans, bringing high levels of on-board facilities and enhanced freight capability.

The Company is also committed to maintaining a third back-up vessel, intended to be the Ben-my-Chree when the new vessel arrives, to enhance security of both passenger and freight links and also help increase capacity during the TT and Classic TT.

Mr Woodward continued: ‘The final specification and build programme is still in development but it is expected the new vessel will be slightly larger than the Ben-my-Chree in most respects but with considerably more passenger space. It is also intended to be more environmentally efficient and manoeuvrable in poor conditions.

‘Factoring in various technical and logistical considerations for a new vessel, and taking into account the recent public consultation exercise where possible, our aim for when we introduce the new addition is to ensure we provide an even higher level of service to the Island community and our customers.’

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Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay on the east coast of Ireland stretches over seven kilometres, from Howth Head on its northern tip to Dalkey Island in the south. It's a place most Dubliners simply take for granted, and one of the capital's least visited places. But there's more going on out there than you'd imagine.

The biggest boating centre is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Bay's south shore that is home to over 1,500 pleasure craft, four waterfront yacht clubs and Ireland's largest marina.

The bay is rather shallow with many sandbanks and rocky outcrops, and was notorious in the past for shipwrecks, especially when the wind was from the east. Until modern times, many ships and their passengers were lost along the treacherous coastline from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, less than a kilometre from shore.

The Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea and is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south. North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sandbanks lie, and features a 5 km long sandy beach, Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the River Liffey, with the River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland, River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams.

Dublin Bay FAQs

There are approximately ten beaches and bathing spots around Dublin Bay: Dollymount Strand; Forty Foot Bathing Place; Half Moon bathing spot; Merrion Strand; Bull Wall; Sandycove Beach; Sandymount Strand; Seapoint; Shelley Banks; Sutton, Burrow Beach

There are slipways on the north side of Dublin Bay at Clontarf, Sutton and on the southside at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and in Dalkey at Coliemore and Bulloch Harbours.

Dublin Bay is administered by a number of Government Departments, three local authorities and several statutory agencies. Dublin Port Company is in charge of navigation on the Bay.

Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres or 7,000 hectares. The Bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and seven km in length east-west to its peak at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southside of the Bay has an East and West Pier, each one kilometre long; this is one of the largest human-made harbours in the world. There also piers or walls at the entrance to the River Liffey at Dublin city known as the Great North and South Walls. Other harbours on the Bay include Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbours both at Dalkey.

There are two marinas on Dublin Bay. Ireland's largest marina with over 800 berths is on the southern shore at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The other is at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club on the River Liffey close to Dublin City.

Car and passenger Ferries operate from Dublin Port to the UK, Isle of Man and France. A passenger ferry operates from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Howth as well as providing tourist voyages around the bay.

Dublin Bay has two Islands. Bull Island at Clontarf and Dalkey Island on the southern shore of the Bay.

The River Liffey flows through Dublin city and into the Bay. Its tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac.

Dollymount, Burrow and Seapoint beaches

Approximately 1,500 boats from small dinghies to motorboats to ocean-going yachts. The vast majority, over 1,000, are moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour which is Ireland's boating capital.

In 1981, UNESCO recognised the importance of Dublin Bay by designating North Bull Island as a Biosphere because of its rare and internationally important habitats and species of wildlife. To support sustainable development, UNESCO’s concept of a Biosphere has evolved to include not just areas of ecological value but also the areas around them and the communities that live and work within these areas. There have since been additional international and national designations, covering much of Dublin Bay, to ensure the protection of its water quality and biodiversity. To fulfil these broader management aims for the ecosystem, the Biosphere was expanded in 2015. The Biosphere now covers Dublin Bay, reflecting its significant environmental, economic, cultural and tourism importance, and extends to over 300km² to include the bay, the shore and nearby residential areas.

On the Southside at Dun Laoghaire, there is the National Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as Dublin Bay Sailing Club. In the city centre, there is Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club. On the Northside of Dublin, there is Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and Sutton Dinghy Club. While not on Dublin Bay, Howth Yacht Club is the major north Dublin Sailing centre.

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