#Ferry&Freight -The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's latest investment in freight services will begin operating on 28 April, the new service Afloat.ie previously reported on last Autumn, will see ro-ro vessel Arrow introduced.

The 84 trailer Arrow is on a long-term charter from Seatruck Ferries and she will cover for ro-pax Ben-my-Chree, while she undergoes her scheduled biennial overhaul as reported earlier today.

The overhaul of the 630 passenger vessel, which will include some of the passenger lounges being refurbished and additional seats being added to the Cafe Bar, is expected to take around three weeks.

During this time, the Arrow will provide freight services between Douglas and Heysham and fast-ferry Manannan will cover passenger services.

While Ben-my-Chree is in dry dock, Manannan will provide some passenger services between Douglas and Heysham, including the Saturday mornings of May 3, 10 and 17 respectively.

This will impact on normal Saturday morning services to Liverpool, but to ensure people who want to enjoy a weekend day trip to the city are able to, the Steam Packet Company is providing a series of special day excursions on each of these Saturdays.

The day excursions will allow people to sail to Heysham, travel to Liverpool by coach and return to the Island the same day from Liverpool. There will also be the option of spending the Saturday night in Liverpool and returning to the Island on the Sunday evening. Prices start from £39 return for adults.

Arrow will also supplement Ben-my-Chree and Manannan during the TT period and potentially at other times of peak demand to allow extra capacity for passengers. For further details visit www.steam-packet.com