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Displaying items by tag: Delays Manxman

The managing director of the Isle of Man Steam Packet has discussed a problem found during sea trials of the Manx operator's new ferry built in a shipyard in Asia. 

The Island will have to wait longer to see the newbuild Manxman which was built at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

It was during sea trials (started in December) that a significant fault had developed in the gearbox which led to the ropax returning to the shipyard.

The managing director, Brian Thomson spoke on the situation which can be heard on Manx Radio via the link here. He said that the gearbox failed and will have to be replaced.

The Steam Packet said that there will be no impact on existing or future bookings with all sailings carried out by the existing vessels in the fleet. Ben-My-Chree and Manannan.

As for the Manxman's arrival, this however remains unclear when the delivery is to take place this year.

The larger newbuild will lead to the replacement of Ben-My-Chree which has served on the main Douglas-Heysham route since 1998.

Published in Shipyards

Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.