Displaying items by tag: IOM Steam Packet
World's Oldest Passenger Shipping Company Isle of Man Steam Packet to Celebrate 190th Birthday
Ferry operator the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company will officially mark its 190th anniversary on Tuesday (tomorrow).
It's the world’s oldest continually-operating passenger shipping company and has served the Island since 30 June 1830.
The Steam Packet, reports Manx Radio, started with a wooden paddle steamer known as Mona's Isle, built at a cost of £7,052, which was launched from Glasgow after being built on the River Clyde.
After arriving in Douglas, her maiden passenger crossing from the Isle of Man took place in mid-August that year.
To celebrate the milestone the Packet's fleet, decked in bunting, will sound its whistles in Douglas Harbour at 6pm on tomorrow evening (30 June).
Fastferry Manannan to Remain in Isle of Man for Winter Layover
The Isle of Man Steam Packet's fastferry, Manannan is to remain in Manx waters this winter.
According to EnergyFM, the passenger /vehicle craft concluded the 2019 season earlier this month, maintaining a 100% technical reliability record during the whole summer, according to the company.
Completing 759 sailings and travelling 51,777 nautical miles, the high-speed ferry also operated a 98.15% punctuality record, as the season drew to a close.
Manannan will now be moored in Douglas Harbour before undergoing an annual overhaul ahead of services resuming on 27th March next year.
Click here for more details.
Isle of Man Steam Packet: What Do You Think About A New Ferry?
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company wants public opinion on a new ship.
The ferry operator reports Manx Radio, wants to know your thoughts, as it prepares for 'major investment in its fleet'.
The company has plans to replace the Ben-my-Chree with a purpose-built ship, designed and constructed over the next three years.
Passengers past, present and future are invited to submit their views, specifically relating to on-board facility preferences, through a survey (click here) which is being hosted by Island Global Research.
For more click here.
Liverpool's New Ferry Terminal Delayed
A completion date for the new £38m Liverpool landing stage for Isle of Man ferries has been delayed.
According to IOMToday, it will be in the summer, as the completion date for the ferry terminal was given as February 2021, but that has been put back to July of that year.
However, Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said he was hoping it would be ready for the TT, which gets under way at the end of May.
The delay was due to the discharge of planning conditions and some legal agreements taking ’longer than anticipated’, he said.
It was also revealed that dredging is required for the project which Afloat adds will see the Isle of Man Steam Packet use the new terminal.
For more on this development click here.
In an aim to introduce electric vehicle charging points, a campaign has been set up to apply this on board ferries of the Isle of Man Steam Packet.
David Dorricott from the Mountain View Innovation Centre based outside the (harbour town of Ramsey) wants people to be able to 'charge whilst you cross'.
He says the Island is behind other nearby companies, which have brought in ferry EV charging.
For more Manx Radio reports having contacted the Steam Packet Company for a response with a podcast available through this link.
Chairman of the Isle of Man Steam Packet to Retire
According to EnergyFM, the chairman of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company will retire in Spring 2020 after holding his position for over 20 years.
Robert Quayle was appointed as chair in 2008 and was a director of the ferry company for more than two decades.
He will step down from his role on March 31st next year.
Mr Quayle said: ‘It has been a privilege to serve this great Company over a fascinating period in its long history. I have witnessed a number of changes of ownership during that time but the Company has continued to provide a consistent and reliable service to the Island community throughout.'
More here from the radio station.
Ferry firm the Isle of Man Steam Packet made a profit of £9.3m in the year that it was acquired by the Manx government.
But operating profits writes IOMToday, have fallen slightly.
Accounts for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Group Ltd for the year ending December 31, 2018, will be laid before this week’s Tynwald sitting.
They show profits for the year attributable to equity owners at £9,332,364 compared to £8,421,874 in 2017.
But operating profit, at £10,470,595, was down slightly from £10,813,574 the previous year.
The group was acquired by the Treasury on May 24 last year for a total of £124.7m, represented by debt of £75.9m and equity of £48.8m.
For more here on the accounts of the company.
Manx Government to Guarantee Isle of Man Steam Packet Loan
The Manx government will be required to guarantee the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s loans when it builds its new ferries.
Under the terms of the sea services agreement, the company must provide two new ships, with the first due to be in service in 2022.
In a Treasury report, due to be presented to Tynwald (Manx Parliament) on the refinancing of the £76m the company owes the taxpayer, it is also revealed that a government guarantee on the loans for new boats will be required.
The section of the report titled ’Additional Company Debt’ details the necessity for new ships and that ’it will require borrowing’.
For more the IOMToday reports here.
Isle of Man: Why Steam-Packet May Have to Divulge More Information to the Public
IOMToday writes that arm’s-length Manx government-owned ferry operations such as the Isle of Man Steam Packet could become subject to Freedom of Information laws.
Minister for Policy and Reform Chris Thomas says that transparency when public money is involved is important, but must be balanced against commercial confidentiality.
The issue of arm’s-length companies and FoI requests was highlighted when the Positive Action Group submitted a request in relation to the Steam Packet which was rejected.
The PAG asked the government’s Department of Infrastructure for ’figures for the carbon emissions of the Steam Packet fleet (for both the Manannan and the Ben-my-Chree individually) per kilometre, per mile or per journey’.
However, this was rejected as the Department of Infrastructure does not hold that information.
The DoI said in its response: ’You may already be aware that the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is not subject to Freedom of Information, although they may be open to a dialogue on the subject if you approach them direct.’
In response to this, Mr Thomas told the Isle of Man Examiner that he personally thinks that FoI might need to be ’tailored for arm’s-length operations, in several variants for each of the types of public bodies that currently exist or might come to exist’.
The Manx government bought the Steam Packet last year for £124 million and to read more on the FoI related story click here.
Manx Ferry Returns to Scheduled Services
#ferries - The ferry Ben-My-Chree operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet has been confirmed by the company of its return to Manx waters yesterday.
Manx Radio reports the ferry's arrival (in Douglas) follows what the operator called "successful regulatory overhaul" at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead.
In a post on social media, staff said they are "pleased to welcome her back" and "look forward to her returning to scheduled services" tomorrow (Thursday).
To see details on sailings in full, click here.