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Displaying items by tag: Revised Manx sailings

#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.

Published in Ferry

The Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School is based on Dun Laoghaire's West Pier on Dublin Bay and in the heart of Ireland's marine leisure capital.

Whether you are looking at beginners start sailing course, a junior course or something more advanced in yacht racing, the INSS prides itself in being able to provide it as Ireland's largest sailing school.

Since its establishment in 1978, INSS says it has provided sailing and powerboat training to approximately 170,000 trainees. The school has a team of full-time instructors and they operate all year round. Lead by the father and son team of Alistair and Kenneth Rumball, the school has a great passion for the sport of sailing and boating and it enjoys nothing more than introducing it to beginners for the first time. 

Programmes include:

  • Shorebased Courses, including VHF, First Aid, Navigation
  • Powerboat Courses
  • Junior Sailing
  • Schools and College Sailing
  • Adult Dinghy and Yacht Training
  • Corporate Sailing & Events

History of the INSS

Set up by Alistair Rumball in 1978, the sailing school had very humble beginnings, with the original clubhouse situated on the first floor of what is now a charity shop on Dun Laoghaire's main street. Through the late 1970s and 1980s, the business began to establish a foothold, and Alistair's late brother Arthur set up the chandler Viking Marine during this period, which he ran until selling on to its present owners in 1999.

In 1991, the Irish National Sailing School relocated to its current premises at the foot of the West Pier. Throughout the 1990s the business continued to build on its reputation and became the training institution of choice for budding sailors. The 2000s saw the business break barriers - firstly by introducing more people to the water than any other organisation, and secondly pioneering low-cost course fees, thereby rubbishing the assertion that sailing is an expensive sport.