New vessel prepares to undertake first passenger sailings
Manxman will make its first passenger sailing today (17 August).
The new vessel is due to depart the Isle of Man for Heysham at 8.45am before returning at 2.15pm.
The Steam Packet Company says it ‘can’t wait to welcome’ the first passengers onboard – among them will be 50 people who entered a ballot for a place on today’s sailings.
More than 1,200,000 man hours have been spent building the boat and getting it into service since the project was started in 2019.
Manxman was built in Ulsan in South Korea following a tendering process which included shipyards in Poland and Turkey.
It’s due to operate daytime sailings for the next month before taking over the night sailings, from the Ben-my-Chree, in September.
This morning's 2.15am crossing to Douglas was the Ben-my-Chree's final as the Steam Packet's flagship.
Manx Radio's Lewis Foster headed down to the sea terminal to chat with some of the passengers making the maiden voyage, and the Steam Packet Company's Managing Director Brian Thompson:
You can find out more HERE.
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