Isle of Man's new 'Manxman' vessel officially joins Steam Packet Company fleet

The Isle of Man's new vessel has officially joined the Steam Packet Company fleet after the official documentation was signed.

'The Manxman' is due to leave the dockyard where it was built in South Korea on Saturday 13 May, and will arrive in the Isle of Man by the end of June.

Lars Ugland, Chairman of the Board of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, signed the official documentation to complete the transfer of ownership on behalf of the Company.

The signing closes the building phase of the project that began with the selection of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in July 2020.

The vessel is now in the charge of Captain Andy Atkinson and Chief Engineer Dean Ellis.

James Royston, Fleet Operations Manager of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, and project manager for the Manxman build said: "It has been a honour to be involved in this landmark investment for the Company and the island.

"It is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved that Manxman has gone from a design on a computer screen to a completed vessel in less than two years."

He added, "It has been a pleasure working with the team at Hyundai Mipo, our site supervision team Sea Quest Marine, naval architects Houlder’s, insurers Lloyd’s Registry and most importantly the officers and crew of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company who have been on site since the block erection stage."

Managing Director Brian Thomson added: "This is the first new build vessel the Company has commissioned since Ben-my-Chree joined the fleet in 1998, so the culmination of the build phase really is a seminal moment for everyone involved.

"A lot of hard work has gone into achieving this milestone and it’s certainly a time to celebrate that.

Mr Thomson continued, "As the build phase ends we now turn the focus on delivering Manxman to the Irish Sea and beginning the process of getting it ready for service.

"There’s the small matter of over 10,000 sea miles, approximately 23 days at sea and six different ports of call before Manxman arrives in UK waters.

"Our crew are excited about having the chance to handle the newest ship in the fleet, and the voyage will give them a great opportunity to get to know Manxman and we’re sure they’ll do us proud."

Manxman will be docking on the South Coast of England at the end of the delivery voyage in order for some final fixtures and fittings to be added.

The vessel is then expected to arrive in the Isle of Man by the end of June.

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