MANXMAN © John Bryant

MANXMAN out of service in the middle of the high season

FerryA technical breakdown aboard Isle of Man Steam Packet’s RoPax MANXMAN in the middle of the high season in mid-July has proven more serious than first thought. After the 2023-built ferry arrived at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, wear on her propulsion shaft bearings was detected, parts which engineers couldn’t inspect until they'd been removed.

A time-consuming process that has now led the operator to postpone MANXMAN's return to service until the end of September. The operation of the main route between Douglas and Heysham will instead be maintained by the significantly smaller RoPax BEN-MY-CHREE.

At the same time, Isle of Man Steam Packet’s RoRo vessel ARROW has been temporarily withdrawn to the Isle of Man from a charter to UK-based international infrastructure group Balfour Beatty to compensate for MANXMAN's trailer capacity.

jul 30 2026