Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world, celebrating its 190th anniversary in 2020.
The company provides freight, passenger and vehicle services between the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, in Douglas, Isle of Man, and five ports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is owned by the Isle of Man Government.
User agreement
The Steam Packet Company is required to fulfil the terms of a user agreement negotiated with the island's Department of Transport. Under the 2004 extension of the Agreement, the following minimum service levels are required:- Inbound freight capacity: 7,800 lane metres per week.
- Service to north-west UK ports: 936 return sailings per year.
- Summer-period frequency to Liverpool: a daily service from April to the third week in October.
- Services to the east coast of Ireland: 63 return sailings per year.
In 2006, the company was under investigation by a select committee of Tynwald, the Isle of Man's parliament. One of the concerns of Tynwald is the annual published profit margins by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company which, according to Hansard, are 36% - almost three times the industry standard for ferry companies throughout the world.
History
Beginning of the company
There had been various shipping companies serving the Isle of Man before the formation of this company in 1830, but their crossings were irregular and vessels used were unreliable. As a result the island could be cut off for weeks at a time. The Manx people felt it was essential they should have their own dedicated service. A meeting was held in Douglas in 1829, from which was formed a committee charged investigating the cost of acquiring a steam packet.On 30 June 1830, the forerunner of today's Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was born when the brand new vessel,, built at a cost of £7,250, sailed from Douglas to Liverpool on its very first sailing. From the inauguration of the service until January 1832, the company was known as the Mona's Isle Company. Briefly the company then traded as the Isle of Man United Steam Packet, before assuming its present name in July 1832.
By the turn of the 20th century, the company was serving numerous ports in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Ports served included Liverpool, Silloth, Whitehaven, Holyhead, Ardrossan, Blackpool, Belfast and Dublin.
War service
Vessels and crews of the company were actively involved in both the First and Second World Wars. One vessel,, was attached to the British Grand Fleet and led the German High Seas Fleet into Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands at the end of the First World War. Another vessel, Viking, was converted to become a seaplane carrier, serving as.During the First World War, eleven out of a total fleet of fifteen Steam Packet ships were requisitioned by the Admiralty. Four of them were lost, three retained by the government and four returned to service. and also served as aircraft/seaplane carriers.
In the Second World War, ten of the fleet of sixteen ships were commandeered for active duty, four of which were lost. The Dunkirk evacuation was perhaps the company's finest hour, with Mona's Isle being the first to leave Dover and the first to complete the round trip during the evacuation. Eight company ships took part in this mission, rescuing a total of 24,699 British troops - one in fourteen of those evacuated from Dunkirk. However this was also the company's blackest day, as three of the line's ships were lost:
- , mined off Dunkirk on 29 May;
- , sunk by air attack whilst berthed alongside Dunkirk's East Pier on 29 May;
- , sustained heavy damage following several air attacks on 29 May, and sank off the beaches in the early hours of 30 May.
Vehicle transport
Four side-loading roll-on/roll-off car ferries were introduced, beginning with in 1962, and followed by , and . Mona's Isle was the Steam Packet Company's first stern loader in 1984-85.The 1980s were tough times for the company, with declining passenger numbers. Strong competition from Manx Line's brought them close to collapse. In February 1985, they announced a merger with Sealink who had, by now, taken over Manx Line. The main UK port switched from Liverpool to Heysham, thus ending an association lasting back to the company's origins.
2008 rebranding
In June 2007, a new CEO, Mark Woodward, was appointed to succeed Hamish Ross; he promised to improve the company's services, to return to the classic livery, and to promote the island's culture.As the first part of the rebranding, the Sea Express 1 and SuperSeaCat Two were renamed Snaefell and Viking respectively; the latter was later sold and operated for the Atlantico Line as Hellenic Wind.
The fleet received a brand new livery, replacing the old SeaCo livery. All vessels of the fleet underwent complete internal refits which reflected the company's new colours and the rebranding of the company's on board lounges. The terminals received new signage and new uniforms were made for crew and shore staff.
The company's first class lounge and members club were renamed: 1st Lounge became the Premium Lounge and the Blue Riband Club became the Executive Club. The Quiet Lounge was also renamed, becoming the Niarbyl Reserved Lounge.
Today
In return for exclusive use of the government linkspan at Douglas, the Steam Packet Company has guaranteed regular services to the Manx government. and provide regular services to England and Ireland.In addition to the regular routes, the company operates a few special day excursions to other destinations or round the Isle of Man in summer. Extra sailings are scheduled at times of high demand such as the Isle of Man TT period. The company also operates its own in-house travel agency, Steam Packet Holidays.
In August 2017, the company announced plans to scrap the Belfast route and switch sailings to the port of Larne in Northern Ireland. The move allowed the sailings to carry freight, motorhomes and coaches which could not be loaded at Belfast's Albert Quay.
Recent changes of ownership
- In 1996, the Steam Packet Company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Sea Containers headed by James Sherwood, who had pioneered the fast-craft operation.
- In July 2003, the company was sold for £142 million to Montagu Private Equity.
- In 2005, the company was purchased by Macquarie Bank for £225 million.
- In April 2011, it was announced that the company had new owners Banco Espírito Santo.
- In May 2018, it was confirmed that the Isle of Man Government had agreed a deal worth £124 million to purchase 100% of MIOM Ltd, the parent company of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The deal was approved by Tynwald on 16 May 2018.
Fleet
| Picture | Name | Built | Routes | Notes |
| Arrow | 1998 | Douglas-Heysham | Chartered from Seatruck Ferries | |
| MS Ben-my-Chree|Ben-my-Chree | 1998 | Douglas-Heysham Douglas-Birkenhead/Dublin/Belfast | Fleet flagship | |
| Manannan | 1998 | Douglas-Liverpool/Belfast/Dublin |
Present day operations
The Steam Packet Company operates services between:- Douglas - Heysham
- Douglas - Liverpool
- Douglas - Belfast
- Douglas - Dublin
Historic fleet
Pre-war steamers
The company built five steamers over ten years from 1927. They were the replacements for the various second-hand steamers that the company purchased to replace its First World War losses.| Image | Ship | Built | Route | Tonnage | Notes |
| SS Ben-my-Chree |Ben-my-Chree | Scrapped at Ghent in 1965 | ||||
| RMS Lady of Mann|Lady of Mann | Scrapped at Dalmuir in 1971 | ||||
| SS Mona's Queen |Mona's Queen | Sunk at Dunkirk in 1940 | ||||
| Douglas — various | Sunk at Dunkirk in 1940 | ||||
| Tynwald |Tynwald | Douglas — various | Sunk off Bougie in 1942 |
The "Six Sisters"
A class of vessel derived from pre-war steamers Fenella and Tynwald affectionately known as the Six Sisters. These were all built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead and were in service between 1946 and 1982. They operated from Douglas to various ports. No two vessels were identical and all had their own differences. The last vessel to be withdrawn was Manxman in 1982. At the time it was the last vessel of its type in service in the British Isles. Despite preservation attempts the vessel was finally scrapped in 2012.| Image | Ship | Built | Tonnage | Notes |
| Scrapped at Strood in 1979 | ||||
| Sold for further use as Fiesta Scrapped at Perama in 1981 | ||||
| Scrapped at Aviles in 1975 | ||||
| Scrapped at Blyth in 1978 | ||||
| Scrapped in the Netherlands in 1980 | ||||
| Scrapped at Sunderland in 2012 |
Side-loading car ferries
The company developed a design of side-loading car ferries, with a spiral ramp at the stern. These could operate from ports which were not equipped with linkspans. This design is still unique to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company today. They operated from Douglas to various ports.| Image | Ship | Built | Tonnage | Notes |
| TSS Manx Maid |Manx Maid | Scrapped at Garston in 1986 | |||
| SS Ben-my-Chree |Ben-my-Chree | Scrapped at Santander in 1989 | |||
| MV Mona's Queen |Mona's Queen | Sold for further use as Mary the Queen Scrapped at Alang in 2008 | |||
| MS Lady of Mann|Lady of Mann | Sold for further use as Panagia Soumela Scrapped at Aliaga in 2011 |
Roll-on/roll-off ferries
The company has operated a number of roll-on/roll-off passenger and freight ferries in its history, the pioneering vessel being the Peveril in 1981, in response to Manx Line's Manx Viking.| Image | Ship | Built | Route | Tonnage | Notes |
| MV Free Enterprise |Mona's Isle | Sold for further use as Al Fahad Sunk off Jeddah in 2004 | ||||
| MV Tynwald |Tynwald | Sold for further use as Lauro Express Scrapped at Alang in 2007 | ||||
| MV Moby Love|King Orry | Sold for further use as Moby Love Still in service | ||||
| Sold for further use in 2000 Believed scrapped | |||||
| Scrapped at Sault Ste. Marie, Canada | |||||
| Belard | Sold for further use as Muirneag Still in service |
Fastcraft
The company has operated fastcraft since 1993.| Ship | Built | Entered service | Routes | Notes |
| Emeraude France | Douglas — Liverpool/Belfast/Dublin | Chartered in 2007 Currently laid up at Tilbury | ||
| SeaCat Danmark | Douglas — Liverpool/Belfast/Dublin | Chartered between 1998 and 2000 Now operating as Golden Blaze | ||
| SeaCat Rapide | Douglas — various | Chartered in 2004 Now operating as Jaume II | ||
| HSC Caldera Vista|Snaefell | Douglas — Liverpool/Belfast/Dublin | Chartered to Seajets in Greece in 2011 Now operating as Master Jet | ||
| SuperSeaCat Three | Douglas — various | Now operating as Speedrunner III | ||
| HSC Hellenic Highspeed|Viking | Douglas — Liverpool/Belfast/Dublin | Chartered 2003-2008 Now operating as Hellenic Wind | ||
| Manannan | Douglas — Liverpool/Belfast/Dublin | Currently operating services from Douglas to Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin. |
Incidents
2007 ''Sea Express 1'' accident
On 3 February 2007, Sea Express 1 collided with the cargo ship Alaska Rainbow in heavy fog in the River Mersey. None of the 294 passengers and crew was hurt, and the ferry was moored at Liverpool Pier Head while water was being pumped from the engine room, a number of cars remained on board. She was later towed to the Cammell Laird basin in Birkenhead where all cars remaining aboard were offloaded. On 14 March 2007, the Sea Express 1 was relaunched. In the meantime alternative service was provided by Ben-my-Chree to Birkenhead during the weekends. In December 2007, the vessel was renamed to become the sixth Snaefell.2010 ''Ben-my-Chree'' accident
On 26 March 2010, while embarking passengers and loading vehicles at Heysham, England, the ro-ro passenger ferry Ben-my-Chree moved approximately eight metres along the quayside, causing serious damage to the passenger access structure. The foot-passenger walkway detached at both ends and collapsed onto the quayside, and the gangway detached from the vessel’s side shell door and was left hanging on a single rope. There were no injuries. Eight passengers were trapped in the gangway compartment of the shore structure and were later rescued by the local fire service.Competition
2010 competition with Mezeron
On 1 November 2010, it was reported on the Isle of Man Newspapers website, that the Steam Packet had lost two major freight customers to rival company Mezeron who had just set up a new freight service between Douglas and Liverpool a week or so earlier. In February 2011 Mezeron withdrew the service citing lack of growth in the market. Previously the Steam Packet Company had reported a loss of 15% of its total freight business to Mezeron.Ellan Vannin Line
In early 2013, Sea Alliance announced plans for a new shipping company to serve the Isle of Man.The company planned to use a 32-year-old vessel Cometa. However the venture failed and nothing has been heard since.