Steam Packet calls for decision on dropping vessel

Ben-My-Chree has been the back-up vessel for the Steam Packet since the arrival of Manxman

A "clear government statement" is needed on whether the Isle of Man's ferry firm can sell its current back-up vessel, the company's chairman has said.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet outlined plans to sell the Ben-My-Chree in its last annual report, which was published last summer.

A Tynwald select committee on the regulation of the government-owned firm heard that the company's strategy was to retain the MV Arrow as a back-up vessel instead because the costs of retaining the Ben-my-Chree were "twice as much".

Chairman Lars Ugland said a year after delivering its report the firm was still waiting for a reply on whether it could sell the vessel.

Giving evidence to the same committee earlier this month Treasury Minister Alex Allinson said that the future role of the ferry should be considered as part of a review of the company's service contract.

'Increasingly unreliable'

The MV Arrow was purchased in 2022 and was the backup freight vessel for the Ben-My-Chree until the arrival of the company's new flagship ferry Manxman.

Drawn up in 2019 and due for it's five-yearly review, the Sea Services Agreement includes conditions on fares, routes, the frequency of sailings as well as a stipulation to keep the Ben-My-Chree as backup.

Finance director Duncan Jude said the Ben-My-Chree being a passenger vessel would become "increasingly unreliable", while managing director Brian Thompson said it was "simpler" to operate the MV Arrow.

During the evidence session, committee member Michelle Haywood MHK said the using the MV Arrow as back-up was a "complete U-turn" to a 2016 decision to keep the Ben-My-Chree as it could provide both freight and passenger services.

But Mr Thompson said that decision had been made by a previous board of directors and he had been left "scratching his head" as to why it had proposed keeping the passenger ferry for "the next 26 years".