Fast craft journey times slowed due to engine fault

The Manannan's journey times between Douglas and Liverpool have had to lengthen

Journey times on the fast craft ferry between the Isle of Man and Liverpool have had to be slowed due to an engine fault.

While the Manannan’s crossing times were usually two-and-a-half hours, passengers face spending 45-minutes longer on the vessel each way.

Departure times have been changed between Friday and Monday to allow for the longer journey times.

A spokesman for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said its engineers were working to fix the issue as soon as possible.

'Minimise disruption'

Under the revised schedule for the Mananan’s sailings, morning crossings from Douglas to Heysham are leaving 30 minutes earlier than usual at 06:45 BST, with the return trip setting sail 15 minutes early at 11:30.

The afternoon sailing will leave Douglas more than an hour later than originally planned at 16:15, with the island-bound return departing almost two hours later than originally planned at 21:00.

In a statement the government-owned ferry firm said its engineering team was “working round the clock" and sailings could “continue to go ahead safely”.