Isle of Man's new ferry Manxman makes maiden passenger voyage

The Isle of Man's newest passenger ferry has made its maiden voyage to Lancashire.

The Manxman set off from Douglas Bay to Heysham Port shortly after 09:00 BST.

Almost 600 passengers were welcomed on board, including 50 people who won a ticket for the inaugural voyage in a ballot.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's largest every ferry, it is due to takeover from the Ben-my-Chree as the island's main passenger ferry.

About 600 passengers were on board the vessel's first sailing

The £78m vessel arrived in Manx waters on 2 July, but has been undergoing a period of check and staff training since.

For the next four weeks, the new ferry will carry out daytime sailings only, swapping to evening sailings for a period thereafter before taking on the route full time in late October.

The Manxman set off on its first passenger sailing on Thursday

A Steam Packet spokesman said the first journey came after "more than 1,200,000 man hours meticulously crafting every last detail".

The company also has plans for a round-the-island cruise by the vessel on 17 September, allowing people to experience sailing on the Manxman without having to take a return journey.