Manxman: Douglas harbour to get £6.6m upgrade to protect new ferry

There have not been any major repairs to the pier in more the 25 years

Major works to improve a harbour so it can safely accommodate a new ferry are due to begin in the next few days, the government has said.

The £6.6m renovations to Douglas's King Edward VIII Pier will protect the Steam Packet Company's Manxman flagship from gale force winds.

The work will see walls repaired and fenders and mooring bollards replaced.

The government said the project was "designed to protect critical marine infrastructure".

A representative added that while the Manxman had been "designed specifically for Douglas harbour", it was longer, wider and "weighs almost twice as much" as the Ben-my-Chree, which it will replace full-time from October.

The Manxman will berth at Victoria Pier for three weeks in November

The works also form part of a £80m Harbours Strategy, approved by Tynwald in 2018, which was aimed at redeveloping the island's ports.

The Manxman and Ben-my-Chree will continue to berth at the King Edward VIII Pier, apart from a three-week period in November when they will use the neighbouring Victoria Pier.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said existing facilities were "able to accommodate the vessel under benign conditions, but must be updated in order to protect Manxman and its berth from very high winds".

The government representative said the work, which would be the first repairs to the 85-year-old pier in more than a quarter of a century, would be completed in early 2024.