THE Ben-my-Chree is set to go into dry dock next week to get its bow thruster repaired.
The announcement was made by the Steam Packet as the latest cancellations due to the weather were confirmed.
The overnight sailing from Heysham to Douglas was cancelled, as is this morning’s sailing from the Isle of Man to Heysham and the subsequent return this afternoon. It is not clear whether tonight’s sailing will go ahead from Douglas to Heysham
It had been thought the Steam Packet would have to wait until April before it could get the Ben’s bow thruster repaired, but now, following numerous cancellations due to the weather, that has been brought forward to the end of next week.
Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward said: ‘We are suffering an unusually prolonged period of consistent gale and severe gale force winds at present. To make matters worse these winds have been from an unusual direction which makes berthing in Heysham more difficult.
‘The lack of a second bow thrust, in conjunction with these other factors, has contributed to the higher than usual level of cancellations we have been suffering. However, given the severity of the weather, it is clear that we would have lost some, but not all, of the sailings even if both bow thrust units had been functioning.’
He added: ‘We have been working as hard as we can to put pressure on the bow thrust manufacturer, Wartsila, since the early summer. We have made clear to them by every means possible the need to urgently repair, rebuild and re-deliver the replacement bow thrust.’
Wartsila twice failed to deliver the repaired unit, blaming problems with subcontractors and difficulties in the casting.
The repaired unit is now due to be delivered next Wednesday.
Mr Woodward said: ‘A dry-docking date for the Ben-my-Chree has been reserved for December 16-18 in order to refit the second bow thrust unit. Provisional arrangements for the charter of a freighter to cover the dry-dock period have been made, and we are awaiting final confirmation.
‘Manannan is being readied and will be used to provide a passenger service with a single daily crossing to the UK, and will also be used to operate the Dublin sailing on December 17.
‘We will confirm final arrangements for dry-dock and freighter charter as soon as we can.’