RoPax13

28 / NEWBUILDING
Manxman
Hybrid Douglas-max ro-pax
for Isle of Man lifeline service
In August last year, the Isle of Man
Steam Packet Company replaced its
Heysham-Douglas route mainstay,
“Ben-my-Chree”, by the hybrid dieselelectric
“Manxman”. This handy-size ropax
ferry has been specifically designed to
provide reliable year-round lifeline services,
boasting methanol-ready engines.
The Isle of Man is heavily dependent on
imports from mainland Britain with
Heysham being the main gateway to the
island. As per its Sea Services Agreement
with the Manx Government, the Isle of
Man Steam Packet Company (IoMSPCo)
has the exclusive rights to use the linkspans
in Douglas, the island’s sole port
with ro-ro facilities. Shortly after its
mid-2018 takeover by the Isle of Man
Government, the IoMSPCo decided to
replace the 1998-built “Ben-my-Chree” as
the primary ‘lifeline ship’. A typical 1990s
off-the-shelf platform from Dutch builders
Van der Giessen-de Noord, “Ben- my-
Chree” had been ordered when the IoM-
SPCo was still under Sea Containers
ownership. While the vessel served its
purpose, it definitely had its shortcomings,
including a lack of decent passenger
facilities.
PURPOSE-BUILT PLATFORM
A new Sea Services Agreement between
the IoMSPCo and its owner was signed
in spring 2019. In return for the exclusive
use of the island’s linkspans, the Manx
Government required the company to
invest in a new vessel to guarantee robust
sea links with its neighbours throughout
the year. So, the new Sea Services Agreement
provided the contractual criteria for
the design and characteristics of the
newbuild ferry. The draught limitations in
Heysham and the length limitations to
turn within the tight confines of Douglas
determined “Manxman’s” hull envelope.
As per its Sea Services Agreement, the
IoMSPCo had to squeeze 1,250 freight
lanemetres and at least 800 passengers in a
compact ‘box size’. To meet peak demand,
especially during the TT Races and Manx
Grand Prix, the IoMSPCo further increased
the number of passengers to 949.
With the parameters set and all the boxes
of the Sea Services Agreement ticked, the
ferry operator went out to a number of
naval architect firms to tender for the
concept design and concept specification
works, a job eventually awarded to
Houlder. For the construction of the
133.25m long and 25.70m wide “Manxman”
no fewer than 17 shipyards in both
Europe and Asia were approached, but it
was Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) that
eventually landed the GBP 78 million
contract.
1
VEHICLE DECKS
As the Isle of Man hardly exports goods,
freight is typically moving in one direction
only with most trailers returning empty to
the mainland. So, one of the lessons
learned from “Ben-my-Chree” was to have
enough ballast capacity and heeling tanks
to assist with the loading. Another novelty
is the flexibility to load passenger cars and
trailers simultaneously. Particularly for the
Heysham-Douglas overnight crossing, car
passengers want to get on board as soon as
practical. To meet this demand, a 22-car
hoistable car deck has been installed on the
upper vehicle deck. Car passengers who
prefer a longer night rest in their cabins
will have their car parked on this hoistable
deck, arriving first and leaving last.
1. View from portside bridge wing.
2. Fully enclosed bridge.
3. Loading in Heysham.
4. To reduce fuel consumption, „Manxman“
has a shallow funnel with latticework.
Photos: Philippe Holthof
RoPax 13 / 05.2024