Isle Of Man Steam Packet Company News

British shipyard Cammell Laird will has announced at the Nor-Shipping trade fair in Oslo ambitious plans to disrupt the new-build ferry market with a new specially designed Ro-Pax ferry.Liverpool City Region based Cammell Laird is releasing a sneak picture preview  of the commercial sensitive design ahead of a formal launch later this year and will be briefing prospective customers on the design at its stand.Cammell Laird’s project director Andy Askham said the company believes its innovative…

Liverpool marine fabrication firm Wren Industrial has manufactured and installed a collection of new water-tight and fire-rated doors for leading UK ferry operator Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The welding and fabrication specialist has a long-standing relationship with the famous ferry firm, which is renowned as the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world - founded in 1830. The latest contract involved ‘through-night’ door maintenance onboard freight, passenger and vehicle ferries the Manannan and Ben-my-Chree.

Merseyside maritime company Wren Industrial & Marine Fabrications has been bought by Merseyside entrepreneur and former member of the Armed Forces Jonathan Willoughby. Bootle-based Wren Industrial has been run for 27 years by husband and wife team David and Helen Wren. It specializes in manufacturing doors, windows and hatches for ships and boats as well as welding and fabrication services primarily in the maritime sector. Wren’s clients include the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and ferry operators Stena and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

British shipyard and engineering company Cammell Laird said it plans to unleash an “aggressive exports drive” in 2017 after one of its busiest years for commercial marine work, which saw it land the biggest shipbuilding project in the U.K. for a generation. Cammell Laird CEO John Syvret said the winning of the £150 million contract to build the Sir David Attenborough polar research vessel for the U.K. Government “threw open” a new global market to build a range of high value polar vessels from research to cruise ships.

The number of cars taken by ferry has increased from 8.6 million in 2015 to nearly 8.8 million in 2016, a 1.7% increase. This is the fourth successive year of growth according to the annual results of the ferry industry. 2016 Ferrystat figures released today by Discover Ferries, the industry body for ferry operators, reports that growth for car travel by sea is up by 473,000 in the past four years; up from just 8.3 million car crossings by sea in 2012. Discover Ferries member ferry operators include Brittany Ferries, Caledonian MacBrayne, Condor Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, Northlink, P&O Ferries, Red Funnel, StenaLine and Wightlink.

Britain’s largest independent ship repairer and marine engineering services provider Burgess Marine has improved its service offering by obtaining third party accreditation to CE Mark structural steel and aluminium fabrications, and by signing a framework agreement with design firm Houlder. CE Marking has become mandatory for all construction products where the product is covered by a harmonised European standard (hEN). BS EN 1090 is one such harmonised standard which covers structural steel and aluminium fabrication. Since July 2014, products within the scope of this standard must be CE Marked. Companies producing structural steel or aluminium fabrications which are being sold in the UK or the wider European Economic Area are legally required to CE Mark the product.

Maritime software engineering specialists PDMS Ltd. have announced an agreement for its U.K. subsidiary, Professional Data Management Services (U.K.) Ltd., to acquire certain parts of the business and assets of Maxima Information Group Limited, a subsidiary company within the Castleton Technology group of companies. In a deal worth close to £1 million, the acquisition relates to the ERP, payroll software and ferry ticketing business. PDMS has been developing ICT systems and solutions for the public and private sector for more than 21 years…

Birkenhead shipyard and engineering services company Cammell Laird said it has developed an advanced shipyard environmental package for ferries, following its strongest year of trading in the sector. Cammell Laird said it has docked 24 ferries between 2013 and the beginning of 2014 and, in addition, has carried out a further 24 afloat repairs for ferry operators. During 2013 Cammell Laird repaired, built and converted almost 250,000 gross tons of ferry and Ro-Ro ships for a wide range of owners. Already in 2014 it has docked and repaired ferries of 150,000 gross tons.

U.K. based Solar Solve Marine received an order to supply 12 SOLASOLV class approved roller screens to the Ben-My-Chree Ro-Pax ferry. The vessel is owned and operated by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and operates from Douglas to Heysham. Built by van der Giessen de Nord shipyard in the Netherlands at the cost of £24 million, the ship entered into service in 1998 and can carry 636 passengers and up to 200 vehicles. SOLASOLV anti-glare screens are installed at the windows of all types of ships, rigs and cranes worldwide.

When the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company purchased its latest Incat-built high speed ferry for service on the Irish Sea it continued a relationship established 22 years ago. In 1987, Incat’s chairman Robert Clifford was invited by naval architects Hart Fenton, acting for then Steam Packet shareholder Sea Containers, to visit the Isle of Man with a view of building a high speed craft to serve the island’s needs. Three years later, in November 1990 the first generation Incat car ferry Hoverspeed Great Britain arrived in the island for trials.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s latest Incat fast ferry has arrived in her new home waters after completion of a major refit in the United Kingdom. high speed craft on the Irish Sea with greater cruising speed and increased vehicle and passenger capacity than the vessel she replaces. Onboard facilities have been enhanced to include lounges, various bars and eateries, and pre-bookable executive seating which equal or better anything found on similar vessels operating around the British Isles.

Sea Containers has sold the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to Montagu Private Equity Limited for $233 million, with effect on June 30, 2003. The profit on this transaction will be $100 million, however, the company has decided to establish provisions for the restructuring of its fast ferry business and to reduce the carrying value of certain assets to current market value. Total provisions will be approx. $40 million. The company also advised that its exchange offer of 13% senior notes due 2006 for July 1, 2003 matured 9.5% and 10.5% senior notes had been subscribed in the amount of $22.5 million. The balance of these senior notes ($136.6 million) has been repaid.