Isle of Man Ferry Incident Causes Delays and Cancellations Amid High Seas - 22 August 2024

On 22 August 2024, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's passenger ferry Manxman sustained damage while attempting to dock at Heysham Port in the Irish Sea. The docking mishap, combined with severe weather conditions including increasing gales, forced the rescheduling of passengers and led to widespread cancellations across multiple routes to and from Liverpool and other destinations.

The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch was promptly notified and is overseeing the incident assessment and safety protocols. The operator deployed backup vessels to minimise passenger disruption.

Early on the morning of 22 August 2024, the Manxman suffered damage during a docking attempt at Heysham Port. The incident resulted in significant operational delays and forced the immediate rescheduling of passengers to the backup vessel Ben-My-Chree. Deteriorating weather conditions, with increasing gales across the Irish Sea, compounded the situation and led to the cancellation of all afternoon sailings to and from Liverpool as well as other scheduled routes.

Vessel

• Name: Manxman
• Operator: Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
• Type: Passenger ferry
• Route: Irish Sea services including Heysham Port

Incident location

• Heysham Port, United Kingdom
• Date: 22 August 2024

In response to the docking damage and adverse weather, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company implemented contingency plans to minimise passenger disruption. The backup passenger vessel Ben-My-Chree was deployed to accommodate rescheduled passengers, and the freight vessel Arrow was also utilised. All afternoon sailings to and from Liverpool and other routes were cancelled due to the combination of the incident and severe weather conditions.

Fatalities

• None reported.

Injuries

• None reported.

Rescued

• No rescue operation required; passengers were rescheduled to alternative vessels.

The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch was notified immediately following the incident and is leading the assessment of the docking mishap and overseeing the necessary safety protocols.