Manxman repair bill now around £5m

Flagship is due back in service by the end of November

The Steam Packet says its current estimate for the dry docking and repairs to Manxman to be in the region of £5m. 

In an update, the company said it is paying for the works, 'without recourse to government funding'.

Manxman has been out of service since July when damage was found during a schedule dry docking to its propulsion shafts, liners and seawater-lubricated bearings.

Those parts were sent to MarineShaft A/S, a specialist engineering firm in Denmark.

The Steam Packet said the work has now been completed on the components and they are due back to the shipyard at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead shortly, ahead of the complex process of reassembly and recommissioning. 

Manxman is then expected to undertake sea trials before a targeted return to service from the end of November. 

As well as the completion of work on the shafts, liners and bearings, Manxman’s return to dry dock will see the completion of other work that formed part of the scheduled dry dock.

The company said the 'current estimate for the total cost of the dry docking and repair works is in the region of £5m' and said that 'these costs are being met by the Company directly from its own reserves, without recourse to government funding'.

Managing Director Brian Thomson said: "We’re extremely conscious at all times of our position as both a publicly-owned entity and a vital link in the Isle of Man’s infrastructure. 

"Prudent financial planning is a cornerstone of how we manage the business, operating within our means at all times. Therefore, we always ensure there are contingency funds to cover unforeseen eventualities such as this."

Mr Thomson also said the company will be 'seeking to recover costs through insurance and warranty where appropriate'.