History
Built in 1971 as MV Holmia by Kristiansands Mekaniske Verksted, Norway for Silja Line, Finland, [2] she was operated as ADS Meteor and then Pendaby by P&O Ferries between Heysham and Belfast from February 1973. [3]
From May 1981, NF Jaguar (the NF denoting Normandy Ferries) was on bareboat charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operating between Douglas and Heysham in rivalry to the Manx Line, Manx Viking. The company purchased her in December 1982 and renamed her Peveril. [4]
Competition from the rival Manx Line led to the financial collapse of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and its subsequent amalgamation with Sealink-Manx Line. From 1 April 1985, the main UK port was to move from Liverpool to Heysham, severing connections with Liverpool after 155 years. Twelve shore staff staged a sit-in at Liverpool trapping the Peveril. She was only released on 8 April after redundancy payments totalling almost a quarter of a million pounds were agreed, adding to the costs of withdrawing from Liverpool. [4] She continued on the route until 10 July 1998.
In September 2000, she was sold to Marine Express Inc., Panama. As Caribbean Express, she left Birkenhead on 27 September. A few days, later she suffered an engine failure in the Bay of Biscay and required repair in Santander, Spain. [3]
In 2002, she was detained in Sotchi, Russia. [5]
Latterly under Cambodian flag, she was sold to Indian breakers and was scrapped in April 2009. [6]
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland.
The MV Manx Viking / Nindawayma was a passenger, truck and car ferry, whose last active service was on Lake Huron, operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company; under contract to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. In Canadian service she served the Highway 6 route between Tobermory and South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island from 1989 to 1992 alongside the MS Chi-Cheemaun.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world, having been founded in 1830.
MV Ben-my-Chree is a Ro-Pax vessel which was launched and entered service in 1998. The flagship of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, it primarily operates on the Douglas to Heysham route. The Royal New Zealand Navy multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury, based on Ben-my-Chree's design, entered service in 2007.
Seatruck Ferries is a UK-based freight-only ferry company which commenced services in 1996. It is part of the Clipper Group, a shipping company based in The Bahamas. The company operates out of four ports on the Irish Sea, including Heysham and Liverpool.
Manx Line was a ferry operator which operated roll-on/roll-off ferry services between Great Britain and the Isle of Man between 1978 and 1985. An earlier, unrelated, company had used the "Manx Line" name in the late 19th century.
HSC Manannan is a 96-metre (315 ft) wave-piercing high-speed catamaran car ferry built by Incat, Australia in 1998. After commercial service in Australia and New Zealand, she was chartered to the US military as Joint Venture (HSV-X1). Now owned and operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, she mainly provides a seasonal service between Douglas Harbour and Port of Liverpool.
MV Caledonia was a roll-on roll-off vehicle ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in Scotland.
MS Arrow is a 7,606 GT Ro-Ro ferry built by Astilleros de Huelva SA, Huelva, Spain in 1998 as Varbola for the Estonian Shipping Company, Tallinn. During a charter to Dart Line she was renamed Dart 6, reverting to Varbola when the charter ended. In 2005, she was sold to Malta and renamed RR Arrow. In 2007, she was sold to Seatruck Ferries, Heysham and renamed Arrow.
The Isle of Man Sea Terminal is the arrival and departure point for all passenger and car ferries operating to and from the Isle of Man, and is located in Douglas, the island's capital. It is one of the two main gateways to the Isle of Man, the other one being the Isle of Man Airport. It is operated by and is the main hub for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, which runs year-round sailings to Heysham, and seasonal sailings to Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin in the summer and Birkenhead at weekends in the winter.
TSS (RMS) Tynwald (V), No. 165248, was a passenger vessel operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company from 1947 to 1974, and was the fifth vessel in the history of the line to bear the name.
TSS (RMS) Manx Maid (II) was built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in 1962, and was the second ship in the Company's history to bear the name.
MV (RMS) Mona's Queen (V) Official No. 307621 was a car-ferry built in 1971–72 for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. From 1972 to 1990, she operated to and from Douglas, Isle of Man. After a lengthy lay-up, she was sold in 1995, renamed Mary the Queen and operated as a ferry in south-east Asia, mainly sailing between Manila and Boracay. She was sold to Indian shipbreakers and beached in 2008.
TSS (RMS) Ben-my-Chree (V) was the second of four side-loading car ferries ordered by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Built in 1965, she was the last of their vessels designed with two classes of passenger accommodation and the fifth company vessel to bear the name. She operated until 1984 and was broken up in 1989.
MV Ramsey was a coastal cargo vessel built for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1964. She was the last vessel specially built to serve the smaller ports of the Island.
MV Peveril was a coastal cargo vessel operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Peveril, the third ship in the Company's history to bear the name, was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company at Troon, Scotland, in 1964.
MV Free Enterprise III was a Ro-Pax vessel built in 1966 as a cross-channel ferry, operated by Townsend Thoresen mainly on the Calais and Zeebrugge routes from Dover. She was sold to Egyptian owners in 1986 and wrecked in the Red Sea in 2004.
MV Tynwald VI was a roll-on-roll-off car and cargo vessel operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company between 1986 and 1990, the sixth ship in the history of the line to bear the name. Built as Antrim Princess for service on the Stranraer–Larne route, she was chartered under her original name until 1986.
MV Conister (II) No. 187114 was a cargo vessel operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, the second vessel in the Company's history to bear the name.
