 Ben-my-Chree in Douglas Harbour | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Isle of Man | |
| Name | Ben-my-Chree |
| Namesake | Manx:Girl of my heart |
| Owner | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company |
| Operator | Isle of Man Steam Packet Company |
| Port of registry |  Douglas Harbour |
| Ordered | 1997 |
| Builder | van der Giessen de Noord, Netherlands[1] |
| Cost | £24,500,000[2] |
| Yard number | 971[2] |
| Laid down | 1997 |
| Launched | 4 April 1998 |
| Commissioned | 1998 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 12,747 GT[2] |
| Length | 125.2 m (411 ft)[2] |
| Beam | 23.4 m (77 ft)[2] |
| Draught | 5.0 m (16.4 ft) |
| Installed power | 2 ×MAK 9L32 diesel engines |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
MVBen-my-Chree is aRo-Pax vessel which was launched and entered service in 1998. The flagship of theIsle of Man Steam Packet Company, she primarily operated on theDouglas toHeysham route until being replaced byMV Manxman in late 2023.
Ben-my-Chree was ordered in 1997 bySea Containers for theIsle of Man Steam Packet Company. Costing around £24 million, she was built byvan der Giessen de Noord of the Netherlands and launched on 4 April 1998. The sixth vessel to carry the name,[3] she is registered inDouglas, Isle of Man.
Ben-my-Chree entered service on 5 July 1998,Tynwald Day - the Isle of Man's national holiday. At a gross tonnage of around 12,000, she was the largest ship to enter service with the company. The vessel received criticism due to her low passenger capacity of 500 (carrying no more than 350 per sailing), and the fact she had no open deck for passengers. The company insisted this was a "comfort level" for the vessel's size.
In 2004, the vessel underwent a refit carried out by Cammell Laird to increase passenger capacity with the addition of a new passenger module.[4] In 2014,Ben-my-Chree underwent a £1.6 million refit which included new LED lighting fitted to the lounge areas, refitted the crew rest area, this was also carried out byCammell Laird.[5]
On 25 July 2008,Ben-my-Chree suffered a technical failure, with theViking taking herHeysham sailing until she was repaired.
On 26 March 2010,Ben-my-Chree experienced unintended movement while berthed at Heysham Port, resulting in a walkway collapse, trapping eight people in the gangway compartment of the shore access structure; they were assisted in leaving by the fire service.[6]
On the evening of 1 May 2013 when arriving inDouglas Harbour from Heysham,Ben-my-Chree struck part of the King Edward Pier linkspan. In the collision part of the ship was slightly damaged, meaning the evening departure to Heysham was delayed by two hours, with theManannan arriving from Liverpool as replacement. The service arrived at Heysham only around thirty minutes late.Ben-my-Chree re-entered service the following day with a freight-only service to Heysham, and full service from that point onwards.[7]
In December 2011, theBen-my-Chree suffered a number of cancelled sailings due to high winds and a problem with a bow thruster that had been damaged in May that year. Arrangements to dry dock the ship in June and then in September had to be cancelled after the manufacturers, Wartsilla, failed to complete the necessary repairs.[8] Chief executive of the Steam Packet Company wrote to the local newspaper, the Manx Independent to express the company's frustration at the ongoing problems.[9]
On 12 February 2015,Ben-my-Chree lost control and collided with a fishing boat, while entering Douglas Harbour. The vessel's stern made contact with Battery Pier and a fishing boat at its mooring. It was found that the ship and the fishing boat only suffered superficial damage. The ship was checked by divers for signs of damage to the propellers and steering. It was then relocated to the Victoria Pier using a tug boat where passengers disembarked.[10]
On 2 May 2015, the morning sailing from Douglas to Heysham and the afternoon return was cancelled.Ben-my-Chree was suffering from a "bow thruster... only operating on reduced power".[11] On 16 May 2015, there was a suspected chimney stack lagging fire was detected on the 8.45am crossing from Douglas to Heysham.[12] The sailing arrived in Heysham Port around 1 hour late and no passengers or crew were injured.
On 12 February 2017, the vessel made contact with the pier at Douglas whilst attempting to moor in high winds on arrival from Birkenhead.MS Arrow andHSC Manannan were planned to take over the freight and passenger duties.[13] On 9 April 2017,Ben-my-Chree suffered an engine failure after arriving at Heysham Port.[14] As a result two return crossings were cancelled and the vessel limped back to Douglas on one engine without passengers.[15]
Ben-my-Chree is aRo-Pax ferry, largely designed to carry freight, with two vehicle decks (decks 3 and 5) and two passenger accommodation decks (7 and 8). There are 20 four-berth cabins and crew accommodation for 22.[16] Her freight capacity is 200 vehicles (1235m).[2]
A refit during her first winter improved passenger accommodation. Reclining chairs were added in the forward and aft lounges and partitions added between the restaurant and bar areas.[16] In 2004, a major refit allowed her to carry a full capacity of 636 passengers. A new accommodation section containing the Legends café/bar, Niarbyl Quiet Lounge and toilets was added. The refit also created an outside deck space and modifications were made to the vessel's stern door. Another refit in April 2008 included a new livery and internal refit.
TheRoyal New Zealand Navy multi-role vesselHMNZS Canterbury, based onBen-my-Chree's design, entered service in 2007.
On 16 July 2018,Ben-my-Chree completed 20 years of Manx service. She operates primarily on theDouglas toHeysham route, with occasional services toBelfast.
In October 2024, it was reported thatBen-my-Chree would conduct berthing trials atTroon andBrodick for a potential charter toCaledonian MacBrayne, due to ongoing disruption caused by fleet maintenance. If successful, she would have provided additional services to theIsle of Arran.[17] On 31 October 2024,Ben-my-Chree undertook the berthing trials at Troon and Brodick, however these trials were unsuccessful and the vessel returned to Douglas.[18]
From December 2024 until 15 January 2025[19] she was chartered out toStena Line to operate a temporary route betweenHeysham andDublin for freight traffic caused by the closure ofHolyhead due to damage caused byStorm Darragh.[20]
In January 2026Ben-my-Chree was chartered toStena Line for 4 months. Initially covering theFishguard/Rosslare route, due toStena Nordica covering theHolyhead/Dublin route as this route's usual ship,Stena Estrid, undergoes repairs atCammell Laird following hull damage during a call atHolyhead on the 7 January 2026.[21]
In March 2013, the chairman of local group TravelWatch, Brendan O’Friel, said "The Ben is currently mid-way through her life and she is starting now to develop problems of one sort or another. She is not as reliable as she was. A replacement would take two years to build and we are keen to see plans go ahead."[22] In Issue 17 of the company newsletter,Steam Packet Times, Chief Executive Mark Woodward explained that "Now that the refinancing has been completed we have begun the process of assessing the longer term - it is clear that the most significant investment in the coming years will be replacement vessels forBen-my-Chree andManannan."[23]
In May 2016, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company outlined plans to replace theBen-my-Chree as part of their proposedStrategic Sea Services offer to the Isle of Man Government.[24] Under the proposal, the 1998-builtBen-my-Chree would be "replaced by 2019–2021" with a new build vessel that would be 140-metres long and have a capacity of 800 passengers. TheBen-my-Chree would then be retained as a third vessel to offer cover to the fleet.
On 1 December 2020, the replacement forBen-my-Chree was namedMV Manxman. On Christmas Eve 2021 she was laid down atHyundai Mipo Dockyard.Manxman entered service on 17 August 2023.[25]
Ben-my-Chree after the vessel struck King Edward Pier while attempting to berth in Douglas tonight (12 Feb) … Back-up vessel MV Arrow, … to take on the Ben's freight duties. … bring Manannan out of overhaul, to run passenger services.
