Newsbot Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Ferry sailings between the Isle of Man and Merseyside are to resume - a month after a collision on the Mersey. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/englan...ide/6389423.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I've seen supermarket sweep in the past so I suppose a Saturday Liverpool shopping trip is technically possible. Liverpool/Everton fans should also just get time to see 10 minutes of football (provided the game kicks off at 1pm) before they head back for the return trip. Anyone supporting other teams in the North West can get to Lime Street and will have time to see the name of the town/city they support on the timetable display board - and then can head back to the boat. Anyone from/visiting Liverpool to visit their missus/girlfriend, will get time to take off their clothes and put them back on again (not much else). Well done steam packet - we'd be lost without your planning department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcCann Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 You'll be lucky to even get 10 minutes. It's docking on the other side of the river. Tranmere fans will be happy though. They'll get to the stadium, hear the teams announced, think why have I paid to watch this dross, turn around and be back to the boat in plenty of time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modey Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Or maybe they could just book a flight and get to see the whole match. It's not as if the steam packet is our only link to the mainland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girl89 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 But it's usually cheaper, which I prefer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 It seems totally pointless - foot passengers get virtually no time to do any shopping etc; motorists heading south gain a little distance but at expense of an earlier start + longer sailing time. If it were a practice run for ditching Heysham I'd be all for it but the timings don't look as though they could stretch to two return journies a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Other than TT week etc. - I don't see the problem in revising the whole timetable for the meantime. 500 phone calls, (several hundred of which it'll probably suit!) - who are these planners? Have they actually asked anyone that travels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxmaid Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 Just read the link in post 1. So does this mean that there are no Heysham sailings on the Saturday at all?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I read it as though Heysham was shut at weekends until April (saves on staff/policing costs) - If the Heyham sailings are to be resumed I hope it will have no effect on the trains as for much of the year I rely on the railway link from Heysham (travelling to/from Liverpool this year was a joke only capped by the collision) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I think me Mum must be the only person this is more convenient for - she's planning a trip to the Wirral in April! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iom_cb Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 i'd hate it if they cancelled the heysham service, it's a lifeline for the numerous manx students (there are loads of us) at lancaster uni. just to clarify, is there still a weekday service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skig Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 They used to run to Liverpool on a Saturday with the King Orry before she was replaced by the Ben. The King had a door fitted on the Starboard (?) side near to the stern which allowed her to load/offload onto the landing stage in Liverpool. The rest of the week she did her regular run to and from Heysham. Would it not be possible to fit a similar door to the Ben for winter service? She could leave Douglas at 7 or 7.30 and be in Liverpool by noon. A return at 7.0PM would see her back in Douglas before midnight. Only in the most severe weather would the trips be cancelled, unlike the present situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManxSeagull Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 What is going to happen to the freight that normally gets brought in from Heysham at the weekend. Consignments are slow enough at arriving on the Island at the moment and I presume will be even slower without weekend sailings from Heysham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 No its just the Saturday and Sunday morning to Heysham and its return that are diverted, the evening sailing still goes to Heysham returning at 02.15 As the Birkenhead facility is designed for freight there will be no interuption to any freight carriage. It will just go via Birkenhead rather than Heysham The reason for the tight turn around is to keep up the 28 sailings per week schedule the Ben has. Its now 24 to/from Heysham and 4 to from Birkenhead. You can go do a shop in Liverpool, and either stay overnight or coe back via Heysham. It wouldn't make sense to sit at 12 Quays until 7 pm and lose two sailings or to sail light Birkenhead to Heysham I suppose you could do all 8 weekend sailings to Birkenhead but I wonder how that would tie in with 12 Quays use by the Norse Merchant fleet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iom_cb Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 what's needed is a second conventional ferry in reserve, an island cannot afford to be so vulnerable ... we are at the moment so incredibly dependant on one vessel, imagine if the Ben my Chree broke down now...something serious ... we would be in serious trouble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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