Stavros Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 wink Will I get to see some tits on the prom this year? That, I can guarantee! Stav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issues99 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 SUPERSEACAT TWO - she appears to have a clutch problem. To repair the clutches the gearbox have to be removed, therefore, one can anticipate her running on reduced power for some time. With the TT100 Festival starting it is not surprising that some sailings of the "SuperSicklyCat" have been switched to Heysham with EMERAUDE FRANCE operating the Liverpool sailings. The changes have resulted in in at least 5000 passengers receiving revised travel itineraries as explained in the following press release: In response to some queries from our passengers regarding timetable changes we would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. We are endeavouring to accommodate all our passengers at this exceptionally busy time for the company and the Island as a whole. Out of 41,000 passengers booked on our ferries 5,000 are affected. We are informing passengers travelling this week by telephone and everyone affected by letter in the next 24 hours to advise them of their new port details and travel time. Many of these passengers are now being accommodated on our fast craft ferry whereas previously they were booked on our conventional ferry. This will reduce their travel time considerably. We would ask all passengers to arrive at the times indicated on their ticket to avoid any problems. The sea traffic in and out of Douglas and UK and Irish ports will be unprecedented over the TT period and all ships will be operating to very tight port slots and turn around times.’ With approximately 18,000 bikes compared to 9,600 bikes booked on our ferries last year and approximately 5,000 cars and vans booked we anticipate an exceptionally busy period. We would like to illustrate our appreciation of our customers support and patience at this time. The necessary changes have been made to optimise passenger bookings and make this year’s Centenary event a successful one for everyone concerned. Passengers wishing to discuss revised bookings should call our reservations line on 0871 222 1333 or alternatively +441624661661. No where does the press release mention the technical problems. Passengers are being told they are being switched to a "fast craft ferry" , what this appears to mean, at least as far as this Saturday is concerned, those booked on the 14:45 sailing from Heysham which should have been travelling on a chartered vessel will now be sailing at 12:30 on SUPERSEACAT TWO. However, given that Heysham to Douglas is a much shorter voyage than Liverpool to Douglas there is no explanation as to why the 12:30 SUPERSEACAT TWO departure will arrive Douglas at 15:15 allowing 2h 45m. Needless to say the bikers are not happy with the situation the official web site www.iomtt.com has forums for bikers to sound off and there is an active thread which visitors to this site may find of interest at: www.iomtt.com/Home/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=77356 The fact that there is no published timetable - other than what can be gleaned from the on-line booking computer - is nothing short of a disgrace. TT COMPETITORS STRANDED On the evening of May 23 Manx Radio web site had the following report: It's reported around 50 competitors have been left stranded at Heysham after being turned away from this afternoon's ferry they were supposedly booked on. Team boss Martin Bullock says his riders Ian Pattinson and Craig Atkinson are stuck at the port. Martin says Craig was sent a letter earlier this week informing him of a change of sailing How at the steampackets busiest time for years do they manage to mess it up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Chip Hazzard Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 The TT week fun has started already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 The TT week fun has already begun, Emeraude France was 3 hours late this morning, the reason for the delay was that they had a lot of bikes to load on! Who'd have expected something like that to happen at this time of the year. The SteamPacket sent a little van up the prom to tell staff to go back to bed for a couple of hours. The BMC (Ben my Chree, Gladys) is also running late, surely, lightening dosn't strike twice does it? it's about time they learned to expect the expected. Now then, BMC is approaching, it'll be over an hour and a half late by the time that gets in, BUT, the SSC2 had left and looks like its turned around and is headed back in, that or it's going to turn a full circle in Douglas bay, for the fun of it. We've either got a very fun filled captain, or, could it be down to 2 engines?? I'm going home now, but I'm sure another member can see. Happy TT week, the fun is getting funnier. Last update, it looks like its drifting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Chip Hazzard Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Oh dear, we have a problem Douglas Just watched the BMC arrive really late for the third time this week and the sorry sight of the Super Seacat limping around Douglas bay on one/two engines?? Is it fitted with oars perchance? Think the Government better start looking at hiring boats for the fortnight otherwise the TT is going to be a non stater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Chip Hazzard Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Or if it all goes horribly wrong, we could do a repeat of the WW2 Dunkirk evacuation, and send a fleet of small boats over to rescue a biker or two sitting on the landing stage at Liverpool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMcC Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Just a wild stab in the dark, but they could be trying to fix SSC2's broken engine, she would have had to come off the pier to let Emeraude France load anyway, she seems to have taken over the sailings for the Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtj73 Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Looking at the massive cloud of black smoke that belched out of the Emaraude as she left tonight I'd be putting no bets on that over the TT period either. WE have just come back from Liverpool on this seacat and rough old dog it is too, took them ages getting the cars on because of the stern door set up, then they decide the fresh water tanks are empty. Arrived in Douglas at 3.15pm instead of 1pm. Passengers waiting for the 2pm to Liverpool are going to be late to, it just goes on and on, it's a shambles. I can't remember the last time we arrived on time on a seacat, why can't we have a decent boat for this route? Steam packet are going bollocks up this TT, I can see it coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MALLET Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Maybe this could be the answer to all the steam rackets problems.... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...p;rd=1&rd=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MALLET Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 sorry people bad link try this for all the answers. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...p;rd=1&rd=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Or if it all goes horribly wrong, we could do a repeat of the WW2 Dunkirk evacuation, and send a fleet of small boats over to rescue a biker or two sitting on the landing stage at Liverpool Not a good analogy there were more IOMSPCO boats at Dunkirk than belonged to any other ferry operator of the day. They took off nearly one in six of all evacuees This lot couldn't cope with one in 600 by the sound of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave the Cardboard Box Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Apparently the reason SS2 was going round in circles on Saturday midday when she was approaching the Mersey was because she was down to 2 engines and could not proceed into the river until a third engine was up and running. 4hours and 47 minutes for the trip! Yes, it was fun on Saturday. Always nice to get your money's worth from the Steam Packet Yes, a pretty gruelling and rough 90 minutes was followed by about another 90 minutes of hitting our own wake every five minutes as we circled round and round. Not much fun for the sick and the "just hangin' on" either. As someone said behind me, "We've gone from a roller coaster to a wurlitzer". And how close were we to hitting that tug and barge first time around? The captain prefaced every announcement with, "Well, here's another tale of woe....." I bet the poor bugger has been saying it all week. The return journey on Monday was of course delayed. Has anyone, ever, had a Seacat sailing leave on time from Liverpool? Having said all that, I enjoyed it. Life is, after all, an adventure. In a boat. Or a metaphor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deejay Denzel Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I was also on the Seacat this afternoon, Bloody farse. Arrived on time, left 2.5 hours late with all the pissing around with loading and the water thing. For a good while, the toilets didn't work because of no water. The staff didn't know how to use the tills or speak english so they were just letting people have things for free to keep the queue down. The supervisers were doing their best but the foreign staff just looked as if they'd never worked anything before. THe supervisers were getting totally fecked off with them. Do these people not get training before hand, it seems the training was going on in front of us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggle Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Made me laugh. (igmc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMcC Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 OK I was wrong with my last comment lol. It looks like all the rearranged sailings for the 5000 were sailings just retimetabled to Heysham, so that the SSC2 could operate to that port instead, this cutting her sailing times to the UK and back. Emeraude France which is about to die I gather is operating most Liverpool sailings.... :S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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