Newsbot Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Winter sailings between Isle of Man and Merseyside are a success, according to figures released by the Steam Packet Ferry company. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7188782.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gags Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Absolutely, pure spin. The only reason the sailings are busy is that there are even less alternatives.....we can't exactly take the other ferry company over to the UK. And you cant even do a proper weekend trip with the car this year - you have to be checked in by 1pm on a Sunday and the shops only open at 11am on a Sunday!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skig Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Not wanting to drag out yet another Steam Racket thread, but is this just pure bullshit, or not? After the previous bullshit merchant left the company to become an MHK in 2006, he was replaced with a rather arrogant young woman who said that the fiasco over the 2007 TT was the fault of the public and not the Spco. Now the new bossman is saying that the December figures are up 29%. Is this 29% more people travelling out of Douglas or 29% more people travelling to Merseyside? In previous years, there was a regular 8.45 sailing to Heysham on a Saturday, but not last December. At present, if you wish to travel by boat to England on a Saturday morning you do not have any options. It’s Birkenhead or nothing. So is Mr Woodward continuing the long-standing tradition of feeding the public utter rubbish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Is it April 1st already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triskelion Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 So is Mr Woodward continuing the long-standing tradition of feeding the public utter rubbish? Hardly. Look, I agree that given you have to travel via Birkenhead at the weekend, passenger numbers will be up. But on the other hand, the sailings on the Ben to and from Birkenhead have a 100% reliability record, which would not have been the case had the fast craft been operating. Its a shame the BBC get their stories from Woodward's blog, rather than being a bit more analytical in their reporting. That said, having just checked it, it does clear up one issue that came up in the petition thread, which is the issue over the biennal repair/refit thing for the Ben: "It will continue until 24 February after which we revert back to the Liverpool landing stage when Ben-my-Chree is away for her biennial overhaul" Also it seems like they have a much better system in place for TT this year, hopefully meaning their will be fewer problems their end this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 In other news: Ben My Chree still afloat - SP calls it a success. Seriously, the award for funniest press release of the year has just been secured... Haven't they got anyone in PR or something? That reminds me - time to work on an update about the petition, me thinks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Any more replies/comments from the high and mighty Am? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skig Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 So is Mr Woodward continuing the long-standing tradition of feeding the public utter rubbish? Hardly. Look, I agree that given you have to travel via Birkenhead at the weekend, passenger numbers will be up. But on the other hand, the sailings on the Ben to and from Birkenhead have a 100% reliability record, which would not have been the case had the fast craft been operating. Its a shame the BBC get their stories from Woodward's blog, rather than being a bit more analytical in their reporting. That said, having just checked it, it does clear up one issue that came up in the petition thread, which is the issue over the biennal repair/refit thing for the Ben: "It will continue until 24 February after which we revert back to the Liverpool landing stage when Ben-my-Chree is away for her biennial overhaul" Also it seems like they have a much better system in place for TT this year, hopefully meaning their will be fewer problems their end this year. Which department of the Steam Racket do you work for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triskelion Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Which department of the Steam Racket do you work for? Perhaps you think this witty and incisive, but clearly you didn't follow the petition thread. Some of us want a rational and constructive debate about the Steam Packet's role and service, rather than the foaming-mouth foot-stamping that seems so prevalent. I recognise the Steam Packet and the Linkspan Agreement are not perfect, but also maintain they are not as horrendus as everyone pretends they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxman2000 Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 A word with Mark (tongue in cheek) Hello all Well we seem to be getting better don’t we, look at our record now The Ben gets to Liverpool (I have a crap map) every weekend and the fools sorry passengers love the reliability, They go for the day sail not the day trip as I have proven, after all who can get to Liverpool and back in one hour. I have sorted the problems of the Super Seacat, I have renamed it Viking, and don’t forget that Viking has no problems with its gear boxes like the old Super Seacat. The Seaexpress one that had the bang on the river Mersey has now gone and been replaced with the Snaefell, Don’t forget that The Snaefell has never had an accident has it. Now I must get that $£%^&%%$£ Miss Howland to bull this up and present it to the gullible public, it will soon be Spring and the problems will go away as we bring out the seacats sorry Snaefell and Viking. Must go now, See you again soon with some more bullshit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFerret Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Usual "Told You so" being rammed back from Mr W/SPC. Like the way 'Use it or Lose It' with regards to Belfast/Dublin. Mrs and Me went to Belfast September last year, no surprise when the Super Scaredy 'of a little wave' Cat didn't come back to collect us on the Sunday. We were reliably informed at Belfast check in that there was an engine problem and the SSC2 wont be sailing today. No surprises when it went off to L'Pool at 3 pm then. Mrs and me off to Stranraer, drive to Heysham for 02.15. 1 hours kip in bed then back to work. Thanks. No really, thanks for the petrol/meal cheque we got 3 days later. Most of our sailings have been uneventful, thankfully. Ma and Pa going back accross after Christmas had a force8/9 crossing going back on BMC. And so i believe those sailing to Dublin before Christmas. Watched a documentary about fast craft in rough water, Tenerife, made by these guys Fast craft that sails in rough waters Rant over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFerret Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Sorry link didnt work try http://www.austal.com/ (cut and paste, the olde fashioned way!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcCann Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Well they are intending to get a new fast craft by 2010 http://www.manxradio.com/readNEwsItem.aspx?id=14163 I will believe it when I see it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pragmatopian Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Fast craft suck. I'd rather they got a second conventional ferry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 A new 'high capacity' fast craft should be introduced to Manx waters by 2010 Might be worth giving Stena a call first, and asking them how much their (admittedly impressive) 'high capacity' Stena Explorer costs them to run - it's an absolute fortune... Faster conventional ferry ftw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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