Newsbot Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Fast craft services between the Isle of Man and Liverpool are cancelled because of poor weather conditions. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7643438.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 The Steam Packet said forecast gales on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday are also expected to affect the Liverpool services. Yip Yip Yipee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Gosh! That's amazing! I mean, there's no way you'd expect that to happen, is there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouse30 Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Running the fast crafts in autumn/winter is stupid. It would be better if they had a couple of old boats like the Lady of Mann who would sail regardless of the weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Running the fast crafts in autumn/winter is stupid. It would be better if they had a couple of old boats like the Lady of Mann who would sale regardless of the weather. Unfortunate choice of word when referring to their better vessels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silentbob Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Running the fast crafts in autumn/winter is stupid. It would be better if they had a couple of old boats like the Lady of Mann who would sail regardless of the weather. Now now, when have you EVER heard of any monopoly company based on the Isle of Man doing ANYTHING in the best interests of its customers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaefell050 Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 I'm still hoping for a trip over to Liverpool one weekend on the boat - not sure if I want to risk it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 But don't worry the new Incat shall be capable of sailing forth in tempests, typhoons and hurricanes with not a drop of drink being spilt - the ideal vessel for winter crossings....bought with us all in mind as a service to the IOM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Fast Craft. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smooks Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I'm still hoping for a trip over to Liverpool one weekend on the boat - not sure if I want to risk it though. I think you are wise, according to a letter in this week's Examiner some unfortunates, placing their faith in the Steam Packet's fast craft (oxymoron alert) to deliver them home in accordance with the company's published timetable. Found that, upon arrival at Liverpool, the breeze was a little fresh and the wonderful Viiking couldn't sail. Never mind she's got a great new paint job? The 'best' was yet to come for these people, after being bussed up to Heysham for the 02.15 hours sailing by conventional vessel they found that the company couldn't be bothered opening the terminal early for them. Consequently they were just dumped in the cold and wet and denied access to the terminal building for some considerable time. State subsidised monopoly businesses don't you just love them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Dear Newsbot: Please don't post anything about SP vessels being delayed anymore, because a ) It isn't news b ) You'll fill the forum in no time, and that wouldn't look good Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graculus Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 The 'best' was yet to come for these people, after being bussed up to Heysham for the 02.15 hours sailing by conventional vessel they found that the company couldn't be bothered opening the terminal early for them. Consequently they were just dumped in the cold and wet and denied access to the terminal building for some considerable time. Add to this the recent thread about imbeciles being allowed to run riot on the Ben. Add to this a recent sailing delayed by an hour, during which time the only announcement made to passengers was to the effect that 'we're full to capacity, please don't put your bags on seats'. No apology and no information about why we were delayed, how long we were going to be delayed by, etc. The contempt that this company is capable of displaying towards it's customers is disgraceful. At various times here, reference is made to the SP's exclusive access to the facilities at Douglas. Calls are made to allow competition, retorted by comments that other operators aren't queueing up to provide services to the Island. However, can anyone tell me why we are tied into a long-term agreement with the SP? Why was / isn't this service put out to competitive tender? For many years, P&O ran the ferry service between Aberdeen. No longer, though, because they lost out to a bid from another company, Northlink. An invitation to tender, ensuring that users of the service receive an acceptable standard of service would not, I'm sure, be too complex an issue to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smooks Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Dear Newsbot: Please don't post anything about SP vessels being delayed anymore, because a ) It isn't news b ) You'll fill the forum in no time, and that wouldn't look good Thank you Hmm have you been getting PMs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Dear Newsbot:Please don't post anything about SP vessels being delayed anymore, because a ) It isn't news b ) You'll fill the forum in no time, and that wouldn't look good Thank you Amadeus, to pick up on your request and to make an 'improvement suggestion' - any thread that complains about the service, drunks, delays, price hikes, failure to let people know of sailing cancellations, dirty toilets, junk food etc etc on the IOMSPC should have an automatic link to the comments section of "A Word With Woodward' on the IOMSPC website. By doing that any comments about IOMSPC performance will disappear into cyberspace and never ever be heard of again as Mr W's blog has become a self congatulatory outflow of words - with the only negative comments being about things the IOMSPC (not its customers) don't like. A sad case of not being able to stand the heat in the kitchen.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeddan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 At various times here, reference is made to the SP's exclusive access to the facilities at Douglas. Calls are made to allow competition, retorted by comments that other operators aren't queueing up to provide services to the Island. However, can anyone tell me why we are tied into a long-term agreement with the SP? Why was / isn't this service put out to competitive tender? For many years, P&O ran the ferry service between Aberdeen. No longer, though, because they lost out to a bid from another company, Northlink. An invitation to tender, ensuring that users of the service receive an acceptable standard of service would not, I'm sure, be too complex an issue to deal with. Graculus - you raise a very good point here. Though IoM is not a member state of the EU, one approach might be to compare arrangements with SPC with EU rules in such matters. The Scottish Executive have a paper which briefly summarises various issues in 'delivering lifeline ferry services': Clicky Commission guidelines note that "subsidisation can, in principle, be accepted for Public Service Obligations (PSOs)". The definition of a PSO is set out as: * "any obligation imposed upon a carrier to ensure the provision of a service satisfying fixed standards of continuity, regularity, capacity and pricing, which standards the carrier would not assume if it were solely considering its economic interest." 6. The guidelines prescribe detailed rules for PSOs relating to tendering requirements and terms of contract. In particular: * Schemes must be transparent and allow for the development of competition. * Schemes must give adequate publicity to the call for tender and set out all requirements in a transparent manner to ensure that all Community carriers have had an equal chance to bid. * Subsidy can then be given but must be directly related to the calculated deficit made by the operator for the service. There should be no over-compensation or cross-subsidy and the system should not be used to support inefficient management and operating methods. * The duration of the PSO contracts should be limited to a reasonable period (in practice 5 years or less). Graculus - a short (and unsatisfactory) answer for why not put out to competitive tender may be that IoM is not a member state of the EU, so compliance with these rules is not required. However it's hard to see how adopting PSO tendering best practice could fail to be in the public interest, and the question of why wasn't / isn't this put out to competitive tender (and compliance with PSO rules) is a valid one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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