Steam Packet Warns Of Disruption To Sailings

[b4mbi]

50 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

 it's difficult to see what else the interviewer could have asked, other than "Why are you behaving like an arsehole?".

That would have been radio worth listening to.

One interesting line of enquiry that an enterprising journalist might like to take is why exactly the works at Birkenhead are stopping the boat using the port not just this Winter but the next as well.  The Steam Packet use the 12 Quays Terminal, that is mainly used by Stena Line.  There is indeed work being done here, but it appears to be nearly completed.  So why it should stop the boats using it for the next two Winter seasons is a mystery and if the new facilities can't be used for the Ben-my-Chree, how come they are only finding out about it now?  Maybe they had problems getting hold off the owner, who appear to be (examines notes) Peel Ports.

This was along lines of my thinking. the "berth upgrades"  are actually a smokescreen for the fact that IOMSPC have not been able to negotiate use of the berths.

Perhaps Stena need it for their business at the weekends? or have sub-let it to a higher bidder?

This sort of justifies the IOMG position to purchase the land at Liverpool, at least we're guaranteed access year round.

[Neil Down]

1 hour ago, Roger Mexico said:

I suspect the interviewing was more nonplussed than anything, judging by the piece on the website.  Did Woodward even know his interview was going to be broadcast?  If he did, he was being about as unprofessional as you can imagine.  In a normal commercial company, you'd expect an executive to use the interview to try to sell the service; repeat (and maybe expand on) the information that was in the press release; emphasise all that they were doing to help and so on.  When Woodward reacted as if any questioning of what was going on was an impertinence, it's difficult to see what else the interviewer could have asked, other than "Why are you behaving like an arsehole?".

One revealing detail was the way in which the DoI waved through the change to the agreement(s) that promised a weekend Winter service to Liverpool without any care.  But then if you're not much cop at sticking to your own schedules, why fuss about other people doing the same?  Clearly now the Steam Packet has been absorbed into the happy civil service family, they can be expected to have the same attitude to public service as the rest of them.

One interesting line of enquiry that an enterprising journalist might like to take is why exactly the works at Birkenhead are stopping the boat using the port not just this Winter but the next as well.  The Steam Packet use the 12 Quays Terminal, that is mainly used by Stena Line.  There is indeed work being done here, but it appears to be nearly completed.  So why it should stop the boats using it for the next two Winter seasons is a mystery and if the new facilities can't be used for the Ben-my-Chree, how come they are only finding out about it now?  Maybe they had problems getting hold off the owner, who appear to be (examines notes) Peel Ports.

Just because we are giving them bucket loads of money, doesn't mean they have to be available to us...

[John Wright]

Actually, if we can cope without Birkenhead for two periods of 6 months out of the next 18, it calls into question the need for a Merseyside route at all, especially at a cost of £38 million.

My understanding is that there is dredging and the existing floating access ways will be replaced by double decker linkspans to allow simultaneous loading/discharge from two decks at once. Not sure if they’d accommodate the Ben. Specifically designed for the new huge Stena  e-flexer roro ferry fleet.

So this winter, to January/February 2020 no availability to SPCo. Next winter not suitable?

Being bored I checked the Stena schedule. It’s operating every weekend this winter, two sailings to Belfast from Birkenhead, on each of Saturday and Sunday.

Got me thinking. It may even be as simple logistics as there will only be one linkspan available at any one time, and Stena will have a vessel docked there at the times the Steam Packet usually use the other one.

[ecobob]

4 hours ago, John Wright said:

Just very poor communication. He seemed to have no clue that the average listener would not have the press release in front of them. However the interviewing was poor also.

I’m not surprised the interviewing was poor, it was like listening to Russell Harty Interviewing Grace Jones. He actually did very well to get through the interview at all. 

What an obnoxious man is Woodward. I rather do hope he didn’t know it was going out on air. He’ll be getting an early supper, no TV and straight off to bed when he gets home tonight. 

[Derek Flint]

I wonder if he will be censured by IOMG?

[b4mbi]

11 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

I wonder if he will be censured by IOMG?

By censured, do you mean "replaced"?

Preferably by someone that is polite, engaging, capable & media savvy.

I wonder what he gets paid to be that obnoxious?

[John Wright]

22 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

I wonder if he will be censured by IOMG?

Arms length, remember...

[gettafa]

I remember the days when former MHK/MLC Geoff Corkish was the 'Communications Officer' or whatever it was called, for the Steam Packet (risen from stores lad, to office boy, to Comms Officer). If anything happened to the boat Corkish would be chucking his tomes down the Manx Radio pipes.

To be fair, he could make his audience believe that we were just so lucky to have the Steam Packet in the first place and the latest 24hr cancellation or whatever would be good for us in the end. And the public believed him and we all smiled and got on with our lives best we could. Well, if that nice smiling/singing/dancing Mr Corkish said everything was ok, it must be ok.

It was all waffle, charm offensive and hype. And bollocks. But it generally worked.

Of course, when he joined the big boys in Tynwald he couldn't get away with all that and stfu for just about his whole tenure. The few times he did speak he made himself look like Ally McBeal in that big chair thingy, and small, silly and ridiculous. Anyway, that's by the by.

Edited September 25, 2019 by gettafa

[asitis]

Woodward should never have continued in post after his outright aggression when Government didn't accept the first steam packet offer to them ! No the Government stuck to its guns and manoeuvred itself into a worse position then let him continue in post. My local MHK described him as bordering on physically aggressive in the canteen !

Another entitled tw1t.

[Derek Flint]

In my final 12 months in my former job, I noticed a creeping arrogance in the Packet, when trying to work with them. Don’t know if it ever got sorted. 

Always found Mark generally alright in the main. Perhaps things are a bit grimmer under state control

[gettafa]

2 hours ago, asitis said:

Woodward should never have continued in post after his outright aggression when Government didn't accept the first steam packet offer to them ! No the Government stuck to its guns and manoeuvred itself into a worse position then let him continue in post. My local MHK described him as bordering on physically aggressive in the canteen !

Another entitled tw1t.

Yep, he should have fucked off if he didn't like it. He's an adult but he has shown himself to be an absolute childish spoilt twat.

Excuse me a little introspection, my early twenties: I had two jobs where the organisation I worked for (one was actually a government department taken over by another) upset the apple court. The first I reacted morosely and I would lollop into work like a ridiculous twat. I - and they - soon realised that I wasn't going to be assimilated. After a while I left with at least some of my dignity intact.

The second I quickly read the writing on the wall and got another job.

But there have been subsequent similar times, after I had grown up of course, when I just accepted the situation and made the most of it, just stfu,  and got along just fine. I did ok but I was never a CEO of the organisations, maybe I wasn't of that material. I'm not sure this chap is either.

Edited September 25, 2019 by gettafa

[Non-Believer]

Hmmm. Peel Ports improvements to the Stena dock at Birkenhead which are denying SP use said to be costing £17M. Obviously there are differences, including presumably no land purchase cost. But compare that to what's going to be spent just across the Mersey?

[finlo]

19 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

Hmmm. Peel Ports improvements to the Stena dock at Birkenhead which are denying SP use said to be costing £17M. Obviously there are differences, including presumably no land purchase cost. But compare that to what's going to be spent just across the Mersey?

The cost of that is because more and more hangers on are appearing out of the woodwork expecting their pockets filled.

No different to anything else we embark on.

[John Wright]

8 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

Hmmm. Peel Ports improvements to the Stena dock at Birkenhead which are denying SP use said to be costing £17M. Obviously there are differences, including presumably no land purchase cost. But compare that to what's going to be spent just across the Mersey?

They’re replacing their 2 berth floating linkspan with a double decker. But they’ve already got the link to land, the land itself, marshalling areas, parking, check in and terminal buildings.

[woolley]

1 hour ago, John Wright said:

They’re replacing their 2 berth floating linkspan with a double decker. But they’ve already got the link to land, the land itself, marshalling areas, parking, check in and terminal buildings.

Looking like our quoted cost is too low then. Expect more hikes. Why the hell are WE paying for this? Will we also be paying ourselves outrageous harbour charges to use it when it's in operation?  Crazy stuff.