Follow the Manxman from South Korea

[woolley]

2 minutes ago, manxman1980 said:

Not only that but you would want to make sure the crew were entirely familiar with her operation in the various conditions.

It would be embarrassing if you spent all that money on a new vessel only for the Master to ram her into a linkspan and put both out of commission. 

You would also want to ensure the engineering crew were fully familiar with the engine operations, diagnostics and what is considered normal operating parameters.

You would. Particularly when there seems to be hordes of wankers with sad lives both on, and most bemusingly, off Island, just praying for it all to go wrong.

[P.K.]

21 minutes ago, woolley said:

You would. Particularly when there seems to be hordes of wankers with sad lives both on, and most bemusingly, off Island, just praying for it all to go wrong.

Keeping folks supplied with factual, up-to-date information would kill all the speculation stone dead.

So they are looking for a tug (so to speak). As it's public money they should let those paying for it why they need it...

[Mercenary]

1 hour ago, woolley said:

Yes. I see they are after a tug.

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/iomg/aspx/viewpopup.aspx?id=e382a56f-85b2-42aa-bfe8-0153ffe0eaa9&ProjectID=3057

But presumably if the Steam Packet needs the services of one, then the Steam Packet rather than the government would be procuring it? (Or at least I would bloody well hope so!)

Is this just while JCK are extending the pier?

[Capt_Mainwaring]

42 minutes ago, woolley said:

AIS is GMT perhaps?

It's UTC/GMT, yes.

[Roger Mexico]

16 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

I think the mistake they made was putting in on the schedule. Should have only scheduled the ben and put in small print maybe served by the manxman until they were super happy. 

People should just shut the fuck up with their moaning. 

Agree with you about the mistake being in scheduling it and the need for comprehensive testing and familiarisation.  But if you do schedule and then don't deliver, then people are entitled to moan, you haven't fulfilled your promises.  And you wonder if there has been a clash between the management who wanted to schedule and brag and the operating officers who wanted to be absolutely sure everything was right.  Which isn't reassuring.

And then announcing that they're going to flog off the Ben as soon as possible so there will be no passenger backup except the not always reliable (even in Summer) Manannan.  Well it's not reassuring either.  So you can see why people may be a little on edge. 

[TheTeapot]

1 minute ago, Roger Mexico said:

Agree with you about the mistake being in scheduling it and the need for comprehensive testing and familiarisation.  But if you do schedule and then don't deliver, then people are entitled to moan, you haven't fulfilled your promises.  And you wonder if there has been a clash between the management who wanted to schedule and brag and the operating officers who wanted to be absolutely sure everything was right.  Which isn't reassuring.

And then announcing that they're going to flog off the Ben as soon as possible so there will be no passenger backup except the not always reliable (even in Summer) Manannan.  Well it's not reassuring either.  So you can see why people may be a little on edge. 

Well yes, that's why it was a mistake.

If you can remember there was a story in the scottish press, either shetland or orkney, buying the Ben last year. It was quickly denied here of course, but its obviously a done deal. It is a(nother) mistake.

[mad_manx]

5 hours ago, woolley said:

Not so short really.

All men say that and the Manxman is no exception 😀

[Happier diner]

19 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

Agree with you about the mistake being in scheduling it and the need for comprehensive testing and familiarisation.  But if you do schedule and then don't deliver, then people are entitled to moan, you haven't fulfilled your promises.  And you wonder if there has been a clash between the management who wanted to schedule and brag and the operating officers who wanted to be absolutely sure everything was right.  Which isn't reassuring.

And then announcing that they're going to flog off the Ben as soon as possible so there will be no passenger backup except the not always reliable (even in Summer) Manannan.  Well it's not reassuring either.  So you can see why people may be a little on edge. 

Were there any promises? Expectations perhaps. 

[McCallig]

I don't recall such a long span of 'working up' for the the Ben my Chree when it arrived as a new vessel.

Issues with ballast yes, but no 'elephant in the room' issues about berthing in Douglas and Heysham.

[GD4ELI]

1 minute ago, McCallig said:

I don't recall such a long span of 'working up' for the the Ben my Chree when it arrived as a new vessel.

Issues with ballast yes, but no 'elephant in the room' issues about berthing in Douglas and Heysham.

Maybe 'cos Manxman is a bigger ship? 

[Roger Mexico]

33 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

Well yes, that's why it was a mistake.

If you can remember there was a story in the scottish press, either shetland or orkney, buying the Ben last year. It was quickly denied here of course, but its obviously a done deal. It is a(nother) mistake.

It was in the Shetland Times -denied here on Gef.  But the article also said:

The report said that the Ben was ‘expected to go on sale next year’. However, MD Brian Thomson said there is ‘there is 0% truth in that rumour’.

So you tell how much reliance we can place in such denials.

[TheTeapot]

I knew you'd remember.

[manxman1980]

42 minutes ago, McCallig said:

I don't recall such a long span of 'working up' for the the Ben my Chree when it arrived as a new vessel.

Issues with ballast yes, but no 'elephant in the room' issues about berthing in Douglas and Heysham.

There were plenty of people saying that the Ben was too big for the Harbour, saying how her height and flat sides made her impossible yo move in the harbour in high winds.

The joke at that time was you had one vessel that couldn't get inthe harbour in high winds and another that couldn't leave (one of the Seacats).

[AcousticallyChallenged]

3 hours ago, TheTeapot said:

If I ran a ferry company and bought a brand new ferry designed to run in the Irish Sea I would want to test the absolute fuck out of it before fully scheduling it. Like, way beyond what people would think is necessary. 

You absolutely want to get it right.

I'd be the same with something I'd spent 800 quid on, let alone 80 million.

Engineering says something is amiss and they need 10 minutes? They can have it.

Want to get the hang of it before trying it in more difficult conditions with grumbling passengers? Have at it.

Most people wouldn't be grumbling about pilots spending time training in a new plane...

[Major Rushen]

As said earlier the decision to operate or not  in bad weather is for passenger safety/ comfort. The ships and the crew can deal with much worse weather.