Passengers traveling between Liverpool and the Isle of Man will face longer journey times when the current fastcraft Manannan is replaced by a new £120m vessel, it is being reported. Tony McDonough reports

A new Liverpool to Isle of Man ferry will take around 45 minutes longer to cross the Irish Sea than the current vessel when it comes into service, a new report claims.

An article in Isle of Man today reported communications between the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company had revealed the planned replacement for the fastcraft Mannanan would be a conventional vessel that would have a lower top speed.

In February LBN reported that Manannan, which has been transporting passengers between Liverpool and the Isle of Man for 17 years, is now coming to the end of its life.

Steam Packet is to commission a new vessel to take its place and this may also lead to more sailings taking place in the winter months between the Mersey and Douglas. This new ferry is likely to cost around £120m and be in service in 2030.

This latest report is based on an exchange between Steam Packet and the Manx government, which owns the company, in a cache of documents released by the Treasury under a Freedom of Information request.

In a letter to Steam Packet chairman Dan Clague the Treasury’s chief financial officer asked about the “long-term suitability” of the £78m Manxman ship, which came into service in 2023.

Manxman is currently laid up in Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead awaiting the reinstallation of two propulsion shafts that are being repaired in Denmark. This could disrupt services between Liverpool and the Isle of Man later in the autumn.

The Treasury is seeking assurances that lessons learned from Manxman would be considered in the specification, design and procurement for Manannan’s replacement.

In his response on August 6, Mr Clague said that replacing Manannan with a further conventional ropax vessel “will add to the resilience and passenger amenity we are able to offer year round”.

He added: “The new vessel will likely be about four knots faster than Manxman which should enable her to reach Liverpool in just under three and a half hours in most weather conditions all year round.”

Manannan currently does the journey in about two and three quarter hours meaning passengers would face a longer journey in the future. Manannan is a catamaran that was originally used by the US military and was bought by Steam Packet in 2009 for £20m.

Steam Packet carries more than 600,000 passengers a year across the Irish Sea connecting the island with both Liverpool and Heysham in Lancashire. Although the company does not break down the figures the Liverpool route likely accounts for just under 50%.

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The ferries are particularly popular during the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races which take place in either May or June. In 2025 almost 40,000 people used the ferries to get to the event.

Manannan is due to take its usual break annual in service from early November. In the last couple of years Manxman has provided Saturday and Sunday sailings between Liverpool and the Isle of Man during the winter months.

Depending on when the repairs are completed passengers could face some changes to the schedules in November.