Engine tests find gearbox fault in new Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry

A new £78m Manx ferry will not enter service in June as expected due to a faulty gearbox, the boss of the Isle of Man Steam Packet has said.

The issue was discovered as the Manxman was undergoing sea trials out of a shipyard in South Korea.

Brian Thomson said he was confident the manufacturers would "iron out" the problem after an investigation.

But the June start date for the Ben-my-Chree replacement vessel was now not possible, he added.

The public ferry firm's managing director said he could not say when the Manxman would be in operation until the shipyard had finished looking into the problem.

"I am relatively relaxed about it, it is absolutely fine to find it now, rather than later, on the voyage back to the Isle of Man, or while in operation," he added.

Mr Thomson said the delay would not impact on sailings, as the Steam Packet had always planned against the likelihood "that these things can happen".

The Manxman was built at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea and was being taken through a series of tests before it was due to be delivered to the island.

It will have increased capacity to take about 950 passengers to and from Heysham, up from the current maximum of 630 on the Ben-my-Chree.

The gearbox fault was found during engine tests, in which power is built up in percentages to run at different speeds.

Aside from this fault, the Manxman's performance was "positive" at the trials, Mr Thomson said, adding that it was running "faster and smoother" than expected.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]