monasqueen

That must have been a while back. They've tried to fix it so that the Exec Club membership card operates the door (like it did on Ben !) but every time they got it working for the card, it upset another system on board, so they had to go back to temporary cards, as described by 2112.

Yes, but apart from the door locking system for the Exec Lounge, which has never worked, I'm not too sure what else there still is - I haven't been round looking. It seems there's something new every time I get on board, anyway.

The papers did get on board - amazing! But we did leave late! I didn't go looking for teething troubles, but.... 1) The deck 8 Ladies' toilet has still not been fixed. 2) The Blue staircase lift was unusable. 3) The water system was unusable (other than for flushing and washing hands) - there were no hot drinks available all trip, apart from in the exec lounge, where someone had found a kettle or two, and boiled bottled water. Will that do for now?

The departure time was 09.04 this morning (Steam Packet's figure). Speed across was about 18 knots - more than the current "normal". Slightly more vibration, with an occasional thump and rock as we hit a little wave (or was it a whale?). The mid passage update gave an estimate of 12.25 at the harbour entrance, and about 10 to 15 minutes to get onto the berth. The first part of the estimate was about right, so looking like the magical 3 hours 30 would not be far off.. but.... berthing took one helluv a long time, and Steam Packet's reported time of arrival was 12.55, making it more than the 3 and 3/4 hours scheduled crossing time. And that's without mentioning any of the "teething problems" that we encountered on board.

Left Heysham this morning at 02.05, Due in Douglas at 05.50, according to the Steam Packet's website. She's going very slowly, and on board information shows she is due "on the head" at 07.00. The newspapers will be late.... again. The lack of information is deafening. Low tide was at 05.10, and if they have to avoid up to 2 hours either side of that, it might help to explain, but why can't they be open about it and tell us? Punctuality for the 12 months to 31 October is reported to be 86.1%. Most of that drop will be from when Manxman came on the scene. That is dire, even if reliability is good, at 98.9%.

She was due out of Heysham at 14.00, and left at 14.30, so must have tried to make a bit of time up. Bet she vibrated a lot!!!

Timings given on the Steam Packet website are normally "ropes off" to "all secure", as in early this morning - · Heysham Departed at: 02:00 - Douglas Arrived at: 06:36. Just a bit more than 4 hours 35! Why?? The figures given on the ships' AIS are Douglas, "on the Head", just outside the harbour, and Heysham, somewhere around No 7 buoy. Again just outside the harbour. Times between those points are currently close on 3 hours 45. You've then got to add the time needed to turn round, get back onto the berth, and get the ropes secure. And then there's the time it takes to discharge (but that doesn't get added to the voyage time - it's an added extra). The morning trip from Douglas to Heysham today took 3 hours 48. A good trip for this ship. The same trip last Wednesday was Douglas Departed at: 08:37 - Heysham Arrived at: 12:38 = 4 hours 01 Just a random date I kept figures for. We quite often did the trip in less than 3 hours 45 on Ben, and she'd plough through some heavy weather!

Anyone know a good dentist?

I'm pretty sure that one of the "selling points" of Manxman was that she is faster than Ben From The Steam Packet website, Ben "Service speed: 19 knots", Manxman "Service speed: 19.25 knots". Not a lot in it, but.... Manxman vibrates furiously at anything over 17 knots. Hence she cannot complete a crossing in much less that 4 hours. Will/can anything be done???

The lack of any information is not at all helpful. Today, for example, the overnight sailing from Heysham to Douglas left at 02.00, and arrived at 06.36. No apparent excuse for it to take over 4 1/2 hours. The 08.00 departure from Douglas was still loading at 08.50, and her ramp was just starting to go up at 08.56. She does not seem likely to get to Heysham in time for the train. Will they tell anyone?

The train is supposed to be a connection with the boat. I've seen a bus being used for passengers going to Lancaster when Manxman has failed to get in on time. Last time we travelled, again the ship missed the train, foot passengers wanting to get to Lancaster were paged as we entered the harbour - no doubt well after most had already made their own arrangements for taxis. I don't know what was done for them. Go to reception first, before you arrange your own taxi.

The vibration is worse when they try to go at a speed that would get them from one side to the other in less than 4 hours. One of the captains has learned to tweak the handles ever so slightly until he gets to the maximum he can do without huge vibration. The ship can then do up to 18 knots. Most times, she does not get pushed beyond 16 to 17 knots, so most crossings are at least 4 hours. Ben was scheduled for 3 3/4 hours, and she actually made it within that time. She occasionally managed nearer 3 1/2 hours. If that vibration problem cannot be fixed, Manxman will not only consistently fail to keep to schedule, but she will also be unable to make occasional trips to Liverpool without considerable knock back to later trips. Wasn't this ship supposed to be faster than Ben??? And potentially able to do 2 round trips to Liverpool in a day??? When I go across on a trip, I am heading somewhere, sometimes with a time limit. I have become used to allowing 24 hours recovery margin, but am having to consider whether I now need to allow 48 hours, and pay for an additional night in a hotel on the way. Coming back over, I am coming home, and I want to get home. It seems you now need to think in terms of "this year, next year, sometime, never." Something also needs to be done about the excessive time that it takes to load and unload. And she's cancelling trips when the shipping forecast is giving no more that force 7. Oh, and those toilets... I've never seen both cubicles operational in the Ladies', but the dead tap in the Gents' has now been replaced. Bring back the old ships.

Can somebody explain why it is that you can see Wendy Ann at the back of the ship, pushing hard to keep her against the wall. What's this shelter you're talking about?

Yes, the Lady was not so good after her refit. That Dublin trip sounds like a trip I heard about, with Eddie Fargher driving. He spent ages fighting the wind, and making no way against it at all, after which he felt he had no option but to "Go home".

Is this the one where they translate the instruction book, and reboot all the electronics?