gazza

Fair point Gazza. so to pick up on what somebody said about they can reduce there sailings by 50% then the Sp could have this option to reduce staff and take longer to unload etc

No of course not - but I was responding to a general comment that lift on lift off container traffic is normal at major ports around the world and therefore must be as efficient as RoRo. No doubt it is in the first type of situation because of the infrastructure not only for lifting but also for marshalling containers and the capacity to handle large ships and large container volumes backed up by road/rail links too. But as you say the Mezeron operation is hardly comparable which is why I posted the two along side one another. A mobile crane on a narrow pier lifting off containers is probably not as efficient as a RoRo ship using a linkspan backed by a large marshalling area and multiple tracor units in the same harbour. My thought was that surely IOMSPC should be in there maximising its freight handling advantage not grumbling about Mezeron. I find it strange that MW didn't say - "competition is great because it makes us maximise our efficiencies an effectiveness in the interest of both our customers and our owners". From experience the arrival of competition can be a big motivator - but at the moment in this case it seems to have had the opposite effect - just lsten to that video! all depends what the company class as efficinet, Time V cost. I would say the mezeron can unload the same amout of cargo as the SP for a fraction of the cost, It may take more time but at the end of the day efficient can be classed in so many ways. All depends what the company wants. the SP want the cargo off and on as quick as possable to get a turn around, so they have to emply more staff machines to do this. where mezeron can have less staff machines as there time is not as importent. Just depends where that fine line is.

I think they came across as a set of heavy yobs. That can only see to blame the gov for whats happined not that the SP have fooked up. i think to be fair gawne handled them was vary good, and if there point is to be made, then as of today, all non manx staff who are employed on the boats should be sacked, only manx people should be allowed to work on the boats and in the port on the island. Thats what they seam to be asking for.

i dont see it as being less inefficinet, all the major ports in the world use this approce to fright, Think about it. containers are stacked in the area of the crane, boat comes in crane just picks up swings and lands container on boat, turn twist locks job done, even if they use a forktruck to bring the containers to the crane its only 1 min to move it to right place. SP have to hook up trailer, back trailer down ramps to boat, drive to top deck back into postion, then they have to strap the trailer down, All in all the time it takes i would say thay will be much on a par. The diffrence is, less staff for mezeron to load unload, less machines used to unload, and in the space of one 40ft trailer you would fit at least 2 40ft containers im not sure how high they are stacking them, so they could be 3 high, So for the same length of a trailer they have got 40ft more room, but even if it is less efficient which i dowt, it shows that the SP have charged well over the odds to ship because mezeron can do it cheaper while useing a less inefficient ways. But i really dont think it is less efficent.

lets home the plane crashers then what is he coming over to do. make the SP strike intill the gov give in. i some how dowt the SP could afford that some how.

so the fact the steam packet bleed the island dry for years is our fault, That they paid themselfs divs over 15million a year is our fault. no they bleed the island charged huge amounts and rewarded themselfs, The acconts prove that there is a viable shipping route as long as you dont have huge overheads (200 odd million loan) And i would dare say that with the amount of cash that is there to be made somebody will pick the sailings up. Why should we be made to pay for the SP gross failings on a shipping route that was seen as a cash cow for the company. Let them go tits up because if we dont then every single company on this island should be bailed out when times are hard.

They be no diffrent if they went on the ben. whats your point

They get paid the same. how you work that one out

and these staff from the fast craft, where are they from

cause there only intrsted in the ££££, someday people may see that

well as the Sp our such a good manx company you know with beeing here for over 100 years. and with them being all for manx things. Then Im sure with all that respect they have for the island its workers and people then im sure that they will have set aside plenty of cash to pay for this type incase that they ever went bust. And im sure before they paid themselfs 10-15million divs a year that they transfered the years pension allocation so its safe for the manx worker. who they love so much. Carlsburg don't do irony....

Gazza, what do you mean by pick-up, a half-cab jobbo or? Wicked prices, I'm in the wrong business. 4x4 double cab land rover

a pick up with a 6ft trailer on the SP booked yesterday £987.00 1 way Pick up on its own £500.00 1 way. And they wonder why they may lose people to mezeron

that may not be a worse case scenario that could be a good thing

We speak of charter on a long term basis not as and when required such as TT. This was covered in my post. It might help if the Steampacket could charter bare-boat which is like a lease and means you do not have to buy. This might relieve capital and yet retain essential IOM services. but chartering over 10-20 years will not be cost effective. and have you seen the div payments. they were not short of cash

Thanks for that. I hadn't spotted that note to the accounts. So the reserves have gone from £23.9 million in 2007 to £7.7 million at the end of 2008. Wonder what the position is now? Presumably they can't continue to keep paying big dividends if there are limited reserves? And this is the reason why the SP should not get any specieal treatment at all from the gov. or anybody to feel sorry for it. look how much they have been creaming out of the company, and hence why the UA was valued so high in the first place. because up till this all kicked off the SP were making a shit load of cash, before they started paying hugh divs out. And the figures they have posted sure look like a vibale sea route for a diffrent company to take up when the SP gos. and i think it will fold. it has no choice but to really unless mezeron stop, They will lose 14 million from 1 contract alone. add in the rest that have jumped ship the total could well be up in the 20s. that is a hugh figure to lose in the space of a couple of months. what shit service, if im right in sayin the SP boat did not sail the other day as well. so there still better of using mezeron. And you can bet the sp boat will not sail a hell of a lot less than mezeron. or do you expect the bvoats to sail in force 10-12 which is forcast for thursday.

And im sure if you have something like the UA it would be cheaper in the long run to own the boat than lease it. as you are in it for the long haul.

Fair dues to Bill Malarkey. He summed up the position fairly accurately. It's funny how Allen Bell changes his tune to suit the union guys.... id have to agree he came across well, thing i noted. the link that somebody posted about the profits from the SP. total 22 million now did somebody say that was before taking into effect the debt payments. bill mararkey said 10-14million in intrsted payments alone take in to effect the lose of tescos of 10-16 million and you can see why to be honest they are up shit creek.

Just had some figures in from tescos. and the loss to the SP from tescos alone is around the 4-6million a year in lost freight. nearer the 6million

36% profit when the avarage is 13%. yes i see there hard done by

thing is when did they decide to cancel it. because this has been forcast for at least 2 days

well as graylaw are the tescos contactor here, and stobarts in the uk, i can see why they have there name on the wagons. good pic

I think their contract is with Graylaw and it's Graylaw that is dealing with Mezeron Would you happen to know what the tie up is between Graylaw and Stobarts then, as I’m sure that Tesco’s stuff is in Stobarts units? stobarts will be tescos main haulage units in the uk. Must be quite nice for the steam packet to have shipped in mezearons new crane, o the irony of that

Right whos going to make a flyer about the SPCO to try and tarnish them. you make it i will hand them out. bah they bring a child to do it there work to get the old heart strings going. im sure i can find someone better to bring the heart strings out of people

The link you provided took us through to the general harbour link - can you provide a link which confirms your statement? THE ONLY GUARANTEED FREIGHT BERTH IN DOUGLAS IS THAT OF THE USER AGREEMENT WITH SP. Some very strange laws governing Douglas harbours, did you know that derelict boats berthed in the inner harbours cannot be removed with an act of Tynwald being passed. And really, do the Isle of Man fishing fleet have nothing better to do than park up in Douglas in a battle which has nothing at all to do with them? I think the public would see that as pretty transparent and really quite petty. This is a commercial battle, where one company has been short-sighted and been mortgaged up to the hilt, and another which has been in the game for a long time, is a recognised competitor to the Steam Packet, who has enhanced their service. Edited to correct sp. Just if the IOMSP were to go out of business overnight do you think Mezeron would come to the rescue, Will Mezerons service bring down your cost of living or save you any money. Many of the current skippers and crews on SP have come from the Local fishing industry not some third world country. well YES mezeron will bring most costs down, and save me a lot of cash. hence the reason i have allways used them when ever i can. so you think the iom govenment should step in and stop them from doing what they are doing. thats never going to happin is it.