Mezeron & Steam Packet Master Thread

[max]

Dear Mr Ross would you please consider coming out of retirement to help us Islander. We have big concerns with your succeder Mr Woodward is sinking the ship, he is more intrerested in writing up his blog for sell appraisal. We islanders have never read anything positive about him all we read is negative coments Reading between the lines he comes across with manners of a snob. Not like yourself you were well liked on the Island you came across as down to earth person. At the moment we have 2 shipping companies at war, We beleive the IOM SPc will go under please help.

[hmc]

"we're all doomed" to pay through the nose for the pleasure of taking the car to UK and beyond from now on

 

Not necessarily. In the end competition will be a good thing if it prompts a review of the user agreement and the economics of shipping in general. For example - it is really sensible to expect the Steam Packet to run fast ferries ?

 

And why not subsidise domestic and passenger services out of direct taxation like the Scottish ferries? Infrastructure is exactly the sort of thing which taxes are supposed to pay for.

 

Shipping is an essential service. As long as it breaks-even that is all that actually matters. Perhaps it should operate as a not for profit service, looking forward.

Simple, just take Easkjet and a hire car! F**k Woodward and his threats!

[Sean South]

Fast Craft are being phased out around Europe because they are no longer cost effective with the spiraling cost of fuel. And, let's face it, if the Irish routes aren't profitable then they should be phased out. Judging by the user numbers, they wouldn't be missed too much anyway. Then the Steam Packet could concentrate on the profitable English routes and the Government could tear up the user agreement and throw the doors open to competition and everyone would be happy... Eh Mr Woodward?

[manshimajin]

Many of you will now be aware that Mezeron/Dohle has introduced a daily Lift on-Lift off freight service in Douglas Harbour using two chartered Estonian registered and foreign crewed vessels.

 

So Mr Woodward is now seeing a face off between foreign vessels and foreign crews and a foreign owned ferry company with some foreign crews and foreign built ships?

[pongo]

So Mr Woodward is now seeing a face off between foreign vessels and foreign crews and a foreign owned ferry company with some foreign crews and foreign built ships?

 

Running services to an island which operates a ship registry which is all about putting foreign officers and engineers on UK and EU owned vessels. Oh the irony !

[Max1]

Woodward needs to resign or be demoted .

[newaccount]

use the millions that they pay government each year to instead reduce freight charges

Edited October 30, 2010 by newaccount

[metisse]

As much as i get mad at the prices sometimes charged on the S-P remember how we all used to 'diss' manx airlines before they went, would we really want the same to happen on the sea?

[manshimajin]

As much as i get mad at the prices sometimes charged on the S-P remember how we all used to 'diss' manx airlines before they went, would we really want the same to happen on the sea?

Could this be, to use the oft used phrase, an opportunity rather than a threat? Would any of the following help?

 

1. 
    
   
2. Reduce fleet to two boats to access savings (and capital) that would generate - shame the Manannan does not seem to be that reliable but it's what they've got
   
3. Stop using Heysham - Liverpool/Birkenhead is better for most passengers and for containers
   
4. Limit Irish service to one port (similar to UK) - not as many sailings but reasonable service with fuller boat
   
5. Improve (apparently) service to freight customers to rebuild some loyalty
   
6. Build better relationship with customers by stopping use of negative language which just puts people off
   
7. Think of how to develop marketing to 67,000,000 UK and Irish population
   

[acorn]

use the millions that they pay government each year to instead reduce freight charges

 

 

Think you may need to acquaint yourself with the machinations of the company.

 

What about the millions forked out for the debt which has been loaded on the company? There's also been allegations of asset stripping, interesting if true.

Edited October 31, 2010 by acorn

[John Wright]

Of course the user agreement, much maligned, does limit and control passenger ticket prices, types of vessel and destinations so unless the Steam Packet wants to tear up the user agreement......

 

Heysham is 20 miles nearer than Birkenhead or the Pierhead so takes less fuel and so should in theory be cheaper to get to and from and to operate out of and we seem to have exclusive use of the one passenger berth

 

None of Fleetwood, Heysham or Birkenhead are destinations in themselves and none of them, or Liverpool, are the easiest to get in or out of, by public transport or car. Passenger facilities at Fleetwood are none existent, Liverpool is a joke for vehicle marshalling and foot passengers on and off, Heysham is not much beter for cars and only slightly better for foot passengers, but if the gangway is rebuilt could be better, 12 Quays is great for marshalling vehicles and freight, never been inside the passenger terminal

 

The pier head landing stage is a freight no go

 

12 Quays is utilised by Maersk and any sailings there would have to fit in with their schedules

 

Passengers are a nuisance, the real money is in freight

 

So what we get is going to be a compromise.

 

Certainly in the past there was not enough business for competition and the Steam Ppacket and Manx Line fought themselves to bankruptcy very quickly. It took from 1979 until 1985

 

The user agreement is supposed to make, by regulation, a monopoly of the use of the linkspans into a market place, but all it does is distort the market and make the SPCo run fast craft they do not need and which do not provide the service promised and which are uneconomic, for political rather than service demand driven reasons. There is now a market in freight, and a limit on the SPCo response re service level and price for passengers because of the user agreement. I predict a much shorter war of attrition this time and an end, or substantial amendment to, the user agreement due to economic forces. Who or what wil survive is wholly unpredictable.

 

I still think that two boats like the Ben ie similar capacities and size and speed and consumption, owned by two competing companies, one to Heysham and one to another port of choice in England, would give us the best service and price. I do think that freight volume has increased enough to make that market large enough to be competitive since the 80's

 

The truth is we passengers are a hindrance, we need lounges, security and many more staff, land based and on board, that all comes at a price. Same is true of the Irish trade. Maybe one multipurpose RoPax vessel once per week to one port all year around could be justified

[Sean South]

So Mr Woodward is now seeing a face off between foreign vessels and foreign crews and a foreign owned ferry company with some foreign crews and foreign built ships?

Yeah. He's a real comedian isn't he?

 

Could this be, to use the oft used phrase, an opportunity rather than a threat? Would any of the following help?

 

1. 
    
   
2. Reduce fleet to two boats to access savings (and capital) that would generate - shame the Manannan does not seem to be that reliable but it's what they've got
   
3. Stop using Heysham - Liverpool/Birkenhead is better for most passengers and for containers
   
4. Limit Irish service to one port (similar to UK) - not as many sailings but reasonable service with fuller boat
   
5. Improve (apparently) service to freight customers to rebuild some loyalty
   
6. Build better relationship with customers by stopping use of negative language which just puts people off
   
7. Think of how to develop marketing to 67,000,000 UK and Irish population
   

There's a lot of sense in what you say there Manshijamin. Could the problem be the Chief Exec though? To be fair to him, he's never had to deal with real competition duriing his tenure as CEO has he? Maybe it's time for them to head hunt a fresh pair of hands, perhaps someone used to dealing in a busier market place?

 

 

The truth is we passengers are a hindrance, we need lounges, security and many more staff, land based and on board, that all comes at a price. Same is true of the Irish trade. Maybe one multipurpose RoPax vessel once per week to one port all year around could be justified

They have never really gone after the Irish Tourist trade. The IoM ads on TV are generally fairly bland. Selling the countryside and scenery which, to be fair, is fairly similar to Ireland so not really a USP.

 

If they were to look at a weekly Irish route there would, not only be passenger potential, but also, surely, potential for freight and trade opportunities too?

 

I always believed that the Govt should redevelop the quay area into a major Duty Free outfit and market it heavily at the Irish and British markets with cheap booze, smokes and electrical goods. For example, last year when the VAT rate in Northern Ireland was 5% less than the Republic of Ireland, the motorway to Newry was jammers every day. The Sainsburys in Newry was the busiest and most profitable in their entire operation. So the potential is there. I can just picture a queue of ferries in the bay.....

[manshimajin]

What about the millions forked out for the debt which has been loaded on the company and what happened to cash from the asset stripping?

Acorn, what asset stripping did the company do?

[iom_cb]

Hi, don't post often - but thought I'd put my view forward for once.

 

My view is simple; as an island nation we REQUIRE an affordable regular passenger service. This should never (nor can it be) at risk due to economic factors. We require it as the lifeline of the island. It is not for the steam packet to make idle threats about this essential servie. Either the steam packet can provide it; or another solution would have to be found (even if it's nationaising the fast-craft services in the summer).

 

The steam packet has a regulated monopoly; if they try and abuse this they should lose that monopoly. Take the fast-craft sailings off them and tear up the user agreement.

 

Reliable, affordable and regular passenger services are essential for our island; they should be maintained at any cost. Idle threats are irrelevant and unhelpful.

[Lost Login]

Simple, just take Easkjet and a hire car! F**k Woodward and his threats!

 

Yes but Sleazyjet make the SP look like Saints at times!