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New Flagship Ferry Manxman Undertakes First Sea Trials in South Korea

19th December 2022
Newbuild Manxman made first sea tests to test important systems that took place at the weekend in South Korea. Above the design features, is the service speed where a hybrid diesel-electric system is backed up by storage batteries. It is expected Manxman will operate as the same speed of current ferry, Ben-My-Chree, but carrying more freight and passengers while using less fuel.
Newbuild Manxman made first sea tests to test important systems that took place at the weekend in South Korea. Above the design features, is the service speed where a hybrid diesel-electric system is backed up by storage batteries. It is expected Manxman will operate as the same speed of current ferry, Ben-My-Chree, but carrying more freight and passengers while using less fuel. Credit: ManxRadio-facebook

The new flagship of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company the Manxman, has undergone its first sea trials in South Korea.

The newbuild set sail from the port of Ulsan from where the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard built the ferry. Among the tests involved the propulsion equipment, controls, mooring, navigation, radio and anchor equipment.

Manxman is to continue with further trials which will take place nearer to the newbuid's completion which will test stabilisers, speed and levels of sound and vibration.

Following completion as Afloat previously reported the Manxman will embark on an 18,000 mile delivery voyage to the Isle of Man. This is expected to take 30 days with a transit through the Suez Canal.

Click ManxRadio which also has a video of Manxman underway.

It is hoped that the ferry can enter service ahead of the 2023 TT Festival.

Published in Shipyards
Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.