Displaying items by tag: Travel Watch survey

14th October 2015

Future of Isle of Man ferry Services, Have Your Say

#SayOnFerry - TravelWatch, the UK passenger watchdog is urging the public to respond to a survey on the future of ferry services, writes IOMtoday.

Back in July, the independent group welcomed the Infrastructure Minister’s announcement in Tynwald that his department was to hold a public consultation on the future of ferry services.

A survey questionnaire was issued at the end of September, (closing date 9 Nov) seeking the views of passengers and freight users on issues such as preferred departure times and choice of ports in North West England and Ireland, and requesting the rating of items such as frequency of sailing, comfort and reliability of service.

TravelWatch says the tick-box format may be easier for the government to handle, but believes the public should be given an opportunity to make comments on whether the Steam Packet’s second vessel be a fast ferry or conventional ship.

For more on the story, click here.

Afloat.ie adds that the current conventional ferry the Ben-My-Chree (see captain interview) mostly serves on main Isle of Man-UK route between Douglas and Heysham.

Published in Ferry

Tagged under

About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour