THE Steam Packet's new vessel Manannan has had its scheduled arrival in the Isle of Man delayed.
The Manannan was due to arrive tomorrow (Saturday), but is now due to reach the Island at about midday on Monday.
The vessel was scheduled to leave Portsmouth today, but with severe weather forecast on the south-west coast of England tonight, the company has decided to reschedule the passage to the Isle of Man.
Steam Packet Company chief executive Mark Woodward said: 'I was hoping to welcome Manannan to the Island at the weekend, however, it is clear from the current weather forecast that this is no longer practical.
'During the passage to the Island, it was planned that certain specialist equipment commissioning and calibration work would be undertaken, taking advantage of the long journey time. However, this needs to be done in relatively calm conditions and four to 5-metre waves en route are forecast. As a result, we have decided to delay her departure until better conditions are expected.
'Manannan's in-service date of May 22 is not affected by this change and I look forward to welcoming her into the operational fleet in the run up to TT. Encouragingly, forward bookings for this year's TT remain up on last year and with Manannan's extra capacity, we will be able to accommodate extra last-minute bookings over the TT period.'
Meanwhile, this morning's fast craft sailings between Douglas and Liverpool have been cancelled due to the weather. It is anticipated this afternoon's sailings will go on schedule.
Manannan to arrive in Douglas