She’s been operating, weather permitting, daily pleasure cruises and charters around the island over the summer for almost 18 years.

And in that time, the MV Karina has carried 80,000 passengers.

But now, the island is set to say farewell to the Karina as she prepares to leave Manx waters for the final time to start a new life in Africa.

She has been sold by owner Captain Stephen Carter of the Laxey Towing Company and it is understood that she will be shipped to Gambia where she will taking passengers on wildlife river cruises.

Captain Carter said: ’I was only ever going to run it one more summer season.

’I’m 68 and she’s been a daily commitment over the summer from April until the end of September/mid October.

’But then the Karina got damaged in a winter hurricane.

’The damage is not too bad but it’s difficult to get her out of the water in the Isle of Man so economically it wasn’t worth repairing her just for one season. So we decided at the start of the season that we were not going to run it and we would put her up for sale.’

Mr Carter said there had been a lot of interest in the vessel, from the UK and further afield.

He said he believed the new owner has plans to operate her on wildlife cruises on a river in the Gambia.

The plan is to refurbish her in the island and then take her to the UK from where she will craned onto a specialist ship and transported to a port in west Africa.

Mr Carter said he will be sad to say goodbye to her. ’She’s been very reliable, she’s never missed a beat.

’She’s been here 18 years and carried 80,000 passengers in that time.’

The MV Karina was built in Dartmouth in 1946. Originally named the MV May Queen, she was used on ferry services out of Plymouth and cruises on the River Tamar.

Renamed the MV Eastern Belle and later MV Totnes Princess, she went on to operate services on the River Dart before being sold to the Laxey Towing Company in 2001.