The Steam Packet's new flagship, Manxman will arrive in Douglas Bay around 9am on Sunday morning.

The £78million vessel, which is registered in Douglas, will leave its current berth at Southampton's Western Docks on Friday evening.

Manxman's route to the Isle of Man will see it travel down Southampton Water, out of the Solent, around Land's End and into the Irish Sea, meaning, subject to weather and other operational factors, island residents will be able to see Manxman for the first time in Douglas Bay on Sunday morning.

Manxman's delivery voyage began in May and has seen the vessel cover more than 12,000 nautical miles through eight different seas in three different oceans. As the journey has progressed to the west, Manxman’s crews have had to adjust their clocks 10 times to match local times zones.

The well-travelled ship has made calls at numerous ports along the route, to take on fuel and supplies. As well as some of the world’s busiest ports such as Hong Kong and Singapore, Manxman’s itinerary has taken the vessel to historical locations including Muscat, Jeddah and Valletta.

For the final leg of her homeward journey, Manxman will be under the command of Captain Jonathan Palmer.

Following her arrival in Douglas, the ship has to undergo inspections by the Isle of Man Ship Registry, including a test deployment of its marine evacuation system.

The new vessel will also have to undergo berthing trials in Douglas and Heysham, as well as giving the masters an opportunity to update their Pilot Exemption Certificates for the new flagship.

Alongside that, crew training, staff familiarisation, stocking and all the myriad other items that need to be put in place before the boat needs to go into operation.

It is anticipated that if all goes to plan, Manxman will begin limited service before the end of July.

A round the island cruise is being planned in order to give some customers a chance to sail on the new flagship without having to make a return crossing. Further details of this will be released shortly.

A welcome ceremony for Manxman is planned for Sunday, July 9, with further details to be released shortly.