Manx Line: Difference between revisions

Manx Line
Industry	Shipping
Founded	1978
Defunct	1985
Fate	Merged with Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
Headquarters	Douglas, Isle of Man
Area served	Irish Sea
Key people	Geoff Duke CEO
Services	Passenger transportation; Freight transportation

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Latest revision as of 21:25, 18 April 2022

Manx Line was a ferry operator which operated roll-on/roll-off ferry services between Great Britain and the Isle of Man between 1978 and 1985. An earlier, unrelated, company had used the "Manx Line" name in the late 19th century.

History

Businessman and former motorcycle racing champion Geoff Duke was head of Manx Line, which offered a service from Douglas to Heysham. The company operated one vessel, Manx Viking, which was formerly the Spanish-owned Monte Castillo, in competition with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, which at the time was operating side-loading vehicle ferries and passenger-only turbine steamers. While Manx Line had successful advertising, and the roll-on/roll-off service quickly became popular with passengers, Manx Viking proved unreliable and broke down frequently in the first year of operations.

A gale in 1978 destroyed the company's linkspan in Douglas Harbour, causing £1 million of damage to the Victoria Pier. It took five years to settle the matter, by which time Manx Line had been acquired by Sealink. The new owners continued to operate the Manx Viking on the same route, offering strong competition to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The rival firm purchased a linkspan in 1980, and took out a charter on the P&O Ferries vessel NF Jaguar (later Peveril).

Sealink, including Manx Line, was sold to Sea Containers in 1984. Manx Line became the vehicle for a reverse takeover of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company by Sea Containers in 1985, consolidating the two Manx businesses, and the Manx Line branding was retired.

Fleet

Manx Line operated only one vessel, the MV Manx Viking, which remained in service with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company until 1986, before being sold. She later operated in Canada as the Nindawayma. Various other vessels were chartered to cover for the Manx Viking, including the Viking III of Townsend Thoresen in 1980.

References

Basnett, Stan (2006). Manx Line. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 1871947855.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{refimprove|date=April 2021}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
+{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
 {{Infobox company
 | name             = Manx Line
-| logo             = [[File:Manx line logo.svg‎|250px]]
+| logo             = Manx line logo.svg
+| logo_size        = 250px
 | caption          =
 | type             =
 | genre            =
-| fate             = Merged with [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company|IOMSPCo]]
+| fate             = Merged with [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]]
 | predecessor      =
 | successor        =
@@ Line 16: / Line 20: @@
 | locations        =
 | area_served      = [[Irish Sea]]
-| key_people       =  [[Geoff Duke]] [[OBE]], <small>CEO</small>
+| key_people       = [[Geoff Duke]] <small>CEO</small>
 | industry         = Shipping
 | products         =
@@ Line 33: / Line 37: @@
 | homepage         =
 | footnotes        =
-| intl             = yes
 }}
+'''Manx Line''' was a [[ferry]] operator which operated [[roll-on/roll-off]] ferry services between [[Great Britain]] and the [[Isle of Man]] between 1978 and 1985.  An earlier, unrelated, company had used the "Manx Line" name in the late 19th century.
-'''Manx Line''' was the name of the ferry company that brought the [[Roll on-roll off|RO-RO]] era to the Isle of Man between 1979-1984. It wasn't the first company called "Manx Line", with the Steam Packet Company haven seen off another company with the same name in the late 19th century.
 ==History==
-The company operated one Spanish vessel Monte Castillo which was renamed [[MS Nindawayma|''Manx Viking'']]. It emerged that motorcycle ace [[Geoff Duke]] was head of this new venture. Many people preferred this exciting new concept of travel to rival company the [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]]'s sideloaders and passenger only turbine steamers. The company had very good advertising and became popular very quickly, however, the ''Manx Viking'' broke down quite frequently in the first year of operations.
+Businessman and former motorcycle racing champion [[Geoff Duke]] was head of Manx Line, which offered a service from [[Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas]] to [[Heysham Port|Heysham]].  The company operated one vessel, {{MV|Manx Viking||2}}, which was formerly the Spanish-owned ''Monte Castillo'', in competition with the [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]], which at the time was operating side-loading vehicle ferries and passenger-only turbine steamers.  While Manx Line had successful advertising, and the roll-on/roll-off service quickly became popular with passengers, ''Manx Viking'' proved unreliable and broke down frequently in the first year of operations.
-Manx Line offered a service from [[Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas]] to the Lancashire port of [[Heysham]]. The first easterly gale to blow in the year of 1978 destroyed the Manx Line linkspan in Douglas Harbour, and caused £1 million of damage to the Victoria Pier. It took five years to settle the matter, but by that time [[Sealink]] had taken over the Manx Line operation, and continued to operate the ''Manx Viking'' on the same route, offering strong competition to the Steam Packet Company, who purchased a linkspan in 1980, and took out a charter on the P&O vessel ''NF Jaguar'' (later ''Peveril'') in rivalry to the ''Manx Viking''.
+A gale in 1978 destroyed the company's [[linkspan]] in Douglas Harbour, causing £1 million of damage to the Victoria Pier. It took five years to settle the matter, by which time Manx Line had been acquired by [[Sealink]].  The new owners continued to operate the ''Manx Viking'' on the same route, offering strong competition to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.  The rival firm purchased a linkspan in 1980, and took out a charter on the [[P&O Ferries]] vessel ''NF Jaguar'' (later {{MV|Peveril|1971|2}}).
-Manx Line – as part of Sealink – was later sold to [[Sea Containers Ltd]], and became the vehicle for a reverse takeover by SeaCon of the Steam Packet Company, so consolidating the two Manx businesses.
+Sealink, including Manx Line, was sold to [[Sea Containers]] in 1984.  Manx Line became the vehicle for a reverse takeover of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company by Sea Containers in 1985, consolidating the two Manx businesses, and the Manx Line branding was retired.
-The ''Manx Viking'' continued to operate on the Manx shipping scene until 1986 when she was replaced by ''Peveril''. She was sold to a Norwegian company as the ''Manx'', later ''Skudenes''. She was sold on again to a Canadian company as the ''Nindawayma''.
 ==Fleet==
-Manx Line operated only one vessel. Various other vessels covered for the ''Manx Viking'' during the seven year period.
+Manx Line operated only one vessel, the {{MV|Manx Viking}}, which remained in service with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company until 1986, before being sold.  She later operated in Canada as the ''Nindawayma''.  Various other vessels were chartered to cover for the ''Manx Viking'', including the ''Viking III'' of [[Townsend Thoresen]] in 1980.
+==References==
-* [[MS Nindawayma|MS ''Manx Viking'']]
+<!--===Notes===
-* MS ''Viking III'' (charter in 1980)
+{{reflist|2}}
+===Bibliography===-->
+{{refbegin}}
+*{{cite book|last1=Basnett|first1=Stan|title=Manx Line|date=2006|publisher=Ferry Publications|location=Ramsey, Isle of Man|isbn=1871947855}}
+{{refend}}
 [[Category:Defunct shipping companies of the United Kingdom]]
+[[Category:Ferry companies of the Isle of Man]]
+[[Category:Transport companies established in 1978]]
+[[Category:Transport companies disestablished in 1985]]
+[[Category:1978 establishments in the Isle of Man]]
+[[Category:1985 disestablishments in the Isle of Man]]
+[[Category:Defunct ferry companies of the Crown Dependencies]]