Manannan has returned to full power and will return to its original schedule after repairs to one of its four engines were completed.

The vessel suffered a failed crankshaft with one of its four engines in July. Coming at the height of the summer season, taking Manannan out of service for several days to carry out the repair would have caused huge disruption for passengers.

Instead, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company announced a revised schedule allowing for slightly longer journey times, so travellers could plan ahead, and committed additional resources to carry out repairs while the vessel was in port overnight.

Those repairs have been concluded and Manannan is now operating on all four engines and back to its normal schedule.

Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘We were faced with a dilemma when Manannan suffered this major mechanical failure; take it out of service and cancel many days of sailings in the peak summer period or operate on reduced power and amend the schedule to reflect the slightly longer crossing times.

‘We felt it would cause far less disruption to passengers to operate on reduced power and commit resources to carrying out repairs overnight. This required a greater investment than simply taking Manannan out of service, but was clearly the best option for the travelling public.

‘It had been hoped these repairs would be finished in time for the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling, but once work started it became clear the damage was not just to the crankshaft. There was substantial damage to the engine block too, which required specialist machining.’

He added: ‘I’m pleased to say the repairs are now complete and Manannan is operating its original schedule. I would like to thank our passengers for their patience, and my colleagues, including the customer service staff who dealt with passenger inquiries and the engineers who have been working through the nights to carry out the repairs, for their hard work.’