Ben-my-Chree in Douglas Harbour |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ben-my-Chree |
| Namesake: | Manx: Girl of my Heart |
| Owner: | IOMSPCo. |
| Operator: | IOMSPCo. |
| Port of registry: | Douglas Isle of Man |
| Route: | Douglas—Heysham Heysham—Douglas Douglas—Birkenhead Birkenhead—Douglas |
| Ordered: | 1997 |
| Builder: | van der Giessen de Noord, Netherlands |
| Yard number: | 971 |
| Laid down: | 1997 |
| Launched: | 1998 |
| Commissioned: | 1998 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9170705 |
| Status: | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 12,747 |
| Length: | 125.2 m (411 ft) |
| Beam: | 23.4 m (77 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Installed power: | 2 × MAK 9L32 diesel engines |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Controllable pitch propellers 2 × bow thrusters |
| Speed: | 19.5 kn (22.4 mph) |
| Capacity: | Passenger: 636 Cars: 275 |
The MV Ben-my-Chree is a Ro-Pax vessel that is operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The vessel is the company's flagship.
The ship is registered in Douglas, Isle of Man. She is the sixth vessel to carry the name.
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The Ben-my-Chree was ordered in 1997 by Sea Containers for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, costing around £24 million. She was built by van der Giessen de Noord of the Netherlands. She was brought around to the island from Holland by the Captain Vernon Kinley.
The 'Ben' was the first new ship built for the company since 1976 and the sixth vessel to be called Ben-my-Chree. The vessel was launched on 4 April 1998 and entered service on Tynwald Day (July 5), and at a gross tonnage of around 12,000, she was the largest ship to enter service with the company. The vessel received a lot of criticism due to her low passenger capacity of 500, (carrying no more than 350 per sailing), and the fact she had no open deck for passengers. The Company insisted this was a "comfort level" for the vessel's size. Since then, the island has come to warm to the vessel.
In 2004, the Ben-my-Chree received a major refit, which included a new passenger accommodation section, creating an open deck for passengers, and her stern door was modified. This refit now allowed the Ben-my-Chree to carry her full capacity of 630 pax. On 2 April 2008, the Ben-my-Chree went in for another refit, which included a new livery and internal refit. On 16 July 2008, the Ben-my-Chree completed 10 years of Manx service. On 25 July 2008, the Ben-my-Chree suffered a technical failure, with the Viking taking her Heysham sailing until she was repaired.
The Royal New Zealand Navy multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury was based on Ben-my-Chree's design, and entered service in 2007.
Deck 7:
Deck 7::
Deck 8:
Ben-my-Chree mainly sails between Douglas and Heysham but occasionally sails from Birkenhead.
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