Dredging operations have begun in Douglas harbour following the incident in which the Manxman ran aground as it came into berth.

Specialist vessel Norma II arrived in the island at the weekend from Liverpool.

She began dredging the harbour for the Department of Infrastructure on Sunday and the operation is expected to take three days.

A survey of the silt build-up in the harbour was carried out on Saturday.

The Manxman ran aground while manoeuvring into port on the evening of Saturday March 1.

She had arrived from Liverpool when she became grounded at around 6pm and had to wait for the tide to rise before coming into berth.

The Steam Packet blamed a combination of low spring tide and high air pressure.

Managing director Brian Thomson said that an investigation was launched to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A spokesperson for the DoI said: ‘A survey was completed by Clydeside Surveys on Saturday and a three-day dredging programme using a specialist vessel from the UK began on Sunday.

‘The main priority is to dredge the mound in the main turning basin before using the opportunity to perform other maintenance duties while the vessel is available.’

Infrastructure Minister Dr Michelle Haywood confirmed the silt issue had been known since last year and a major dredge of the harbour had not been carried out for some time.

She told Manx Radio: ‘‘That particular bit of mud where the Manxman got stuck has been known about since last year.

‘It was that unfortunate confluence of high pressure that pushed the tide down further, combined with the low tides typical at this time of year,’ she said.

The Minister added that the situation was being addressed urgently, noting that similar low tide conditions are expected to recur later this month.

‘We are aware that these low tides will return at the end of March, coinciding with the Steam Packet’s schedule.

‘They are aware of that, and I can see them adjusting their timetable accordingly.’

Dr Haywood said a capital dredge didn’t need to happen that often.

She explained: ‘The equipment that the harbours have can level off but doesn’t remove a large amount of material.

‘The capital dredge will remove a large amount of material and that gradually will fill back up as sediment gets carried down the river or as sand gets washed back into the harbour, depending on weather conditions. So that will happen over a period of time.

‘It just hasn’t happened for a while and we need to catch up with it.’

Following the grounding incident on March 1, the Steam Packet initially planned to conduct an underwater dive inspection of the Manxman but later decided it was not necessary at this stage. The return sailing to Heysham was delayed.

In response to what it described as ‘ongoing tidal challenges’, the ferry operator was forced to adjust its sailing schedule for last week. Several sailings were rescheduled, while others were cancelled entirely.