Snaefell River, freight company WS Mezeron’s new vessel, arrived in its new home port of Ramsey for the first time on Saturday morning.

Greeted by representatives of the firm and curious passersby, the replacement for the company’s long-serving Silver River arrived just after 10am, 11 days after it set off from the Estonian port of Paljassaare.

The two ships will serve together for a short time while the company familiarises itself with the new acquisition and further adjustments are made to the ship.

The Silver River is up for sale with Dutch boat dealer Dick van der Kamp Shipsales with an asking price of $330,000.

The Snaefell River has made headlines in the island before under a previous guise.

In its previous incarnation as CEG Orbit, the vessel ran aground on the northern coast of the Isle of Man at Cranstal.

The then Latvian registered freighter had been sailing from Liverpool to Belfast with a cargo of wheat grain in August 2021 when it came to grief.

In February 2022 it was purchased by a Cypriot company and became Laila. It was renamed Snaefell River after its purchase by WS Mezeron this month and now sails under the Manx flag.

Mezeron managing director Steve Walton explained the reason for the new ship. He said: ‘This vessel is larger than the Silver and removes some of the issues we have faced for years with [its] size.

‘The Silver River will continue to operate in early January whilst we get familiarised with the Snaefell, and then will cease operations at some point and the Snaefell will take on the workload.

‘It is the right time for us to make the change and keeping the business on a strong path.’