Over the years she has carried thousands of happy trippers on pleasure cruises around the island’s coast.

But following her sale in 2018 the MV Karina was expected to head off to a new life in Africa.

The Karina was going to be shipped to Gambia where she was to take passengers on wildlife cruises.

But five years on, she remains languishing in Douglas harbour, looking increasingly weather-beaten.

Her previous owner, Laxey Towing Company founder Stephen Carter, who officially retired the week before last as harbour pilot after almost 29 years, said: ‘I don’t know what they are planning at the moment.

‘It is sad to see. I used to keep it in immaculate condition and lavish time and money on it.

‘An old wooden boat like that needs a lot of maintenance.’

Captain Carter said it was a purely commercial decision to sell the Karina.

crane

He said from his home in Baldrine: ‘Ramsey Shipyard had closed and it was too big a boat to lift out without a crane. It was a case of either moving it to a shipyard in the UK or hiring a large crane to lift it out.

‘It was just a combination of circumstances that created uncertainty.

‘Once you start a major overhaul you are committed to keep going and you don’t know how much it is going to cost.’

He added: ‘It would be nice to see something happen to it.’

He said the new owners had been doing some work on the Karina.

But it is understood that health problems had delayed their plans to move the boat.