The Manxman's trip to Heysham on Friday morning took slightly longer than expected because of a problem with the new vessel's bow thrusters.

A Steam Packet spokesperson said: ‘Earlier today, Manxman’s entry to Heysham Port was aborted because of a warning relating to the bow thrusters used in manoeuvring within the confines of the harbour.

'Although Manxman has reserves for such situations, in compliance with the Safety Management System the Master aborted the entry.

'Once the fault was identified the vessel was able to make a safe entry to the harbour and commenced disembarkation of passengers and vehicles.

'Service engineers have been made aware of the situation and will attend the vessel to make a permanent repair.

'Manxman’s operations should not be impacted further.

'We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to passengers, however, safety is always the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s number one priority and the company fully supports the Master’s decision to employ maximum caution today.'