The Isle of Man Steam Packet has revealed why the Manxman had to return to Douglas on Sunday (October 8) during its planned journey to Heysham

The Steam Packet's flagship vessel had been travelling at reduced speeds on Sunday as engineers investigated a problem with the ship's propulsion system during its outbound journey to Heysham.

Sunday's planned 2.15pm return sailing from Heysham to Douglas had initially been delayed by over an hour as a result of the issue.

However, that return journey was cancelled altogether and the Manxman had to return to Douglas.

A statement from the Steam Packet said: 'Sailing from Douglas to Heysham, Manxman experienced a temporary issue with control systems resulting in a reduction in propulsion power.

'Following standard operating procedures, the engineering team managed to restore full functionality and allow the sailing to proceed, only for the same issue to recur.

'At this stage, the Master made the decision to return to Douglas rather than risk entering Heysham Port with the danger of an unknown fault recurring while in the middle of a tricky manoeuvre.

'Overnight, the ship’s engineering team have traced the source of the fault and established updated procedures for dealing with a similar scenario if it should ever reoccur.

'Pending testing at sea, the company is hopeful Manxman will resume service imminently. The company has prepared contingency plans if for, any reason, Manxman is not able to resume service.'

Following the docking of the Manxman in Douglas, passengers who wished to continue with their journey to Heysham were able to transfer to the Ben-my-Chree for the 8pm sailing.

Brian Thomson, the managing director of the Steam Packet, said: ‘There’s no roadside assistance when you’re out at sea. We’re very used to thinking of a sailing to Heysham as more or less routine, but as yesterday shows, no two days are the same at the Steam Packet Company and the experience and skill of our team is real a strength of the business.

‘At no stage was anyone in any danger yesterday but it’s important we recognise the dedication and professionalism of the crews when dealing with tricky situations like this. Reacting to situations that develop very quickly requires a cool head, especially when you know your decisions will be very much in the public eye. We’d like to apologise to everyone who was affected by the disruption, but hopefully now we know how to avoid anything similar happening in the future.

‘I’d also like to put on record my thanks to the crew members who pulled out all the stops to make sure Ben-my-Chree was able to sail today to cover for Manxman. We are very aware, as a team, of the Company’s role as a lifeline service, and making sure a sailing goes ahead to reduce inconvenience and keep the island running is always front and centre in our minds.’