The Manxman returned to Douglas this afternoon ahead of it resuming its service this evening.

The vessel was damaged while attempting to arrive at Heysham Port in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the flagship being out of service since.

However, the Manxman is set to resume its service this evening with a re-scheduled 9pm departure from Douglas to Heysham.

The Manxman returns to Douglas on Thursday, August 22
The Manxman returns to Douglas on Thursday, August 22 (Adrian Darbyshire)

Speaking on Wednesday, Steam Packet managing director Brian Thomson said: ‘In the early hours of the morning, the Manxman had an allision with a quayside at Heysham due to the prevailing weather conditions, high winds and rough sea state. There was some what would be classed as minor damage.

‘However, that damage was enough to make the vessel unable to sail.

‘When we assessed the situation with our engineers, we came up with a repair plan.

‘So we will instigate a temporary repair and I expect the Manxman to be in service by Thursday evening.’

Damage on the Manxman
Damage on the Manxman (Adrian Darbyshire)
A close up of the damage on the Manxman
A close up of the damage on the Manxman (Adrian Darbyshire)