How Much is The Ben Worth?

Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson is going to be asked how much the Steam Packet’s former flagship is worth in Keys tomorrow.

He will be asked to provide details on a range of issues regarding the Ben-my-Chree, but her estimated value is surely the most intriguing.

The Steam Packet has made no bones about the fact it would like to sell its former flagship, utilising the Arrow as backup freight vessel and managing passenger routes with the Manxman and Manannan.

However, since those plans were confirmed in 2023, the renegotiation of the Sea Services Agreement has not reached anything looking like a conclusion and the Arrow is heading for the Channel Islands on a long-term charter.

It’s also safe to say that while the Manxman’s onboard experience is far superior to that of the Ben-my-Chree, public confidence in her is still not solid, which won’t have been helped by this weekend’s issues.

Report

When the Keys meet tomorrow, Chris Thomas (Douglas Central) will ask Dr Allinson how the a) in water and b) in service condition of the Ben-my-Chree has changed since the Braemar Technical due diligence investigation of 2018; and what the value of the vessel is.

Later on in the sitting, if sufficient progress is made or the CoMin block vote doesn’t decide to try and call it a day early, Mr Thomas will also later ask the Treasury Minister what plans the Steam Packet has to grow sea services and to increase their resilience?

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You can find the order paper for tomorrow sitting here.