I love the Ben it’s the best ship the Isle of Man has had plenty of room for the TT rides lovely experience and great food it quite sad the New modern Manxman has taken over Ben my chree never to be forgotten I loved the Douglas to heysham route onboard this amazing ship thank you Ben my chree 🇮🇲🇮🇲💪💪
Another brilliant video, Dave, sorry we missed the lowering of the ramp, but we can't have everything. As I was watching, memories came flooding back of my days as a lad living in Ardrossan during the sixties..."Carry your bags, Mister, I've got a barrow." IOM ferries, Scottish/Irish Coast ferries to Belfast together with the dear old original Glen Sannox, all provided a pretty penny for an eager barrow boy of that particular vintage...ah, the good old days!
I've used the Ben many times going to and from the IoM. She's getting on a bit, but still a nice, comfortable ship with, as you say, lots of room. She's really set up for longer trips - Heysham to Douglas is four hours or so - but I can imagine her solving the current Arran problem very nicely. She is also very manoeuvrable: TH-cam will show you just how she gets in to the berth at Douglas.
From BBC - A plan to charter a large ship from the Isle of Man to help relieve pressure on Scotland's west coast ferry services this winter looks set to be abandoned. Ferry operator CalMac carried out a berthing trial with MV Ben-My-Chree on its Arran route on Wednesday but later told ferry users, external it was unsuccessful. The ship, which is owned by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, managed to berth at both Troon and Brodick but safety margins at Brodick were too tight to proceed with the charter plan.
So you've got our Ben for a while, take care of her because I saw her tied up on her arrival in Douglas on delivery all those years ago - have used her umteen times , she has kept 80000 + people fed, so your population should not go short!! Don't forget to mention the number of lorries she hauls as well as cars!
cant believe there is another ben me cree launched.the original ben was my pocket money carrying cases from ardrossan to the train station sometimes at MIDNIGHT.in the 70's.
Manx rado reporting “Scottish ferry operator CalMac has confirmed that although the vessel 'berthed successfully at Brodick' it was 'at the very edge of the limits it was safe to operate to'.”
It's true, I look for the brightness and avoid the pointless moanyness. Lifes just too short to inflict that on others. And I am optimistic as you said...I believe most people genuinely try to make things work...but then again I could be wrong! The ferry is a part of me that I invitied, and I embrace it and all its foibles, just as I would with my knobbly knees.
@@davetheraverovingtherock Thanks for taking my comment in good heart. If you were sitting in the pub, who would you rather be drinking with, the glass half empty guy or the glass half full guy, when it's their turn to buy the next round.?
I got the ben-my-chree back to the UK after being over on the isle of man when the manxman got damaged docking at heysham, for me its a bit mental to see that it came up to scotland 😂😂, would've been cool if they had chartered it like
@AlVlogs1603 Yes, I sailed home to Scotland at the end of 1967 on a Greek ship called the " Australia ". Sailed from Sydney across the Pacific, through the Panama canal and across the Atlantic to Southampton. I remember the ship was 36 thousand tons and carried 2,000 passengers plus about the same amount of crew. The trip took 6 weeks. I sailed back to Australia on the same ship just over a year later. As the Suez canal was closed due to a sunken ship from the Israeli / Egyptian war we had to travel around Africa then on across the Indian Ocean to Perth, Western Australia. So glad that I got to circumnavigate the world by ship as today it would cost a fortune.
200 cars will turn Arran into a big car park and create congestion at other ferry ports. This is like building the M8 through the middle of a city. No one is going to ban cars but ferry size is a good restriction to keep communities safe.
@ Demand needs to be managed with a disincentive. The tunnels in the Faroes have a substantial toll to use them. Turns out the ferry is too big anyway and could only access in a flat calm. Convenience drives demand until the system exceeds capacity and breaks. This happens twice a day in Glasgow and costs millions in lost productivity. An island choosing to do that to itself is self harming and unsustainable.
Can't believe that the vessel won't fit. Is there no one in the Cal Mac organisation with a tape. why sail all that distance for a berthing trial?? Also, why not make the dock big enough to take larger ships?...No doubt the SNP had a hand in the spend!
The problem is it should be the Glen Sannox or the even more elusive Glen Rosa . What an absolute disgrace . The people and tourist industry I hope will never ever vote SNP again
The Finns are having exactly the same problems with dual fuel ferries they're building for use on runs to Tasmania (Australia), one of which will be overWintering on the Clyde because they're not designed for Winter conditions in the Baltic.
At last I see a true comment concerning the real issue. Scots folk are fickle, they still vote SNP after all the scandals and mismanagement of our country
I love the Ben it’s the best ship the Isle of Man has had plenty of room for the TT rides lovely experience and great food it quite sad the New modern Manxman has taken over Ben my chree never to be forgotten I loved the Douglas to heysham route onboard this amazing ship thank you Ben my chree 🇮🇲🇮🇲💪💪
Another brilliant video, Dave, sorry we missed the lowering of the ramp, but we can't have everything. As I was watching, memories came flooding back of my days as a lad living in Ardrossan during the sixties..."Carry your bags, Mister, I've got a barrow." IOM ferries, Scottish/Irish Coast ferries to Belfast together with the dear old original Glen Sannox, all provided a pretty penny for an eager barrow boy of that particular vintage...ah, the good old days!
I've used the Ben many times going to and from the IoM. She's getting on a bit, but still a nice, comfortable ship with, as you say, lots of room. She's really set up for longer trips - Heysham to Douglas is four hours or so - but I can imagine her solving the current Arran problem very nicely. She is also very manoeuvrable: TH-cam will show you just how she gets in to the berth at Douglas.
How about one of those new ferries they built actually running the route.
I saw elsewhere that she was paying you a visit had no doubt you would be on the case well done
Back in Douglas IOM this morning.
Hope it works out - the Ben is an exceptionally reliable workhorse
From BBC - A plan to charter a large ship from the Isle of Man to help relieve pressure on Scotland's west coast ferry services this winter looks set to be abandoned.
Ferry operator CalMac carried out a berthing trial with MV Ben-My-Chree on its Arran route on Wednesday but later told ferry users, external it was unsuccessful.
The ship, which is owned by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, managed to berth at both Troon and Brodick but safety margins at Brodick were too tight to proceed with the charter plan.
So you've got our Ben for a while, take care of her because I saw her tied up on her arrival in Douglas on delivery all those years ago - have used her umteen times , she has kept 80000 + people fed, so your population should not go short!! Don't forget to mention the number of lorries she hauls as well as cars!
Unsuccessful I believe, the issue being the berthing at Brodick. Maybe they could run a service to the isle of Man from Troon using this vessel .
The dear old IOMSPC!
An Old Name In The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company going back to big turbine steamers on Liverpool to Douglas Isle of Man ❤
cant believe there is another ben me cree launched.the original ben was my pocket money carrying cases from ardrossan to the train station sometimes at MIDNIGHT.in the 70's.
Manx rado reporting “Scottish ferry operator CalMac has confirmed that although the vessel 'berthed successfully at Brodick' it was 'at the very edge of the limits it was safe to operate to'.”
A very snug fit, was worried for a bit there
The Ben-My-Chree is to return to the Isle of Man after 'unsuccessful' berthing trials in Scotland
The important thing is operating and berthing safely. Dave the Rave roving the Rock......The eternal optimist, omitting pertinent information.
It's true, I look for the brightness and avoid the pointless moanyness. Lifes just too short to inflict that on others. And I am optimistic as you said...I believe most people genuinely try to make things work...but then again I could be wrong! The ferry is a part of me that I invitied, and I embrace it and all its foibles, just as I would with my knobbly knees.
@@davetheraverovingtherock Thanks for taking my comment in good heart. If you were sitting in the pub, who would you rather be drinking with, the glass half empty guy or the glass half full guy, when it's their turn to buy the next round.?
With her size think she would be better suited for the Stornoway route
Do CalMac not have a tape measure? 😀
Watched her berthing at the other end earlier at Troon Dave.Seemingly no issues this side of the water
I got the ben-my-chree back to the UK after being over on the isle of man when the manxman got damaged docking at heysham, for me its a bit mental to see that it came up to scotland 😂😂, would've been cool if they had chartered it like
Will it be taking 200 cars to Arran, an island with one road of 58 miles? An island which has numerous bicycles for hire. Something wrong here.
Did it actually ramp down.
Yes, it took about half an hour though because it was so tight. A bit too tight in windy weather it turns out
you don't miss a trick - good vid
Cal Mac has abandoned the plan to charter the ferry. The vehicle capacity would have been ideal.
She's a whopper. Almost as big as an ocean liner.
Her replacement on the IOM-Heysham route, Manxman, is even bigger.
Have you been on a liner a liner would dwarf it
@AlVlogs1603 Yes, I sailed home to Scotland at the end of 1967 on a Greek ship called the " Australia ". Sailed from Sydney across the Pacific, through the Panama canal and across the Atlantic to Southampton. I remember the ship was 36 thousand tons and carried 2,000 passengers plus about the same amount of crew. The trip took 6 weeks. I sailed back to Australia on the same ship just over a year later. As the Suez canal was closed due to a sunken ship from the Israeli / Egyptian war we had to travel around Africa then on across the Indian Ocean to Perth, Western Australia. So glad that I got to circumnavigate the world by ship as today it would cost a fortune.
200 cars will turn Arran into a big car park and create congestion at other ferry ports. This is like building the M8 through the middle of a city. No one is going to ban cars but ferry size is a good restriction to keep communities safe.
Eh? Really? So the word is you don't have enough ferry service, then you say the ferry takes too many cars?? Priceless comment!😂
@ Demand needs to be managed with a disincentive. The tunnels in the Faroes have a substantial toll to use them. Turns out the ferry is too big anyway and could only access in a flat calm. Convenience drives demand until the system exceeds capacity and breaks. This happens twice a day in Glasgow and costs millions in lost productivity. An island choosing to do that to itself is self harming and unsustainable.
Come on - you meant to say *relatively* enormous!! BMC is tiny compared to most ferries.
Can't believe that the vessel won't fit. Is there no one in the Cal Mac organisation with a tape. why sail all that distance for a berthing trial?? Also, why not make the dock big enough to take larger ships?...No doubt the SNP had a hand in the spend!
I think she can fit more than 200 cars if no freight
1235 Lane Metres in total
The problem is it should be the Glen Sannox or the even more elusive Glen Rosa . What an absolute disgrace . The people and tourist industry I hope will never ever vote SNP again
The Finns are having exactly the same problems with dual fuel ferries they're building for use on runs to Tasmania (Australia), one of which will be overWintering on the Clyde because they're not designed for Winter conditions in the Baltic.
At last I see a true comment concerning the real issue. Scots folk are fickle, they still vote SNP after all the scandals and mismanagement of our country
Well said sir.