MS Ben-my-Chree

The MS "Ben-my-Chree" (Girl of my Heart) is a Ro-Pax vessel that is operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet. The vessel is the company's flagship.

The ship is registered in Douglas, Isle of Man and is the only company ship to sail under the Manx flag. She is the sixth vessel to carry the name.

History of the Ben-my-Chree

The "Ben-my-Chree" was ordered in 1997 by Sea Containers for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, costing around £24 million. She was built by van der Giessen de Noord of the Netherlands. She was brought around to the island from Holland by the late Captain Vernon Kinley.

The 'Ben' was the first new ship built for the company since 1976 and the sixth vessel to be called "Ben-my-Chree". The vessel was launched on April 4, 1998 and entered service on Tynwald Day (July 5), and at around 12,000 GRT, she was the largest ship to enter service with the company. The vessel received a lot of criticism due to her low passenger capacity of 500, (carrying no more than 350 per sailing), and the fact she had no open deck for passengers. The Company insisted this was a "comfort level" for the vessel's size. Since then, the island has come to warm to the vessel.

In 2004, the "Ben-my-Chree" received a major refit, which included a new passenger accommodation section, creating an open deck for passengers, and her stern door was modified. This refit now allowed the "Ben-my-Chree" to carry her full capacity of 650. On April 2, 2008, the "Ben-my-Chree" went in for another refit, which included a new livery and internal refit. On July 16, the "Ben-my-Chree" completed 10 years of Manx service. On July 25, the "Ben-my-Chree" suffered a technical failure, with the "Viking" taking her Heysham sailing.

An Illustrious Predecessor

An earlier "Ben", the fourth of the six vessels to bear the name "Ben-my-Chree" was another Manx ferry, launched in 1927 as the first new vessel since the 1913 "King Orry". In the 2nd World War, This earlier vessel was among a number of Manx vessels requisitioned for active duty 4 of which sadly were to be lost. This "Ben-my-Chree" was one of the 'Little Ships' sent to Dunkirk in 1940 to rescue the British Expeditionary Forces from the beaches. Eight ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company took part in this historic mission, rescuing a grand total of 24,699 British troops. One in every fourteen lives saved during the Dunkirk evacuation, was brought out by a Steam Packet ship.