MS Panagia Soumela

The MS "Panagia Soumela" is a RORO ferry operated by SAOS Ferries in Greece. She was built in 1976 by Ailsa Shipbuilding in Troon, Scotland as MS "Lady of Mann" for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. She was probably the most popular vessel to ever serve the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, serving the company for 29 years.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

The vessel was ordered as the final vessel in a quartet which was the "Manx Maid" of 1962, the "Ben-my-Chree" of 1966, the "Mona's Queen" of 1972, and the "Lady of Mann".

The vessel was ordered as the company's demand for car space was still in demand, so the result of this, a fourth car ferry, based on the design of the earlier "Mona's Queen", the "Lady of Mann" arrived into company service in 1976, becoming the flagship of the fleet. She was slightly different from her elder sister, being 2 inches smaller and having 12 cylinder diesel engines, compared to her sister's 10.

Her Maiden Voyage was the morning sailing to Liverpool on the 30th of June, 1976, having already been several weeks late and missing the peak TT traffic, something which caused a lot of stress to the Steam Packet Company. Fortunately, the vessel was not delayed by a long time. The "Lady of Mann" once raced her fleetmate the "Manxman" from Llandudno to Liverpool, and surprisingly, the older "Manxman" won, however nobody mentioned the head start she got!

The "Lady of Mann" remained the fleet's flagship until 1984, when she was replaced by the unpopular "Mona's Isle", which proved to be an operational disaster. Her owners looked in serious financial difficulties, and with the forced merger with Manx Line, the "Lady of Mann" became fleetmates with her ex-rival the RO-RO "Manx Viking".

In 1989, the "Lady of Mann" was withdrawn from service to receive a £2.6 million refit at Wright and Beyer, which resulted in a complete modernisation of the interior layout, increased vehicle capacity, passenger capacity for 1000, and a new livery. She returned to service on May 26, 1989. This made her sister "Mona's Queen" redundant, and she was withdrawn from service in 1990. Disaster struck on the 2nd June, 1993. Instead of going astern onto the Victoria Pier in Douglas, she surged straight ahead and crashed into the Battery Pier, crumpling her bow.

She was temporarily repaired, and issued with a lower passenger certificate to operate during TT, after which she was withdrawn for permanent repairs. The first fastcraft to operate from the island was a result of this, with "SeaCat Scotland" making a return sailing from Stranraer.

The next season (1994), saw the arrival of the first SeaCat to operate for the Steam Packet Company, and the HSC "SeaCat Isle of Man" operated for the company in place of the "Lady of Mann", and a period of calm weather prevailed, allowing a successful operation for the wave-restricted SeaCat, but at the end of August, there were problems, which led to the "Lady of Mann" returning to service, and a drop in passenger numbers, who had been tempted by the SeaCat's high speed. 1995 saw the "Lady of Mann" operate for Porto Santo Line in Madeira.

In 1996, the Steam Packet Company lost it's independence to Sea Containers, and all the vessels, including the "Lady of Mann", lost their time-honoured Steam Packet liveries in place of Sea Containers' blue livery, much to the distaste of many (if not all) enthusiasts. After the 1996 TT, the "Lady of Mann" was employed on the new Liverpool-Dublin service, taking around 6 hours to complete a passage. She was replaced on this service in 1997 by the "SuperSeaCat Two", and often came to the rescue of the craft due to recurrent technical problems and weather cancellations. She was joined in 1997 by the new flagship, the "Ben-my-Chree", the largest vessel the company has ever operated.

Following the 1999 TT period, she was not sent to her usual Madeira charter, but instead retained as a back-up vessel for the "Ben-my-Chree". The winter of 1999 led to a long programme of sailings for the "Lady of Mann", with the fastcraft and the "Ben-my-Chree" unable to operate, she operated instead. The following year after TT, she was sent to the Azores for a three month charter. During the winter of 2000/01, the "Lady of Mann" maintained the company's Douglas-Liverpool services, before the 25-year-old vessel entered the Cammell Laird yard for a refit to comply with the latest SOLAS regulations, which included a new fast response craft on her starboard boat deck.

Due to the foot and mouth outbreak, the "Lady of Mann"s 25th anniversary cruise to her birthplace in Troon was cancelled to prevent the disease reaching the island. This also led to the cancellation of the annual TT races. The following year's TT saw the "the highest recorded traffic for about 20 years". The "Lady of Mann" covered for the "Ben-my-Chree" on the 28/29 May, 2002 when the latter had to be withdrawn for emergency repairs.

Sea Containers put the company up for sale, with Montagu Private Equity purchasing the company.

During the "Ben-my-Chree"s major refit in 2004, the "Lady of Mann" and the chartered freight ship "Hoburgen" covered the sailings unable to be operated by the "Ben-my-Chree". During TT of that year, the island had a record TT season. Once again after TT 2004, the "Lady of Mann" went out on charter to the Azores, returning for the winter schedule. During the winter of 2004, the Steam Packet Company operated only the "Ben-my-Chree" and "Lady of Mann", with the fastcraft being laid up for the next season. It proved to be the last winter of operations for the "Lady of Mann".

The 2005 season was the "Lady of Mann"s last year in service for the Steam Packet Company, operating up until TT, before heading out on her summer charter to the Azores, with her sale being concluded after her charter, being renamed "Panagia Soumela" of SAOS Ferries. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/isle_of_man/4264450.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Isle of Man | Manx 'lady' sails off for Greece ] ]

AOS Ferries

The "Panagia Soumela" was converted to a stern loading vessel over the winter of 2005/06, with the tragic destruction of her cruiser stern, with only the "Mary the Queen" (ex. "Mona's Queen") being left as the sole example of a Steam Packet sideloader. Once emerged from rebuild, she was increased in tonnage by over 1,000 tonnes and was longer, now looking completely different to the once elegant "Lady of Mann" of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

Notes

References

* The specifications of "Lady of Mann" are from the Steam Packet Company's 175th anniversary book, being correct at time of the vessel's sale. The contents of this article are from "Life and Times of the Steam Packet" by John Shepherd and "Steam Packet 175" by Miles Cowsill and John Hendy.