Heysham - Douglas ferry

The MS Ben-my-Chree, the main ferry from Heysham to Douglas

The Heysham to Douglas route is run by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, and is the main connection between the Isle of Man and the British mainland. Historically, Liverpool was the islands main port, but Heysham has grown in importance since the introduction of roll on roll off ferries, and now carries the majority of traffic. The main ferry makes two return crossings a day, operating 24 hours a day with typical sailings from Heysham at 02:15 and 14:15, and from Douglas at 08:45 and 19:45. The conventional ferry crossing time is 3h45m, with an average of a two hour turn around time in port. This carries a mixture of freight and passengers, and is supported by occasional sailings of dedicated freight vessels from Heysham.

During the summer months, the catamaran fast ferry supports the main ferry with sailings from Heysham rostered in between those from Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin. The main ferry also makes occasional visits to these other ports, with the fast ferry then providing a regular service to Heysham. A particularly intense service is required around the TT races when a lot of additional traffic travels to and from the island.

Ferries

Name	IMO	Operator	Dates	Notes
MS Ben-my-Chree	9170705	Isle of Man Steam Packet Company	1998 - date
HSC Manannan	9176072	Isle of Man Steam Packet Company	2009 - date	Typically runs from Douglas to Liverpool with additional sailings to Belfast and Dublin