This group contains the main archives of the Manxman Trust so that the information can be made available for full public access on a permanent basis.
The Manxman Steamship Company, a Registered Charity, worked from 2002 to 2009 striving to ensure the preservation of s.s. Manxman, the final example of this renowned class of short sea passenger steamer.
Some of the files are too large to be uploaded in their original format and have been converted to .pdf format (You can download free adobe reader at www.adobe.com by copying this address to your search window).
The photographs are grouped under the various phases of Manxman’s career and we are indebted to the many supporters including Ron Eyres, Andrew King, Reg Mordecai and Adrian Sweeney for providing most of them.

WHY MANXMAN ?
The Trust’s prime objective was to purchase, restore, return to Merseyside and display for the benefit of the general public this supreme example of shipbuilding art and craft. Merseyside is almost unique amongst the world's major ports in not possessing a significant replica of its rich and varied maritime heritage.

Manxman was a ship which could satisfy these objectives at a realistic price and without some of the penalties. She was also available in the U.K. An Irish Sea passenger steamer operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company between 1955 and 1982 she visited Douglas, Liverpool, Ardrossan, Whitehaven, Barrow, Fleetwood, Heysham, Llandudno and Dublin; although the principal route was between Liverpool and Douglas. The Steam Packet has recently celebrated 175 years of continuous operation and is the world’s oldest passenger shipping company.

She was built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead to a design having its roots in the Fenella and Tynwald class of 1936; and became the oldest surviving Laird’s built passenger steamer and the last example of the passenger only short-sea ferry.

More detail is available in the Files > 'News' and 'Story' sections