Islands need to be in regular touch with the mainland for import/export, travel. and also in the stamp context, the mail, Not satisfied with the irregular service provided by private companies, Isle of Man decided on government ownership of a steam packet shipping line, a decision they had to make again with the same company in 2018. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
The ship on todays stamp is the TSS/RMS Manx Maid II that was built by Cammell Laird and launched in 1962. The ship had six decks, a crew of 60, and a passenger capacity of 1600. It only looks modern in terms of the really old ship on the other stamp of the issue. It was however the first of the new class of roll on roll off ships that better facilitated travelers with cars and tour buses. Two years after this stamp, the Manx Maid was retired and scrapped. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company recently ordered a new roll on/roll off vessel, though this time not from the newly reconstituted Cammell Laird shipyard, instead the order went to Hyundai in South Korea. They decided to call the new ship Manx Man instead of Korea Man. Can’t let the mask fall.
Todays stamp is issue A64, a 19.5 Pence stamp issued by the Isle of Man on October 5th, 1982. It was a two stamp issue to mark the anniversary of the founding of the company. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 60 cents whether used or unused.
The idea for a Manx government owned steam packet line came up in 1829 and the first ship Mona’s Isle was on regular service to Liverpool by 1832. A steam packet ship could handle cargo or passengers and in the early days the ships still had auxiliary sails and steam powered paddles. The mail carrying contract was important for the steady income provided and the prestige of the RMS designation when carrying mail.
By the early 20th century, the fleet was up to around 15 ships and there was regular service to new places including Blackpool, Belfast and Dublin. The finest hour of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company came during the Dunkirk evacuation, when 8 of their ships took part evacuating 24,699 troops from France. The line lost 3 ships that day, 20% of the fleet.
The 1980s saw losses and fewer travelers on the ships. It was decided to let the company be privatized. To encourage the service to continue, the company was granted free use of port facilities. Not surprisingly, the new arrangement was not a moneymaker except for the bankers. The shrinking shell of a company passed through the ownership of a hedge fund and two caretaker banks. In 2019, there was a deal to buy back what was left of the company for less than half what it sold for in the 1980s. The fleet was down to two ships owned that were built in the 1990s and nearing the end of their useful lives. Year-round service was only to Heysham, with seasonal routes to Belfast, Dublin, and Liverpool.
Well my drink is empty. It is interesting the whenever I do an industry stamp from anywhere, the most recent 20 years of the story is one of shrinkage and hollowing out. Come again on Monday for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.
