The ship, which entered service in 1998 and primarily sailed from Douglas to Heysham, has recently been replaced by the MV Manxman, and as such required a full redesign more suited to its new role as standby vessel for the operator.
A team of 30 marine interiors experts were called upon to upgrade and convert the crew areas to better suit a smaller team, who would be on board for longer periods of time than were expected of them when the ferry was in service.
With an incredibly tight timeline of just two weeks to complete work, we were able to carry out a full survey and submit designs for approval in under three days – surveying on a Monday morning, designing on the Tuesday and submitting with approval on Wednesday, with the final result being very close to our initial proposal.
Simon Dawkins, Managing Director at SD Marine Interiors, said: “Although time was of the essence with this project, I’m immensely proud of how quickly and efficiently the team were able to produce high quality, approved re-designs that meant the client did not have to spend any additional budget on a large design firm.
“The proposed plans called for a great deal of outfitting work, including a complete refit of eight PAX cabins and thirteen crew cabins that required decoration throughout, alongside a new gym and redesigned lounge area among many other improvements to the ship’s interior. These have been a fast-paced and intensive two weeks for our team, and we are all incredibly pleased with the results.”
As part of the renovation, the SD marine team carried out the following works:
- Converting eight PAX cabins into MLC compliant crew cabins, including decoration throughout, new carpet and tiles, furniture, lighting, soft goods and a new electrical layout.
- Converting the former locker room into a crew gym, including a Sika viscoelastic floor to increase the area’s acoustic insulation.
- Further acoustic and sound dampening installed to a converted cabin, the stairwell and crew laundry room.
- Thirteen existing crew cabins refreshed with new decoration, tiling, lighting, carpet and soft goods.
- Crew lounge and mess areas reconfigured to give a bigger more open lounge space, more suited for purpose – including modifications to the catering unit and the creation of a crew IT station.
- All alleyways carpeted and existing laundry and locker rooms refurbished to include a new toilet and shower cubicle.
James Royston, Fleet Operations Manager at The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said: “It was a great pleasure working with the team at SD Marine Interiors to complete major conversion and renovations works to the crew accommodation onboard Ben My Chree.
“From the initial contact, through survey visits, tendering and works, the team were always professional and adaptable to the changing needs of the project. Work was carried out to a high standard and within the agreed timeframe, and we have already contracted further works with SD in the passenger spaces.”
After a busy few weeks, our next stop will be the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo in Miami, where SD will be exhibiting a stand and showcasing its refit and repair offering. If you’re going to be in attendance at the show, make sure you stop by and say hi to our team!
SD Marine Interiors offer a full range of marine interior outfitting services to the maritime industry. From full cabin refits through to fixing imperfections in communal areas, we provide a complete range of solutions so you can maintain the highest of standards.
For more information, visit our dedicated marine interiors page here.
