The Laxey Towing Company Ltd is a privately owned marine salvage company incorporated in the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. Its registered office is Clovenstones Cottage, Baldrine, with its company offices situated at 30, North Quay,

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

. The company operates under the managerial directorship of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Stephen Carter, providing pilotage facilities for the Port of Douglas and has over many years operated a wide variety of services throughout the harbours of the

. Up to 2017 it also operated summer coastal cruises on board the pleasure cruiser, MV ''Karina.'' The Laxey Towing Company has also been involved with various salvage operations including the administration and eventual disposal of the wreck of the Scottish scallop dredger, the ''

Solway Harvester The ''Solway Harvester'' was a scallop dredger from Kirkcudbright, Scotland which sank off the coast of Douglas, Isle of Man in heavy seas on 11 January 2000 with the loss of all seven crew members. Following salvage, the damaged ship was taken ...

.'' Its primary area of operation covers a sizeable part of the eastern segment of the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

from

; to

Liverpool Bay Liverpool Bay is a bay of the Irish Sea between northeast Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside to the east of the Irish Sea. The bay is a classic example of a region of freshwater influence. Liverpool Bay has historically suffered from red ...

, North Wales and

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

, the Fylde and

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

n coasts, the

Solway Firth The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in ...

and southwest Scotland.

Carter is also the senior

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

for the Port of Douglas.

History

The Laxey Towing Company has its origins in the late 1970s and initially was involved with light marine work with its original tug ''Sunrush,'' as well as providing angling services with its utility boat, the twin-screwed ''Hopeful Lad.'' The company's most challenging operation in its early years centered on the Manx Line linkspan which broke away from its moorings during a severe easterly storm in December 1978. The

linkspan A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessel or ferry, particularly to allow for tidal changes in water level. Linkspans are usually found at ferry t ...

was adrift in the outer harbour during the course of which it caused considerable damage to the Victoria Pier. The operation to make the situation safe involved the ''Sunrush'', which was on station for a considerable period whilst attempts were made to secure the

, which at one stage was in danger of coming into contact with the Douglas Sea Terminal. Finally the linkspan was secured, and was then taken into the sheltered inner harbour thus preventing any further damage from occurring. Subsequently the

was taken under tow by a tug from United Towing in order for repairs to be carried out. Once the linkspan was repaired it was reattached to its mooring position at the No. 1 Berth in

Douglas Harbour Douglas Harbour ( gv, Purt Varrey Ghoolish) is located near Douglas Head at the southern end of Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man. It is the island's main commercial shipping port. The Port of Douglas was the first in the world to be equ ...

. By this time it was widely accepted that the operations in the Port of Douglas were severely affected during periods of strong easterly wind, and work began on a new breakwater to afford greater shelter to the port in 1980. The Laxey Towing Company were to be heavily involved in the course of construction, servicing the construction barges and assisting with the deepening of the approach channel. It was generally accepted that the ''Sunrush'' was becoming obsolete, and so the fleet was augmented by the more suitable ''Union,'' with the two vessels working in unison. It was the situation however that the ''Sunrush'' required replacement, and was subsequently sold with the larger tug ''Salisbury'' being introduced as a replacement ''circa'' 1982. As part of the breakwater construction another tug, ''Cabot,'' was chartered, however that vessel's suitability for the operation appeared open to question. It was during 1982 that the

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

withdrew its last passenger steamer ''Manxman,'' which had used assistance from both Laxey Towing Company tugs during the course of berthing at Douglas. On her final departure from her home port on the evening of 4 September 1982, ''Manxman,'' was given a ''"guard of honour"'' by the company tugs as well as receiving rousing ''salutes'' from both vessels. It was also during the early part of the 1980s that the Laxey Towing Company expanded its sea-going cargo services, operating from numerous ports around the northern area of the

and Castletown. Larger sea-going barges were acquired which were also able to use the shallow water port of Castletown, a fact which was very much to the advantage of coal merchants GMS Fuels which found the service of great use in supplying their

and Balthane depots. This period also saw

Carter invest in road-going heavy haulage vehicles, which were operated under the

trading name A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...

S.P. Carter, Baldrine. These vehicles included a Scammell heavy transporter, an

AEC Matador The AEC Matador was a heavy 4×4 truck and medium artillery tractor built by the Associated Equipment Company for British and Commonwealth forces during World War II. AEC had already built a 4×2 lorry, also known as the Matador (all AEC lorries r ...

as well as a

traction engine A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any t ...

. Also at this time a new company was formed; Bulk Cargo Services, with the intention of providing comprehensive stevedore services. In April 1985, the

acquired a new vessel, the highly unsuitable ''Mona's Isle'' which it employed on its

Heysham Heysham ( ) is a coastal town in Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two Heysham nuclear power station, nuclear power stations. Demogra ...

schedule. The ''Mona's Isle'' encountered significant trouble berthing at Douglas, and so again the tugs of the Laxey Towing Company were called upon to render assistance with both the ''Union'' and ''Salisbury'' involved in the operation. Subsequently after only six months in operation, ''Mona's Isle'' was withdrawn from service in October 1985. Later that year, in November 1985, the coaster ''Sulby River'' ran aground in

Ramsey Bay Ramsey Bay ( gv, Baie Rhumsaa) is a large bay and Marine Nature Reserve covering some 94 square kilometres off the northeastern coast of the Isle of Man. It runs for 18 kilometres from the Point of Ayre at the island's northern tip to Maughold He ...

after departing the port. The Laxey Towing Company successfully salvaged the vessel after she had lain aground for several days. As the decade continued shipments of coal to the Isle of Man began to decline, and a period of consolidation was undertaken by the company during which more specialised tasks were pursued as the Laxey Towing Company sought to establish itself in niche related markets, and into the 1990s this diversification continued. Douglas Pilot Launch MV Girl Mary

Until 1994, the operation of the Douglas pilot launch had been the responsibility of General Marine Services Ltd, a company which had worked closely with the Laxey Towing Company on numerous collaborations over a period of many years. Coupled to the Douglas operation, it is often the case that during periods of strong northwesterly wind, operations into and out of the

Port of Liverpool The Port of Liverpool is the enclosed Dock (maritime), dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, Merseyside, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Great Float, Birkenhead Docks between ...

are prone to difficulty, with the transferring of

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

between vessels proving particularly hazardous. It is during such periods that it is routine for the Liverpool Pilots to be boarded at the pilot station off

Douglas Head Douglas Head (Manx: ''Kione Ghoolish'') is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey. General Until 1870, the headland was owned by The Nunnery Estate when Sir ...

, and again this operation was undertaken by General Marine Services with the pilot boat ''Girl Mary.'' At this time General Marine Services underwent a period of restructuring, the consequence of which was the pursuit of a more core related business. As a result of this, pilotage services into and out of the Port of Douglas, coupled with the Liverpool Pilot operation were subsequently undertaken by the Laxey Towing Company together with the ship berthing services which had also been operated by General Marine Services, and part of this included the acquisition of the ''Girl Mary.''

Current operation

MV ''Karina''

In 2001 the Laxey Towing Company set about re-establishing a service predominately aimed towards tourists to the

, with the re-introduction of coastal cruises during the summer visiting season.

Carter was no stranger to this service, being part of a generation of experienced Douglas boat operators.

Carter undertook the service personally, sharing his wealth of local knowledge during the course of the cruise. The re-introduction of this part of the Manx Tourist Industry proved popular with visitors and locals alike. The end of the 2017 tourist season saw the termination of the service, and the ''Karina'' was subsequently sold to an operator in

The Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

Other operations

The Laxey Towing Company still provides pilotage services to the Port of Douglas and on occasion the

, with

Carter as of 2022 retaining the post of senior

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

for the Port of Douglas. Allied to this, the company still undertakes a wide and varied operation ranging from harbour maintenance in the form of dredging to offering tender services to the numerous cruise liners which now visit

. Following the subsequent raising of the Scottish scallop dredger the ''

'', the vessel lay tied up at

during a protracted and laborious legal wrangle. Finally in November 2013 work began on scrapping the vessel, with the work undertaken by the Laxey Towing Company. A somewhat fraught operation followed, however work was completed in January 2014, 14 years after the vessel foundered.

Gallery

File:LTC utility boat Lonan and slurry barge..jpeg, LTC utility boat Lonan, slurry barge and pontoon. File:Douglas Pilot Launch MV Girl Mary.jpg, Douglas Pilot Launch MV ''Girl Mary.'' File:LTC Dredging crane.jpeg, Laxey Towing Company dredging crane pictured at

. File:LTC tug Wendy Ann.jpeg, Stern view of tug Wendy Ann.

References

{{Reflist Shipping companies of the Isle of Man Water transport in the Isle of Man