Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
She first entered services between Dover and Calais for Sea Containers subsidiary Hoverspeed in 1997, named HSC SuperSeaCat Two before moving to the Irish Sea in 1998 primarily for service between Liverpool and Dublin but also for Isle of Man Steam Packet services between Liverpool and Douglas. The vessel returned to Hoverspeed in 1999 to reopen the Newhaven-Dieppe route which had been closed by P&O Stena Line earlier that year. Her place on the Irish Sea was taken by her sister, SuperSeaCat Three.
In 2000, she once again sailed on the Irish Sea, this time between Heysham and Belfast but again returned to Hoverspeed this time for service between Dover and Calais or Ostend operating alongside 2 of her 3 sisters. After spending some time laid up in Portsmouth she returned to service on the Newhaven-Dieppe run before being chartered to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, which had by then been sold by Sea Containers.
In May 2008, it was announced that the Steam Packet Company had purchased Incat 050 (now Manannan), and it would replace Viking from the 2009 season. At the end of the 2008 season, Viking sailed to Alexandra Dock in Liverpool to lay-up for the winter. In January 2009, Viking left drydock to cover the passenger sailings of Ben-my-Chree, which had gone into drydock for propeller repairs. After Ben-my-Chree returned to service, Viking returned to lay-up in Liverpool.
Read more about this topic: HSC Hellenic Wind
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