renew and expand the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. they bought last year, is the ordering of a new freight and passenger vessel from a Dutch shipyard.

Ordered for delivery in July 1988, the $38.5-million ship will replace a freight-only vessel and a multi-purpose passenger ferry. The 125-metre ship will operate on the Heysham, Lancashire to Douglas, Isle of Man route in the Irish Sea.

The new vessel will transport 1,235 lane metres of wheeled traffic and 500 passengers at a service speed of 19 knots, making two round trips daily.

Sea Containers acquired 100 percent ownership of the Steam Packet Co. in 1996.

A SeaCat will begin service next month on the Douglas-Liverpool route.

In June, a new service will be started from the Steam Packet's berth in the centre of Liverpool to Dublin, Ireland, with the 21-knot conventional car ferry, Lady of Mann, as a precursor to the introduction of a SuperSeaCat on the route in 1998.

Another SeaCat will be added in 1998 to serve the Heysham-Douglas route, and providing links to Belfast.

The company is opening a service between Campbeltown, Scotland and Ballycastle, Northern Ireland in July, using a ship purchased from the UK government.