[3] One flag at the company’s offices displayed the ancient armorial symbol of the Isle of Man, with the motto "We are Progressing" and on the reverse side "Success to our Steamer".

[3] The Ellan Vannin entered service under the command of Captain Joseph Skillicorn,[2] an experienced mariner who prior to his appointment had been in the employ of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company serving on the Mona's Queen with the rank of First Officer.

At a meeting held at the Union Hotel, Castletown, on Monday 11 August 1856, a gift in the form of a gold chronometer was presented to Capt.

[4] As terms of this potential charter, the directors had undertaken measures to enable the direct link between Castletown and Liverpool to be maintained.

It can be assumed that the offer of the winter charter was accepted as there is no published schedule in the Manx Press for the Ellan Vannin from 10 December 1856 until mid-May 1857.

However it would seem that the company continued to sustain losses over the winter of 1857-58, and by March 1858 it had been decided to put the Ellan Vannin up for sale by public auction.

[6] Either no sale could be agreed or no interest was expressed, and the Ellan Vannin resumed trading whilst a further public auction was scheduled for 20 May.

The bidding proceeded very slowly with the highest offer being £4,200 (equivalent to £533,901 in 2023)[5] (a long way short of the £14,000 reputed to have been available in 1856) a sum which the directors and shareholders present would not accept.

[1] The company's offices in Castletown, Isle of Man were closed, with a sale of the fixtures and fittings to the public held on Wednesday 11 August 1858.