MV Loch Seaforth was the Stornoway mailboat operated by David MacBrayne Ltd, from 1947 until 1972. Running aground and sinking in 1973, she blocked the Tiree pier, until removed for scrapping.
Built in 1947, Loch Seaforth was the delayed second of two mailboats ordered in 1938; the first, MVLochiel had entered service in 1939.[1] Larger and faster than her predecessors, she rapidly became a success at Stornoway.
Loch Seaforth remained the biggest MacBrayne ship until the 1964 car ferries.[1] She is the only MacBrayne vessel to have been written off whilst on passenger service.[1]
She developed a reputation with the press for mishap, with groundings in Kyle, Mallaig and off Longay.[3] The second of those, in 1966, left her high and dry for two days.[1] On 22 March 1973, she ran aground on Cleit Rock in the Sound of Gunna with CalMac General Manager and Chairman on board.[4] All passengers were safely taken off and she was towed to Gott Bay, Tiree. A bulkhead gave way when she was pumped out and she sank completely, blocking Tiree's only pier until 11 May. Floating crane, Magnus III lifted the former Stornoway mailboat onto the beach. She was patched, re-floated and towed to Troon for scrapping.[4]
In 2013, CMAL ran a competition to name the new £42 million replacement ferry, ordered in June 2012 for the Stornoway crossing. The name of which won, revived the name of MacBrayne's mail steamer. Loch Seaforth (II) was constructed at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in Germany, launched on 21 March 2014 and entered commercial service in February 2015.
Layout
Loch Seaforth originally had a short single funnel, later lengthened.[3] All her cargo space was forward and the foremast incorporated two derricks. She had space for sixteen cars on deck.[1] The "MacBrayne Highlander", a "quasi-figurehead" on her bows, appeared in company publicity for many years. In 1949 Loch Seaforth became the first member of the MacBrayne fleet to be fitted with radar.[1]
Service
Built for service from Stornoway, Loch Seaforth started her career there on 6 December 1947, replacing SSLochness. She spent most of her career on the service to Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh. Until 1956, she made a regular call at Applecross and from 1959 to 1963, also provided an occasional car ferry service to Armadale, Skye.[1]
Derrick-loading was slow and traffic was lost to the 1964 hoist-loading MVHebrides at Uig, Skye.[1] In January 1972, Loch Seaforth was withdrawn from the Stornoway route and transferred to Oban as the Inner Isles mailboat, serving Coll, Tiree, Castlebay and Lochboisdale in place of the younger MVClaymore. Soon after this, Ullapool became the mainland port for Stornoway, initially served by MVIona and then the converted MVClansman.
Loch Seaforth is a sea loch in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It consists of three distinct sections; the most seaward is aligned northwest–southeast, a middle section is aligned northeast–southwest and the inner and most northerly section is aligned east–west. The southern stretch of the loch seaward from Bowglass forms the boundary between Lewis and Harris and was until 1975 the boundary between the traditional counties of Ross and Cromarty and Inverness-shire. The settlement of Rhenigidale lies near the mouth of the loch whilst the settlement of Maaruig lies on Loch Maraig, an embayment on the western side of Loch Seaforth. Further settlement is found around the small bays at Ardvourlie opposite Seaforth Island which sits in the midst of the loch at the point where inland it turns towards the northeast. The crofting township of Arivruaich lies beside a further embayment known as Tob Cheann Tarabhaigh. The head of the loch is to be found 5 km further east at Ceann Shiphoirt. The loch forms the entire western coast of the relatively isolated Pairc peninsula.
MV Isle of Lewis is a Scottish ro-ro ferry, owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne between Oban and Castlebay, Barra. Built in 1995, she remains one of only two ships in the CalMac fleet over 100 metres (328 ft) in length; the other, Loch Seaforth, being longer by almost 15 metres.
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 units in operation and another 2 under construction. The company provides lifeline services to 23 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes in the Firth of Clyde.
MV Lord of the Isles is one of the larger Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferries, run by Caledonian MacBrayne and largely operating from Mallaig on the west of Scotland. Built in Port Glasgow, she is the most-travelled vessel in the CalMac fleet.
MV Hebrides is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne from Uig to Lochmaddy and Tarbert, the main settlements of North Uist and Harris respectively.
MV Hebridean Isles is a ro-ro vehicle ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the west coast of Scotland. She was the first MacBrayne vessel to be built outside Scotland and the first to be launched sideways. With bow, stern and side ramps, Hebridean Isles is suitable for all the routes served by the large fleet units. After 15 years crossing the Little Minch on the Uig triangle, she now serves Islay.
MV Loch Fyne is a Caledonian MacBrayne car ferry, owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, built in 1991 for the Isle of Skye crossing and now operating the Mallaig to Armadale route in western Scotland.
MV Pioneer is a stern / side loading ferry built in 1974, in service for 29 years covering nearly all of Caledonian MacBrayne's routes. She now serves the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea and was chartered to rescue Liberian refugees.
MV Pentalina-B was a fast and extremely versatile ferry operated on a variety of Scottish routes. Launched in 1970 as MV Iona, she was the first drive-through roll-on/roll-off ferry built for the David MacBrayne Ltd fleet. She was the first ship in the company's history to have bridge-controlled engines and geared transmission, rather than direct drive. She enjoyed a far-flung career and inaugurated more endloading linkspans than the rest of the fleet put together. Purchased by Pentland Ferries in 1997, she was renamed MV Pentalina-B and operated across the Pentland Firth until the arrival of their new vessel. In 2009, she was sold to a Cape Verde owner.
MV Loch Dunvegan is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited car ferry built for the Isle of Skye crossing and now operating in the Kyles of Bute, Scotland. She is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.
MV Lochmor was a ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne serving the Small Isles from 1979 until 2001. Since 2009 she has operated cruises from Poole as MV Jurassic Scene.
MV Clansman was the second of a trio of hoist-loading car ferries built for David MacBrayne Ltd in 1964 and operated on the Mallaig to Armadale, Skye route for ten years. Converted to ro-ro operation, she operated on the Stornoway, Isle of Mull and Arran services. Underpowered and troubled by mechanical breakdowns, she was taken out of service after 20 years.
MV Lochmor was the David MacBrayne Ltd Outer Isles mail steamer from 1930 until 1964. She was superseded by a new generation of car ferries.
MV Lochiel was the Islay mailboat operated by David MacBrayne Ltd from 1939 until 1970. Sinking in West Loch Tarbert in 1960, she was refloated and repaired. She became MacBrayne's last surviving mailboat, seeing out her life as a floating bar in Bristol.
MV Arran was a pioneering Firth of Clyde vehicle ferry introduced by Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1953. She spent fifteen years on the Upper Clyde crossings, followed by five years at Islay. Initially hoist-loading, via side ramps, these were replaced by a stern ramp in 1973. During her final years with CalMac, she relieved across the network. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to turn her into a floating restaurant, before she was scrapped in 1993.
David MacBrayne is a limited company owned by the Scottish Government. Formed in 1851 as a private shipping company, it became the main carrier for freight and passengers in the Hebrides, with a co-ordinated network of shipping, road haulage and bus operations. In 1973, it was merged with Caledonian Steam Packet Company as state-owned Caledonian MacBrayne. Since 2006 it has been the holding company for ferry operators CalMac Ferries Ltd and Argyll Ferries.
MV Claymore (II) was David MacBrayne's last mail boat built in 1955. She served on the Inner Isles Mail on the west coast of Scotland until 1972. Subsequently sold for day cruising in the Greek Islands until 1993, she sank at her mooring in 2000.
SS Lochness was a David MacBrayne Ltd mail steamer launched in 1929. She served Stornoway until 1947 and as relief vessel until 1955. As Myrtidiotissa, she survived in the Aegean until the 1970s.
MV Loch Seaforth is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne between Stornoway and Ullapool. She was launched on 21 March 2014 and entered service in mid-February 2015, replacing both the former vessel, 1995-built MV Isle of Lewis and a chartered freight vessel.
MV Loch Seaforth may refer to:
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