History | |
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Name |
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Operator | Caledonian Steam Packet Company |
Port of registry | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
Route |
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Builder |
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Cost | £145,000 [1] |
Yard number | 419 |
Launched |
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Maiden voyage | 18 July 1953 |
Identification |
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Fate | 2006 scrapped |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 508 GT |
Length | 161 ft 3 in (49.15 m) |
Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
Draught | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
Installed power | 2 × Oil 2SCSA 6 cyl. 9+7⁄8 in × 16+1⁄2 in (250 mm × 420 mm) |
Propulsion | twin screws and rudders |
Speed | 15 kn (28 km/h) |
Capacity |
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MV Maid of Cumbrae was a British passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company from 1953. In the face of the car ferry revolution, in 1972, she was converted to a 15-car ferry for the Dunoon to Gourock crossing. Sold to Italian owners in 1978, she operated, as Capri Express in the Bay of Naples until 2006, when she was scrapped.
Maid of Cumbrae was the last of a quartet of passenger vessels ordered in 1951 to modernise the Clyde fleet. She was built by Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd. [1] As demand switched from short cruises to car ferries, in 1972, she was converted to operate as a 15-car ferry. She operated in this configuration for three years and was then sold in 1978, for a new career in the Adriatic. [1]
MV Maid of Cumbrae had a forward observation lounge and an aft tearoom, both with large windows. Open deck space available for passengers was limited. The bridge was forward on the promenade deck, with a landing platform above, for use at very low tides. She had two masts and a single funnel, above the central engines, with the galley aft. [1]
To operate as a car ferry, the superstructure aft of her funnel was removed and two side-ramps, a stern ramp and a deck-turntable were fitted. Her passenger facilities were re-arranged. These modifications reduced her passenger certificate (Class V) to 310. [1]
By the time she operated in the Bay of Naples, she had an inflatable swimming pool on the vehicle deck and a forward passenger lounge. [1]
MV Maid of Cumbrae initially gave short cruises, including from Glasgow. On Saturdays she generally assisted on the hard-pressed Gourock – Dunoon service. In the late 1950s, the Maids lost their fixed routes and all operated across the Clyde network. They became progressively redundant as the car ferry revolution swept all before it. Maid of Cumbrae was withdrawn at the end of the 1971 season and laid-up in Glasgow's Princes Dock. [1]
Plans to move MV Arran to Dunoon were thwarted and she was required to stay on the Islay service. To provide much needed vehicle capacity, in early 1972, Maid of Cumbrae was rapidly converted to a vehicle ferry and gave three years of reliable service, supporting MV Glen Sannox at Dunoon, until the arrival of the MV Juno in December 1974. She then became a spare vessel, relieving and taking charters until 20 May 1978, when she was laid up in the James Watt Dock, Greenock. [1]
On 25 August 1978, complete with a spare propeller and shaft, she left the Clyde for the Adriatic. In 1979, as Noce di Cocco ("Coconut"), she entered service between Trieste and Muggia, operated by Navigazione Alto Adriatico, but still in Caledonian MacBrayne livery. She spent less than a year on this run, before moving to the Bay of Naples, as Capri Express. At first she cruised between Capri and Positano, later as a car ferry between Naples and Sorrento and from 2000, between Pozzuoli and Procida, in the company of her old sister Ala (ex MV Maid of Skelmorlie). Withdrawn in 2006, she was towed to Aliağa for scrapping and beached in March. [1]
Caledonian MacBrayne, usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast. Since 2006 the company's official name has been CalMac Ferries Ltd although it still operates as Caledonian MacBrayne. In 2006 it also became a subsidiary of holding company David MacBrayne, which is owned by the Scottish Government.
MV Caledonian Isles is one of the largest ships owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited. She is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which runs ferries to the Hebridean and Clyde Islands of Scotland. Caledonian Isles serves the Isle of Arran on the Ardrossan to Brodick route. As it is one of CalMac's busiest routes, Caledonian Isles has the largest passenger capacity in the fleet, and can carry up to 1000 passengers and 110 cars, with a crossing time of 55 minutes. She is used extensively by day-trippers to the Isle of Arran during the summer.
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 Argyle is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the route between Wemyss Bay and Rothesay. She is the seventh Clyde ship to have the name Argyle.
MV Ali Cat is a motor catamaran passenger ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, which along with MV Argyll Flyer provides a service from Dunoon to Gourock across the Firth of Clyde.
MV Jupiter was a passenger and vehicle ferry in the fleet of Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. She was the oldest of three "streakers" and the third River Clyde steamer to bear the name 'Jupiter'. Her open car deck was accessible by stern and side ramps ro-ro. She entered service in 1974, and operated the Gourock to Dunoon crossing for much of her career. In 2006, she became the oldest vessel in the CalMac fleet and continued in service with them until 2010. Jupiter was sold for breaking in 2011.
MV Bute is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, on the route between Wemyss Bay and Rothesay on Bute.
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 Orcadia is a ro-ro passenger and vehicle ferry. She was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland between 1978 and 2011, for the first decade of her career on the Rothesay crossing. Later, she also saw service on the Dunoon and Brodick crossings, as well as on short cruises around the Clyde. After a lengthy lay-up, she was sold in 2015 to Pentland Ferries to be converted for ferry services and work with the renewable energy sector around Orkney and the Pentland Firth.
MV Glen Sannox was a Clyde car ferry launched in 1957. Built for the Arran service, she spent her first 14 years there. Thereafter, she had a versatile career on the west coast of Scotland, lasting over 32 years, including providing cruises between 1977 and 1982. In 1989, she was sold for service on the Red Sea. She ran aground south of Jeddah and lay in a sunken condition from 2000.
MV Coruisk is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferry built in 2003, operated by Scottish ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne and serving the west coast of Scotland.
MV Juno was a passenger and vehicle ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Firth of Clyde, Scotland between 1974 and 2007. She was the middle of three vessels nicknamed "streakers", the first in the Calmac fleet to be fitted with Voith Schneider Propellers. Juno left service in early 2007 and was laid up at Rosneath for 4 years. On 18 May 2011, she was beached there for scrapping and was gone by the end of July.
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 Maid of Ashton was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company, initially on the Holy Loch service. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold for a new career as a floating restaurant on the Thames, under the name Hispaniola.
MV Maid of Argyll was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company, initially based at Craigendoran. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold to Greek owners in 1975. She caught fire in 1997 and was left to decay.
MV Maid of Skelmorlie was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company from 1953. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold to Italian owners in 1973. After conversion to stern-loading, she operated, as Ala in the Bay of Naples for 20 years.
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.
MV Bute was a Clyde vehicle ferry introduced by Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1954. She spent 24 years on the Upper Clyde crossings. During her final years with Calmac, she relieved in the west highlands.
MV Cowal was a hoist-loading vehicle ferry introduced by Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1954. She spent the whole of her 24 years with Caledonian MacBrayne on the Upper Clyde crossings.
Sound of Seil is a car and passenger ferry, operated by Western Ferries on the upper Clyde between Gourock and Dunoon, Scotland.