History
MV Mercandian Carrier was built in 1979 for Merc-Scandia KS in Frederikshavn, Denmark. [2] In 1985 she was sold to P&O Irish Sea for the Belfast to Ardrossan service. She underwent an extensive refit, costing 1 million pounds and was renamed Belard, a name created from the first three letters of the ports served. [2] In 1993, she was replaced on the Irish Sea service by the larger and faster Merchant Valiant. Her next owners, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, operated her across the Irish Sea. [2] From May 1995, she carried out a variety of charters, until she was sold in January 1998 to Aabrenaa Rederi A/S of Kingstown, St. Vincent for service in Norway and the Baltic. Returning to UK waters in 2001, she was chartered for the Aberdeen to Lerwick service and then Ipswich to Ostend.
In 2002, she was purchased by Harrisons of Glasgow and entered a long-term charter to Caledonian MacBrayne for a freight service between Ullapool and Stornoway. She was renamed Muirneag, the Gaelic name of a mountain on Lewis [2] and of a 1903 Zulu herring drifter from Stornoway, the last herring drifter in Britain to be worked by sails alone. [3] Muirneag had a blue hull with Calmac branding and funnels. Sailing overnight across the Minch, she had to withstand extremely poor sea conditions, which she handled well. She took additional daytime crossings, to clear a backlog of commercial traffic when MV Isle of Lewis broke down. However poor manoeuvrability when berthing under light loading unfairly gave her the nickname 'the Olympic Flame'. [4] In November 2005, she spent 15 hours attempting to gain access to Stornoway Harbour in a heavy storm. [5]
By 2013, it was recognised that Muirneag was no longer viable for the overnight freight service. [6] With safety certifications about to lapse, [4] it was announced on 10 September 2013, that the Seatruck Ferries vessel Clipper Ranger would replace Muirneag from 21 September, pending successful berthing trials at Ullapool and Stornoway on 19 September. The larger vessel was chartered until July 2014, when the new German-built ferry Loch Seaforth replaced both current vessels and now provides a 24/7 single-vessel service to Lewis. [7]
It was announced on 25 September 2013 that Muirneag had been sold for further service to Turkish owners at £600,000. [4]
MV Isle of Lewis is a ro-ro ferry, owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets, 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.
MV Clansman is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, operating from Oban on the west coast of Scotland.
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 ferries in operation, 2 on charter and another 6 on order. 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 Isle of Mull is one of the larger Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne from Oban on the west of Scotland.
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 and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the west coast of Scotland. She was the first MacBrayne vessel to be ordered and built for them 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 and Colonsay.
MV Isle of Arran is a drive-through ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated on the west coast of Scotland by Caledonian MacBrayne. Entering service in 1984, she served on the Arran route for nine years before being moved to Kennacraig. She returned to her original route in 2012, supplementing MV Caledonian Isles in summer and becoming a relief vessel in winter. In 2013, she started a new pilot route from Ardrossan to Campbeltown, which became a permanent fixture in 2015. As of 2023, she is one of the oldest vessels in the fleet, having been in service for 39 years.
MV CTMA Voyaguer 2 is a freight ferry built in 1998, which was in service with Seatruck Ferries on the Heysham–Belfast route until the latter half of 2012. In September 2013, she was chartered to Caledonian MacBrayne for the freight service between Ullapool and Stornoway. In 2019 she was chartered then bought by CTMA and transferred across the Atlantic to Canada.
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 ship 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 Orion is a ro-ro passenger and vehicle ferry. Saturn 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.
MV Pentalina-B was a ferry which 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 fleet. She was the first ship in the company's history to have bridge-controlled engines and geared transmission, rather than direct drive. During her career she 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 Hebridean Princess is a cruise ship operated by Hebridean Island Cruises. She started life as the MacBrayne car ferry and Royal Mail Ship, initially RMS then MV Columba, based in Oban for the first 25 years of her life, carrying up to 600 passengers, and 50 cars, between the Scottish islands.
MS Arrow is a 7,606 GT Ro-Ro ferry built by Astilleros de Huelva SA, Huelva, Spain in 1998 as Varbola for the Estonian Shipping Company, Tallinn. During a charter to Dart Line she was renamed Dart 6, reverting to Varbola when the charter ended. In 2005, she was sold to Malta and renamed RR Arrow. In 2007, she was sold to Seatruck Ferries, Heysham and renamed Arrow. In September 2022, it was revealed that she had been bought by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for an estimated €9 million.
MV Loch Tarbert is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ro-ro car ferry, built in 1992 and currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. She has spent most of her career on the seasonal Claonaig – Lochranza crossing.
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 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.
MV Suilven was a vehicle ferry built in 1974 and operated for 21 years by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Ullapool to Stornoway route. She subsequently operated in New Zealand and later in Fiji.
MV Loch Seaforth is a Caledonian Maritime Assets 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.
Panama
