MV Isle of Cumbrae

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Name:

MV Isle of Cumbrae

Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Chumraigh
Namesake: Isle of Cumbrae
Operator: Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry: Glasgow
Route: TarbertPortavadie
Builder: Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon[1]
Yard number: 551
Launched: 22 December 1976
In service: 4 April 1977
Identification: IMO number: 7521625[2]

Callsign: 2MTM

MMSI Number: 232003244
Status: in service
General characteristics
Class and type: ro-ro vehicle ferry
Tonnage: 201 GRT; 72 metric tons deadweight (DWT)[3]
Length: 32 metres (105.0 ft)[1]
Beam: 10 metres (32.8 ft)[1]
Draught: 1.4m
Installed power: 6-cyl Gardner Engines Ltd, Manchester
Propulsion: 2x Voith Schneider Propellers
Speed: 8.5 knots
Capacity: 160 passengers and 18 cars
Crew: 3

MV Isle of Cumbrae is a Caledonian MacBrayne ro-ro car ferry, built in 1976. For ten years she was at Largs and has been on the Loch Fyne crossing since 1999.

History

MV Isle of Cumbrae was built in 1977 by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company of Troon.[4]

Layout

Isle of Cumbrae's design is a scaled-down version of the Skye ferries MV Kyleakin and MV Lochalsh. She has three lanes on her car deck, with ramps at either end which fold in two sections, like those on the Island Class ferries. Passenger accommodation is down the starboard side, with a small wheelhouse above.[4]

Voith Schneider units at diagonally opposite corners of her hull provide propulsion.[4]

Service

MV Isle of Cumbrae took up the Largs crossing in early April 1977, replacing two small bow-loading ferries, Largs and Coruisk. She remained on this crossing until summer 1986, when the route was taken over by twins MV Loch Striven and MV Loch Linnhe.[4]

In August 1986, Isle of Cumbrae moved to the FishnishLochaline crossing in the Sound of Mull, replacing the small MV Canna. She remained there until July 1997, when she was replaced by the larger MV Loch Alainn.[4] Isle of Cumbrae replaced MV Loch Riddon in the Kyles of Bute, but was herself replaced by the much larger MV Loch Dunvegan in 1999.[4] She then transferred to the summer TarbertPortavadie route across Loch Fyne. In winter she took up a relief role, covering MV Loch Dunvegan (Colintraive) and MV Loch Fyne (Lochaline).[4]

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "MV Isle of Cumbrae". CalMac. http://www.calmac.co.uk/mv_isle_of_cumbrae.html. Retrieved 20 December 2009. 
  2. "Ships Index: I4". World Shipping Register. http://e-ships.net/index/I4.shtml. Retrieved 20 December 2009. 
  3. "Isle of Cumbrae". Ships of Calmac. http://www.shipsofcalmac.net/profile_isle_of_cumbrae.asp. Retrieved 20 December 2009. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Isle of Cumbrae - History". Ships of Calmac. http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/h_isle_of_cumbrae.asp. Retrieved 20 December 2009.