MV Loch Tarbert

MV Loch Tarbert at Lochranza slipway
History
United Kingdom
Name:
Namesake: Loch Tarbert on Kintyre
Owner: Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
Operator: Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry: Glasgow
Route:
Builder: J W Miller & Sons Ltd, St Monans[1]
Yard number: 1046
Launched: 1992
In service: 25 July 1992
Identification:
Status: in service
General characteristics
Class & type: ro-ro vehicle ferry
Tonnage:
Length: 30.2 m (99.1 ft)[1]
Beam: 10 m (32.8 ft)[1]
Draught: 1.6m
Propulsion: 2 × Voith Schneider Propellers
Speed: 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Capacity: 142 passengers and 17 cars
Crew: 3

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 her whole career on the seasonal Claonaig Lochranza crossing.

History

MV Loch Tarbert was built in 1992 by JW Miller & Sons Ltd of St Monans.[1]

Layout

Loch Tarbert is a variant on MV Isle of Cumbrae's design. Her car deck has capacity for 18 cars. Passenger accommodation for 150 passengers is in a starboard lounge and on two outer decks.[4] A large funnel on the opposite side to her wheelhouse is painted in CalMac livery.[3]

Service

MV Loch Tarbert replaced MV Loch Ranza on the seasonal Claonaig Lochranza crossing in July 1992. She has operated this crossing in summers ever since.[4] In winters she has relieved at Fishnish, Colintraive and Largs. She provided additional dangerous loads sailings from Largs to Lochranza until the service from Tarbert to Arran started.

In early 1996, she opened the new Otternish Leverburgh route across the Sound of Harris, awaiting new MV Loch Bhrusda. During a seaman's strike in 2000, Arran traffic was diverted to the Loch Fyne and Claonaig crossings. Loch Tarbert was joined by MV Isle of Cumbrae to cope with the traffic.[4]

At the end of recent summers, Loch Tarbert has moved to Tarbert to start a winter service to Portavadie, with a lunchtime sailing to Arran. The service is usually taken over by one of the smaller Loch Class. Loch Tarbert usually relieves at Largs, but spends most of the winter as a spare vessel.[4]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MV Loch Tarbert.

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "MV Loch Tarbert". CalMac. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  2. "Ships Index: L6". World Shipping Register. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Loch Tarbert". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Loch Tarbert - History". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
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