C R S C NEWSLETTER 01.10.10 – 09.11.10 Ali Cat Chartered from Solent & Wightline Cruises Ltd for Gourock–Dunoon (No 1A Roster) pax only, berthing James Watt Dock . Occasional weather disruptions. M 4 Oct berthed Dunoon breakwater p.m. because of adverse sea state at main pier. Argyle Wemyss Bay–Rothesay rosters. T 2 Nov Captain Dave Smith passed away on board. Bute Wemyss Bay–Rothesay rosters. From M 1 Nov pier work at Rothesay caused one vessel to lie overnight at Gourock Mon-Thu. M 8 to Garvel (JWD) for annual survey. Caledonian Isles Ardrossan–Brodick roster. Berthed overnight at Brodick on occasion (weather) 0700 sailing ex- Ardrossan cancelled. Clansman Oban–Coll–Tiree/Barra–Lochboisdale roster. M 4 Oct returned direct to Oban from Castlebay (arr 0200 T 5) thereafter stormbound; W 6 delayed at Tiree (tech) p.m. Barra sailing delayed; S 23 after roster light to Oban for start of winter Oban–Coll–Tiree/Barra–Lochboisdale/ Craignure roster; T 26 no outward call at Coll (thick fog); Th 28 no Lochboisdale call p.m. (weather) arr Oban 0200 F29. Su 7 Nov Outer Isles cancelled (weather). Coruisk Mallaig –Armadale roster. Su 24 Oct to Rothesay and Gourock ; M 25 to Garvel (JWD) for annual survey (drydocked with Sound of Shuna ). M 8 Nov to Gourock and Rothesay for Wemyss Bay roster. Eigg Oban–Lismore roster. Occasional weather disruptions. Hebridean Isles Kennacraig–Islay–Colonsay–Oban roster. S 9 Oct single-ship roster ( Isle of Arran off); Su 10 resumed two-ship roster but all sailings to Port Ellen. Hebrides Uig–Lochmaddy/ Tarbert roster. Occasional sailings delayed by traffic diverted from cancelled Ullapool sailings. Isle of Arran Kennacraig–Islay roster. F 8 Oct struck Port Askaig linkspan Port Ellen and Kennacraig; S 9 off service for repairs; Su 10 resumed service but all sailings to Port Ellen while repairs carried out at PA (est. 8 weeks). Isle of Cumbrae Tarbert–Portavadie roster. Su 31 Oct fogbound till 1115, changed over with Loch Tarbert at Tarbert at 1210. Isle of Lewis Stornoway–Ullapool roster. T 5 Oct roster disrupted by weather, stormbound Ullapool overnight; W 6 resumed roster 1025; F 29 a.m. sailing cancelled (weather). Isle of Mull Oban–Craignure roster. M 8 Nov Colonsay cancelled (weather). Jupiter Gourock–Dunoon roster (on charter to Cowal Ferries Ltd). T 12 Oct roster till 0913 , then to Rosneath for lay-up. Loch Alainn Ardmhor –Eriskay roster. Occasional weather disruptions. S 30 Oct to Castlebay after roster; Su 31 to Port Ellen . M 1 Nov to Largs and Gourock . Su 7 to Colintraive for Rhubodach roster. Loch Bhrusda At Rosneath (spare). F 1 Oct to Gourock and Largs ; S 2 to Campbeltown ; Su 3 to Oban ; M 4 to Mallaig ; M 11 took over Small Isles roster; Su 24 combined winter Small Isles/ Armadale roster (incl. new 1600/1645 Sunday Armadale sailing ). S 30 to Ardmhor for Eriskay roster. Loch Buie Fionnphort –Iona roster. Occasional weather disruptions incl. stormbound T 5 Oct. S 6 Nov to Campbeltown ; M 7 to Lochranza ; T 8 to Gourock to await slipping at Ardmaleish. Loch Dunvegan Colintraive –Rhubodach roster. Su 7 Nov to Gourock; M 8 to Garvel (JWD) for annual survey. Loch Fyne Lochaline –Fishnish roster. Loch Linnhe Tobermory –Kilchoan roster. Th 21 Oct roster till 1530, then to Oban ; F 22 to Campbeltown ; S 23 to Largs ; M 25 to Rhubodach and Ardmaleish for annual survey. Loch Portain Berneray–Leverburgh roster. Occasional weather/tidal disruptions. Loch Ranza Gigha –Tayinloan roster. F 8 Oct tech problems delays p.m. Loch Riddon At Largs . F 1 Oct to Gourock ; M 18 to Ardmaleish for annual survey; F 29 to Rothesay . Th 4 Nov to Campbeltown ; F 5 to Tobermory ; S 6 to Fionnphort for Iona roster. Loch Shira Largs –Cumbrae Slip roster. T 26 Oct worked single-ended p.m. (tech). Loch Striven Raasay–Sconser roster. Loch Tarbert Lochranza–Claonaig roster. Occasional weather disruptions incl. S 9 Oct (2 sailings diverted to Tarbert ); S 30 last day of Claonaig roster; Su 31 to Tarbert, changed over with Isle of Cumbrae , combined winter Portavadie/Lochranza roster from 1215. Lochnevis Mallaig–Small Isles roster. T 5 Oct stormbound; Su 10 1330 ex-Mallaig to Gourock (arr 0800 M 11) and Garvel (JWD) for annual survey; T 26 trials; W 27 to Gourock and Mallaig (arr 1000 Th 28); F 29 resumed winter Small Isles/ Armadale roster. Lord of the Isles Oban–Coll–Tiree/Barra–Lochboisdale/Colonsay/ (Craignure ) roster. F 1 Oct arrived Oban ex- Barra 0545 instead of lying overnight at Castlebay (weather), resumed roster 1700; M 4 roster till 1630, then to Craignure overnight (Colonsay cancelled, no berth at Oban); T 5 special 0830/1100 Oban–Colonsay; W 6 0630 Oban–Lochboisdale (delayed from previous day); M 18 Colonsay cancelled; T 19 0645 Oban–Colonsay for roster; S 23 after roster sailed for Leith (arr 0630 M 25) for annual survey. Muirneag Stornoway–Ullapool freight roster. Occasional weather disruptions. Raasay At Oban (spare). Th 21 Oct to Tobermory for Kilchoan roster from 1600. Saturn At Garvel (JWD) for annual survey. F 8 Oct trials, to Gourock ; T 12 Dunoon roster from 0920 (on charter to Cowal Ferries Ltd); Su 31 roster affected a.m. by poor visibility. Sula Beag Chartered from Sea Life Safaris, Tobermory, for Mallaig–Small Isles roster during Lochnevis ’ absence, sharing duties with Loch Bhrusda as required. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd : Canna Chartered to Rathlin Island Ferry Ltd for Rathlin–Ballycastle service. Juno Laid up at Rosneath . Finlaggan Under construction at Remontowa Shipyard, Gdansk. Other News: Clyde Marine Services Ltd : Fencer opened a new riverbus service in May, later replaced by Rover when Fencer was moved to Loch Lomond for a new ferry service between Balloch and Balmaha, remaining on Loch Lomond until early September. Cruiser was used for cruises from Glasgow downriver to Clydebank and Erskine. The Second Snark was put back in the water at Fairlie and moved to Greenock late September. She returned to Fairlie M 1 Nov. Waverley Excursions Ltd : Waverley was docked at Garvel for survey in May. She left Glasgow on F 28 for Oban calling at Greenock and Campbeltown. She visited Tobermory, Armadale and Inverie the following day: on the way back a short commemoration was held to mark the loss of her namesake 70 years previously. On Su 30 a ‘4 Lochs Cruise’ was given. Tiree was visited on M 30 before Waverley returned to Port Ellen, Campbeltown and Largs on T 1 Jun. She then headed for the Bristol Channel before returning to the Clyde at the end of June. Her schedule was disrupted on occasion by bad weather and a number of calls at Ayr were omitted because of commercial shipping activity at the port. Waverley escorted the Cunard’s Queen Victoria to and from Greenock on W 28 Jul. The steamer then left for her usual season of autumn sailings on the South Coast and Thames before returning to the Clyde mid-October. During the last sailing of the season on Su 17 Oct, a cruise amended from the originally advertised ‘Round Bute’ itinerary because of weather, her long-serving purser Jim MacFadzean was presented with gifts to mark his retirement after 23 years on the steamer. Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd : Sound of Shuna at Garvel for overhaul from T 26 Oct to M 8 Nov. P&O Irish Sea : P&O Express gave some sailings to Douglas on charter to the IOMSP during June for TT traffic. Her season finished on M 4 Oct; she later moved to her winter lay-up berth in Belfast. Stena Line : Stena Navigator and Stena Caledonia swapped duties during the summer, which allowed the company to better utilise the former vessel’s higher passenger capacity on busier sailings. Stena Navigator was beset by mechanical problems during August and was drydocked for an early overhaul at Belfast in September. Stena Seafarer provided cover on the run during her absence. During October, Stena Caledonia developed problems with her bow visor and has since operated using her stern ramp only. NorthLink : During the ‘ash cloud’ crisis in April, Hamnavoe was taken off the Pentland Firth route and made one sailing from Bergen to Aberdeen with 157 passengers on board, while Hrossey operated an ‘express’ service between Lerwick and Aberdeen. A replacement freight ship has been found to take over from Clare in the New Year. She is currently operating as Clipper Racer on charter in the Mediterranean and is a sister of Hildasay . Orkney Ferries : On M 6 Sep Hoy Head suffered a serious breakdown and was off service for four weeks, Thorsvoe taking her South Isles sailings. When Hoy Head returned, Thorsvoe was able to leave on Su 3 Oct for annual survey at Peterhead, returning north on F 22. She took over the Shapinsay–Kirkwall service next day, allowing Shapinsay to move to Macduff for lengthening by 6 metres. Shetland Ferries : Whalsay ferry Linga has had her winter passenger certificate reduced from 95 to 50 following changes in MCA stability regulations. Full capacity is expected to be restored following modification at her survey next spring. Norfolkline : On Th 5 Aug, Scottish Viking collided with a fishing boat off St Abbs, with the resultant loss of one man. Just a few days later, the merger between DFDS and Norfolkline was completed, followed shortly afterwards by the sudden announcement that they would be withdrawing Scottish Viking from the Rosyth–Zeebrugge run at the end of the year, citing insufficient passenger demand. They did state, however, that a freight-only service would continue, using two ships.