Scotland boasts the largest array of domestic ferry services within the United Kingdom with the majority of those serving the River Clyde, Outer Hebrides and Inner Hebrides coming under the control of what used to be known as Caledonian MacBrayne Limited.

This company was formed on 1st January 1973 when the Caledonian Steam Packet Company (formed after a merger in 1923) acquired most of the ships and routes of David MacBrayne Limited (that could trace its roots back to 1851). This company operated its ships and harbours until 1990 when the ferry business was spun off as a separate company, whilst retaining the Caledonian MacBrayne brand. Shares were issued in the company and were state owned, firstly by the Secretary of State for Scotland and, after devolution, by the Scottish Executive. To meet the requirements of European Union Community guidelines on state aid to maritime transport, the Caledonian MacBrayne routes were put out to open tender. To enable competitive bidding on an equal basis, Caledonian MacBrayne was split into two separate companies as from 1st October 2006. Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) retained ownership of Caledonian MacBrayne vessels and infrastructure, including harbours, while the renamed CalMac Ferries Ltd. submitted tenders to operate the routes. Their bid for the majority of the Clyde and Hebrides services succeeded and on 1st October 2007 CalMac Ferries Ltd. opened for business operating the services on a six year contract. The Gourock to Dunoon service was the subject of a separate tender, but no formal bids were made initially and, following a somewhat messy process, Argyll Ferries Limited acquired this service on 29th June 2011. The David MacBrayne trading name had already been revived on 4th July 2006 and, during September 2006, this group acquired the entire share capital of CalMac Ferries Ltd. Both Argyll Ferries and the Northern Ireland based Rathlin Ferries are subsidiaries of the David MacBrayne Group. CMAL has the unenviable task of maintaining a fleet of 32 ferries, most of which are in daily use, from its headquarters in Gourock that it shares with CalMac Ferries Ltd.

A New Loch for Scotland
On 8th June 2012 CMAL announced that a contract had been formally signed to build a new £41.8 million ferry for the Stornoway to Ullapool service. The decision to move to a single replacement vessel followed a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance procedure and a subsequent detailed technical and financial analysis, as well as an extensive community consultation to examine options for future ferry provisions on the route. The new 116m Ro- Ro vehicle passenger ferry would be capable of operating 24 hours a day and offer a capacity of up to 700 passengers and 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles. The economical design included a 25% lower fuel consumption compared to the 5,801gt/1979 built freight vessel Muirneag and the 6,753gt/1995 built Isle of Lewis that served the route in tandem until October 2013. The newbuild was contracted to FlensburgerSchiffbau-Gesellschaft MBH and Co. KG in Flensburg, Germany (FSG) with financing provided by Lloyds Bank’s Corporate Asset Finance team. A public vote to decide the name of the new ship culminated in April 2013 with the winning name being revealed as Loch Seaforth. The winning vote, picked at random from almost 2,000 people was Mary Davidson from the Isle of Lewis who attended the launch as a special guest.

The previous ship to carry that name was the 1947 built TSMV which entered service on 6th December 1947. Operating for David MacBrayne Ltd. the 1,126gt ship, with capacity for 16 cars plus passengers, was built by William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton and, in 1949, she became the first member of the MacBrayne fleet to be fitted with radar. The Loch Seaforth served Mallaig-Kyle of Lochalsh-Stornoway from 1947 to 1972 and Oban-Coll-Tiree- Castlebay-Lochboisdale from 1972 to 1973. Alas in 1973 the vessel became the only CalMac ship to have been written off whilst on passenger service. In 1972 the Mallaig-Kyle of Lochalsh- Stornoway route was replaced by the Ullapool-Stornoway (Isle of Lewis) service with a crossing time of 2 hours 45 minutes. The first car ferry service from Ullapool to Stornoway was operated by the Iona on 1st May 1972. A lack of Ro-Ro facilities required vehicles to be loaded/unloaded at the existing piers using the ship’s deck hoists. The Clansman also served the route from June 1973 and new linkspans were used from 23rd May 1973 at both ports. In 1974 the much larger Ro-Ro ferry Suilven entered service and remained the primary vessel until 1994 when the 6,753gt Isle of Lewis took over. A dedicated freight vessel joined the Isle of Lewis in 2002 in the form of the Muirneag (the Gaelic name for a 248m mountain on the Isle of Lewis) and she remained until October 2013. As a stop-gap before the Loch Seaforth was delivered the 7,606gt/1998 built Clipper Ranger was chartered from Seatruck Ferries. Construction of the new Loch Seaforth commenced at FSG on 16th September 2013 and the keel laying took place on 3rd February 2014.

The 116 metre long Loch Seaforth was launched at 12.15 local time following a short ceremony and was officially named by her Godmother Joan Murray on 21st March 2014. Joan is the eldest daughter of the late Captain John Smith of the original Loch Seaforth. A specially labelled version of Gordon and McPhail single malt whisky was produced to mark the launch of the ship, a bottle of which was smashed against the ship prior to launching. Upon taking to the water the ship was minus the bulk of her superstructure and bridge, which was en-route by barge having been pre-fabricated in Gdansk, Poland. The tug and tow arrived on 24th March with the profile of the new ferry being completed when the accommodation section was craned into place the next day.The building process was beset with delays including around two weeks when a storm badly damaged the FSG building hall roof in November 2013 plus fitting out delays due to the late delivery of components and the prolonged installation of electrical services throughout the ship. Delays had also affected modifications to the berths at Stornoway and Ullapool. The Loch Seaforth (named after a sea loch between the islands of Lewis and Harris) ventured out for sea trials in late August and was noted passing under the Great Belt Bridge on 23rd August en route to the Fayard Shipyard in Odense, Denmark. This dry docking was necessary for modifications to the propeller hubs at the request of the manufacturers. On 30th August the ship went to sea and then headed back to Flensburg on 2nd September. Six days of sea trials commenced on 25th September but into October there was still no confirmed hand over date to CMAL when delivery was originally scheduled for around June/July 2014. FSG has made a name for itself building Ro-Ro, passenger and specialised ships and was established in 1872 with over 760 ships delivered since. In December 2008 the yard was purchased by new owners, namely the Managing Director Peter Sierk and investors from the Orlando Management AG in Munich. The facility was acquired from the Oldendorff Group in Lübeck as part of a management buy-out. Just prior to the delivery of the Loch Seaforth a new chapter was announced at FSG on 25th September when the Norwegian controlled Siem Industries took control. Siem Industries is a global corporation with diversified industrial interests in the oil and gas services industry, ocean transport of refrigerated cargoes and cars, potash-mining, finance and Swedish industries. The Siem Group of companies (including subsidiaries and affiliates) operates 145 vessels and owns a controlling interest in one of the most successful Offshore Shipping Companies, namely Siem Offshore, plus the oil service company SubSea 7.Siem Offshore ordered two well-intervention-vessels at FSG in February 2014 with further offshore newbuilds expected to follow as this and the Ro-Ro sector are specialities.The transaction to take over FSG is subject to certain conditions, and was completed in late October 2014.

Go Forth to Sea
The new 166m long, 19.20m beam and 4.85m scantling draught Loch Seaforth has significantly greater capacity than the Isle of Lewis and can accommodate 700 passengers and 142 cars or 20 commercial vehicles. By comparison the 1995 built Isle of Lewis was designed to accommodate 680 passengers and 123 cars. The ship is the largest, fastest and most sophisticated ferry ever built for service in the west of Scotland. Construction involved block sections of 200t to 300t a piece, with each block pre-outfitted as much as possible with services, machinery and cables. Most of the painting was done before the blocks were put together. By contrast the accommodation block was built in a single unit in Poland and fitted after the launch. The collaborative design and build process included extensive testing of a 10-metre model in Hamburg to determine the best hull form for the region of operation, i.e. the restless stretch of sea known as the Minch. The chosen hull profile incorporates a vertical bow design created by FSG. Such a bow form allows for a longer waterline that enables a more slender hull with the same displacement. In turn this offers less drag in the water and enhances fuel efficiency and sea-keeping. The latter improves passenger comfort and reduces stresses on the ship. FSG has calculated that the overall hull improvements save 1,400kW compared to the original design and will also offer potential fuel and operational savings in excess of €22 million over the next 20 years.

As with many car ferries built in the 1970s-1990s, capacity has been reduced over the years as vehicles have grown in size. The footprint of the vehicle deck aboard the Loch Seaforth is larger to accommodate the more varied modern day dimensions of cars etc.The main vehicle garage is on Deck 3 with four vehicle lanes provided with capacity for 103 cars. Lanes 1 and 4 (port and starboard sides) each offer 89 lanemetres with lanes 2 and 3 offering 99 lanemetres each. The width of each lane is approximately 2.5 metres and above this deck are two hoistable mezzanine decks. The total clear height on Deck 3 is 5.60 metres along lane 3 and 5.10 metres where the MacGregor built mezzanine decks are stowed. The port side mezzanine deck accommodates a single lane of cars whilst the starboard side mezzanine deck offers two lanes. Both decks provide a 2.20m clear height when deployed and carry a combined total of 39 cars. The clear height beneath the Deck 4 mezzanine decks in lanes 1,3, and 4 is 2.90 metres when in use. This versatile split arrangement permits HGVs to be conveyed in lane 3 with lanes 1/2/4 and mezzanine decks carrying cars/vans at peak times. When using the starboard side mezzanine deck lanes 1 and 2 are available for HGVs etc and likewise lanes 2-4 can be fully utilised when the port side mezzanine deck is deployed, subject to the clear heights. Flexibility was enhanced early on in the building stage when the height of the main car deck was increased from a maximum 5.1 metres to 5.6 metres. The vehicle deck capacity includes an allowance for 600mm of space on either side of each vehicle and 200mm front and rear.

Access to Deck 3 over the stern is via a 6.60 metre wide and 6.50 metre long (approx.) hydraulic ramp. This is asymmetrical to permit the ship to use the existing linkspan at Ullapool. The port side section of the ramp is used for ship to shore access and is equipped with a 2 metre flap that folds over on to the outer face of the ramp when stowed vertically. The aft section of the main vehicle deck is open to the elements and can be used to convey certain types of hazardous or special cargo. Vehicle access over the bow is via a 13 metre long, 3.60 metre wide and centrally hinged hydraulic bow ramp plus 2 metre long end flaps. At the bow are clam shell bow doors that, when opened, reveal a 3.60 metre wide opening with a 5.60 metre clear height. Five passenger doorways are provided at each vehicle deck level with companionway and lift access to the on board facilities on Decks 5 and 6. From bow to stern on Deck 5 the layout comprises of a large cafeteria, passenger seating/pet area (starboard side), toilets and the galley plus a large central lounge in the aft section of the superstructure. This area also incorporates a children’s area, gaming zone, coffee shop and a quiet lounge on the port side. Situated forward on Deck 6 is an observation lounge and a quiet lounge plus there is an open deck aft at this and Deck 7 level. A Driver’s lounge and rest area is also provided aft on Deck 6. The remainder of Deck 6 consists of 29 crew cabins plus crew laundry, gymnasium, changing room, recreation room and Crew and Officer Mess Rooms. The indoor seating capacity on Deck 6 is 90. On Deck 7 can be found the navigation bridge plus 2 Captain’s Class cabins, 3 Senior Officer cabins, 7 Officer cabins, a Night Masters Cabin and one Cadet cabin.

The Stornoway-Ullapool route is a lifeline service, so it is extremely important that it is 100% reliable for 364 days a year. The resident ship needs to be capable of operating 24 hours a day in virtually all weathers and 26th December is the only day that she is not required in service. To ensure mechanical reliability the ship boasts a very high level of redundancy with FSG selecting a hybrid propulsion concept in preference to diesel-electric propulsion. A hybrid system offers significantly lower initial costs, better efficiency (up to 7.3%) plus weight and space saving that allows room for 4 additional cars on the main deck. Hybrid propulsion permits the diesel mechanical drive to go straight from the main engines to the propeller and is both energy efficient and reliable. Two Wartsila 8L32 main engines, each with a 4000kW output, are installed plus 3 Wartsila/Leroy Somer 8L20 auxiliary engines each with a 1880 kVA/1600kW output. The auxiliary units handle the hotel power requirements on board but the output from two of them can also be harnessed via the main switchboards to the gearbox to assist the main engines in propelling the vessel via two 3500kW Imtech/AEM electric motors, one on each propeller. This means that one main engine can be taken off line and the shaft can still run via the auxiliaries to maintain service speed during maintenance. The propulsion motor drive is a 3500kW Imtech/Vacon variable speed drive and the two main engine gearboxes are produced by Jahnel-Kestermann. This method also removes the need for a third main engine thus reducing costs. Compared to the Isle of Lewis the Loch Seaforth operates on less propulsive power, at 5,400kW, compared to the older ship’s 6,500kw, but achieves a higher service speed of 19.2 knots. The engines can run on both intermediate fuel oil 40 and marine gas oil. The ship is pushed through the water by two 4.10 metre diameter Kappel propellers made by MAN Alpha, a type where the blade tips bend upwards to increase efficiency and reduce drag compared to a conventional propeller. Manoeuvrability is provided by two FSG twist flow rudders with Costa Bulb and three 900kW Brunvoll transverse tunnel thrusters, two at the bow and one at the stern. Safety equipment on board includes two Marine Evacuation Systems, each with a 150 person liferaft, four 150 person liferafts, one 50 person liferaft and two 650 fast rescue boats with twin 60hp outboard engines. The latter are located in cradles on either side of the outer Deck 6

At the time of writing it appeared that the Loch Seaforth, complete with her stylish Color Line Superspeed style paint scheme at the stern, had no firm delivery date to CalMac Ferries Ltd but on 13th October CMAL announced that they now had full control of the ship at FSG. The handover to CMAL resulted in the vessel not being impacted by negotiations over the acquisition of FSG by Siem Industries. Work was continuing at the yard on final fitting out and preparation of systems and, at that time, CMAL said that the ship “will be sailing to Scotland in the next few weeks.” Media reports prior to this announcement had also indicated that FSG had hit a rough patch regarding cash flow that was delaying the new ferry as subcontractors were not being paid for work undertaken. All this plus the yard’s acquisition was a major headache for everyone concerned. At this stage the work on the berth at Stornoway was also incomplete so had the ship been delivered late summer/early autumn she could not have immediately fulfilled the purpose for which she was built. Following arrival in western Scotland there will be a period of crew training and berthing trials (subject to berthing works being complete) ahead of the charter to CalMac Ferries Ltd. The Isle of Lewis is expected to remain as a back-up ship in to the 2015 season and there has been a growing desire among the Isle of Lewis community to see a second ship retained long-term. The Loch Seaforth is intended to fulfil the roles of both a vehicle and a freight ferry but concerns still linger that capacity will be insufficient for peak periods. Evidence suggests that a new ship can be a positive catalyst in increasing traffic but only time will tell how the new look service will evolve.

Technical Specifications