Old ship for new run proposal 24/7/08
Stòras Uibhist, the landlord of South Uist has lobbied the Scottish Government to redeploy the MV Claymore on a new sea route between Lochboisdale and Mallaig.
It would almost half current the seven-hour voyage to Oban and boost the local economy including the fishing, salmon-farming and tourism sectors.
The Claymore is an aging ex-Cal Mac ship which is operating very short trips in sheltered waters between St Margaret's Hope and the southern tip of Orkney.
The 30-year-old boat was previously used on the abandoned Campbeltown to Northern Ireland service. The vessel which can carry 50 cars and 220 passengers is bound to the Orkney run until September when a new ship is due to arrive. With a speed of around 13.5 knots she is slower than most ferries but could complete a run to Mallaig in about 3.5 hours.
Her owners Pentland Ferries have drawn up an outline proposal for Stòras Uibhist which was submitted to Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson on Monday.
Stòras Uibhist wants the service to operate twice daily, Monday to Sunday, during the summer with a single return trip a day from Autumn until Spring.
The Government will not buy a new ship for the service but previously promised to provide £ 1 million to implement the route.
However Cal Mac had previously looked at chartering the Claymore for the Mallaig link but believed the ship was unsuitable for the stormy Minch waters. The costs and operation would also impact on the rest of its services.
It is unclear if the Claymore.would have the legal certification requirements for a Minch crossing.
Another option is to divert the mainland destination port for the MV Lord of the Isles from Oban to Mallaig. The Lord of the Isles currently takes over seven hours on her current run from Lochboisdale to Barra and Oban.
