MV Loch Shira

MV Loch Shira (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Siora) is a car ferry operating on the Largs to Cumbrae route on the Firth of Clyde in western Scotland. She is owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets and operated by Calmac.

MV Loch Shira heading out from Largs towards Great Cumbrae
History
United Kingdom
Name: MV Loch Shira
Owner: Caledonian Maritime Assets
Operator: Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry: Glasgow
Route: Largs - Cumbrae
Builder: Ferguson Shipbuilders, Port Glasgow
Cost: £5,800,000
Yard number: 721
Launched: 8 December 2006[1]
Maiden voyage: 2 June 2007
Identification:
Status: in service
General characteristics
Tonnage: 1024 gt
Length: 53.9 m
Beam: 13.9 m
Draught: 1.8 m
Installed power: 2 x 559bkW at 1800rpm
Propulsion: Voith 16 R5 rated at 540 Kw at 625 rpm
Speed: 10 knots
Capacity: 36 cars and 250 passengers
Notes: [2][3]

History

Built by Ferguson Shipbuilders and launched on Friday 8 December 2006, she entered service on Saturday 2 June the following year. The vessel has an absolute capacity of 32 cars and 250 passengers; however CalMac has stated that it is unlikely that more than 24 cars will be carried on the current route, in order to avoid traffic congestion both on the Isle of Cumbrae and at the Largs ferry terminal, where a busy junction is encountered just yards from leaving the boat.

On 2 April 2015 a Lego version of Loch Shira was published on the Lego ideas webpage.[4] Calmac picked up on the Lego idea and issued a press release entitled "Block aid! CalMac ferry could become production Lego model with public support". By September of the following year the idea had not gained enough support and did not go into production.

View from astern
MV Loch Shira leaving Cumbrae Slip, Great Cumbrae.

Name

The ferry is named after the sea loch next to Inveraray at the foot Glen Shira which drains the River Shira into Loch Fyne.

Design

The Loch Shira measures 53.9 m (176 ft 10 in) in length and has a beam of 13.90 m (45 ft 7 in). She has a single car deck divided into three lanes, with the central lane of sufficient width for two cars or one large commercial vehicle. There is a narrow passenger cabin at car deck level down the starboard side of the ship, with more spacious internal accommodation and open deck seating two storeys above this. The bridge sits atop the upper passenger lounge, and is offset to starboard.

In common with other Calmac "Loch Class" ferries, cars and passengers are loaded via folding ramps at either end of the vessel. These ramps make the only ship-to-shore contact during normal loading and unloading, with no ropes necessary to secure the ship. A Voith-Schneider propulsion system adds to this efficiency, giving the vessel excellent manoeuvrability.

References
  1. "MV Loch Shira". Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. "MV Loch Shira". CalMac. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  3. "Loch Shira". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  4. "The Great British Holiday "Off To The Scottish Isles"". ideas.lego.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
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