MV Claymore
Encyclopedia
MV Claymore was a car and passenger ferry
built in 1978 for Caledonian MacBrayne
. For ten years, she operated between Oban
and the Outer Isles. Between October 2002 and March 2009, she was the Pentland Ferries
relief vessel on the Short Sea Crossing to Orkney. Since March 2009, she has operated, as MV Sia, a RORO cable-laying and supply vessel.
, Leith
and launched on 31 August 1978. The third ferry to bear the name Claymore, she entered service between Oban
and the Outer Isles
.
She was out of service for the three months in 1982 after running into rocks at the entrance to Lochboisdale
harbour. A collision in 1986 resulted in significant bow damage. She performed the annual Govan Shipbuilders charter with a flat plate welded across the damaged area. It was painted black with a large yellow CalMac lion to make it look less odd.
The cafeteria was refurbished in 1997 when sold to Sea Containers.
On 11 March 2003, in gale force winds, Claymore was blown away from her intended berth in St Margaret’s Hope Bay. Her starboard propeller became entangled in the moorings of smaller vessels and the 12 passengers were disembarked safely by the Longhope Lifeboat. The subsequent investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch
(MAIB) made several recommendations to improve safety.
March 2009 Claymore was sold to CT Offshore ApS, a Danish shipping company and moved to Svendborg
. She was renamed Sia on the 29 April 2009. The new owners added 4x 600kW auxiliary engines to supply 4 forward thrusters and 3 aft thrusters, giving dynamic positioning
capability for her new cable-laying role.
She had room for 50 cars, loaded via a stern ramp and a 36 ton hoist. The hoist was removed in December 2007.
. She remained on this route for ten years, sailing to Barra
and Lochboisdale
. She made calls at Tobermory, Lochaline
on the Morvern
coastline, and Coll
and Tiree
on alternate days. Claymore was transferred to the Kennacraig
- Islay
service in 1989, and in 1993 became CalMac's
spare summer vessel. During the summer of 1993 she was on the Clyde
, seeing service at Rothesay
, Dunoon
and Brodick. In 1994 and 1995 Claymore provided weekend voyages to Douglas, Isle of Man
. For this service she was given an International Passenger Certificate for 300. She was the first vessel to use hoist loading on the Isle of Man. In September 1995 Claymore became the first CalMac vessel to visit Wales, under charter to the Hamilton Oil Company. She became probably the most travelled member of the CalMac fleet
, visiting twenty-four terminals in total in 1996, her last full year with the company.
In May 1997 Claymore was sold to Argyll and Antrim Steam Packet Company, a subsidiary of Sea Containers Scotland Ltd. For three years Claymore operated a new summer sailing from Campbeltown
to Ballycastle
, Northern Ireland, providing winter overhaul relief for CalMac under charter. On termination of the Ballycastle service, she was moved to Birkenhead
and put on the market. She carried out a five-week charter to the Faroe Islands
in June 2000.
Andrew Banks of Pentland Ferries
bought Claymore for the service between St Margaret's Hope
, Orkney and Gills Bay
, Caithness
in October 2002, where she joined the former CalMac vessel, Iona, since re-named . On occasions her passengers numbers were limited to twelve.
During the summer of 2006 she was employed on short-term charter as a livestock carrier between Dover
and Calais
.
CT Offshore list her as a RORO Supply Vessel with dynamic positioning
.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
built in 1978 for Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
. For ten years, she operated between Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
and the Outer Isles. Between October 2002 and March 2009, she was the Pentland Ferries
Pentland Ferries
Pentland Ferries is a privately owned, family company which has operated a ferry service between Gills Bay in Caithness, Scotland and St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay in Orkney since May 2001.-History:...
relief vessel on the Short Sea Crossing to Orkney. Since March 2009, she has operated, as MV Sia, a RORO cable-laying and supply vessel.
History
MV Claymore was built by Robb CaledonHenry Robb
Henry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a British shipbuilding company based in Leith Docks on the east coast of Scotland. Robbs was notable for building small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers.-History:...
, Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
and launched on 31 August 1978. The third ferry to bear the name Claymore, she entered service between Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
and the Outer Isles
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
.
She was out of service for the three months in 1982 after running into rocks at the entrance to Lochboisdale
Lochboisdale
Lochboisdale is a community and the main population centre on the island of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.The town profited from the herring boom in the 19th century, and a steamer pier was built in 1880...
harbour. A collision in 1986 resulted in significant bow damage. She performed the annual Govan Shipbuilders charter with a flat plate welded across the damaged area. It was painted black with a large yellow CalMac lion to make it look less odd.
The cafeteria was refurbished in 1997 when sold to Sea Containers.
On 11 March 2003, in gale force winds, Claymore was blown away from her intended berth in St Margaret’s Hope Bay. Her starboard propeller became entangled in the moorings of smaller vessels and the 12 passengers were disembarked safely by the Longhope Lifeboat. The subsequent investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch established in 1989 following the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster is a branch of the United Kingdom Department for Transport which can investigate any accident occurring in UK waters, regardless of the nationality of the vessel involved, and accidents...
(MAIB) made several recommendations to improve safety.
March 2009 Claymore was sold to CT Offshore ApS, a Danish shipping company and moved to Svendborg
Svendborg
Svendborg is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark. The town is in Svendborg municipality . Svendborg is the second-largest city on Funen and has a population of 27,009 ....
. She was renamed Sia on the 29 April 2009. The new owners added 4x 600kW auxiliary engines to supply 4 forward thrusters and 3 aft thrusters, giving dynamic positioning
Dynamic positioning
Dynamic positioning is a computer controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel's position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters...
capability for her new cable-laying role.
Layout
Claymore is a larger half-sister to , built by the same shipyard. She has four decks of accommodation including saloons, bars and cabins for 32 passengers. The ticket office is forward of the car deck. The cafeteria is above the lounge bar, reached by two sets of stairs outside the bar. The toilets are next to these stairs.She had room for 50 cars, loaded via a stern ramp and a 36 ton hoist. The hoist was removed in December 2007.
Service
Claymore entered service on the Outer Isles route from ObanOban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
. She remained on this route for ten years, sailing to Barra
Barra
The island of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay, to which it is connected by a causeway, is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.-Geography:The 2001 census showed that the resident population was 1,078...
and Lochboisdale
Lochboisdale
Lochboisdale is a community and the main population centre on the island of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.The town profited from the herring boom in the 19th century, and a steamer pier was built in 1880...
. She made calls at Tobermory, Lochaline
Lochaline
Lochaline is the main village in Morvern. It is situated at the mouth of Loch Aline, on the northern shore. Lochaline is connected with Fishnish on the Isle of Mull by ferry....
on the Morvern
Morvern
Morvern is a peninsula in south west Lochaber, on the west coast of Scotland. The name is derived from the Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne . The highest point is the summit of the Corbett Creach Bheinn which reaches in elevation....
coastline, and Coll
Coll
Coll is a small island, west of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for Breachacha Castle.-Geography and geology:...
and Tiree
Tiree
-History:Tiree is known for the 1st century BC Dùn Mòr broch, for the prehistoric carved Ringing Stone and for the birds of the Ceann a' Mhara headland....
on alternate days. Claymore was transferred to the Kennacraig
Kennacraig
Kennacraig is a hamlet situated on West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, a few miles south of Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula.Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the terminal, on the rocky islet Eilean Ceann na Creige, to Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay and to Colonsay....
- Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
service in 1989, and in 1993 became CalMac's
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
spare summer vessel. During the summer of 1993 she was on the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
, seeing service at Rothesay
Rothesay
Rothesay or Rothsay may refer to:Places*Rothesay, Argyll and Bute, on the Isle of Bute, Scotland*Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada*Rothesay , Canada*Rothsay, Minnesota, USA*Rothsay, Western AustraliaPeople*Duke of Rothesay...
, Dunoon
Dunoon
Dunoon is a resort town situated on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. It sits on the Firth of Clyde to the south of Holy Loch and to the west of Gourock.-Waterfront:...
and Brodick. In 1994 and 1995 Claymore provided weekend voyages to Douglas, Isle of Man
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
. For this service she was given an International Passenger Certificate for 300. She was the first vessel to use hoist loading on the Isle of Man. In September 1995 Claymore became the first CalMac vessel to visit Wales, under charter to the Hamilton Oil Company. She became probably the most travelled member of the CalMac fleet
Caledonian MacBrayne fleet
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom. With 30 units in operation, the company provides lifeline services to 22 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes across the River Clyde.Caledonian MacBrayne vessels...
, visiting twenty-four terminals in total in 1996, her last full year with the company.
In May 1997 Claymore was sold to Argyll and Antrim Steam Packet Company, a subsidiary of Sea Containers Scotland Ltd. For three years Claymore operated a new summer sailing from Campbeltown
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667...
to Ballycastle
Ballycastle, County Antrim
Ballycastle is a small town in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its population was 5,089 people in the 2001 Census. It is the seat and main settlement of Moyle District Council....
, Northern Ireland, providing winter overhaul relief for CalMac under charter. On termination of the Ballycastle service, she was moved to Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
and put on the market. She carried out a five-week charter to the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
in June 2000.
Andrew Banks of Pentland Ferries
Pentland Ferries
Pentland Ferries is a privately owned, family company which has operated a ferry service between Gills Bay in Caithness, Scotland and St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay in Orkney since May 2001.-History:...
bought Claymore for the service between St Margaret's Hope
St Margaret's Hope
St Margaret's Hope, known locally as The Hope , is a village in the Orkney Islands, situated off the north-east coast of Scotland. It has a population of about 550, making it Orkney's third largest settlement after Kirkwall and Stromness....
, Orkney and Gills Bay
Gills Bay
Gills Bay, which is situated some 3mls. West of John o' Groats with the community of Gills close by, has one of the longest stretches of low-lying rock coast on the northern shores of Caithness. Its main features are a small harbour and the pier used as the mainland terminal for Pentland Ferries...
, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
in October 2002, where she joined the former CalMac vessel, Iona, since re-named . On occasions her passengers numbers were limited to twelve.
During the summer of 2006 she was employed on short-term charter as a livestock carrier between Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
.
CT Offshore list her as a RORO Supply Vessel with dynamic positioning
Dynamic positioning
Dynamic positioning is a computer controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel's position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters...
.