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Saturn's Islay Trials |
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| The weekend of 15th and 16th September
2007 saw something of a first in the CalMac fleet deployment. Saturn
left her regular sphere of operations as she rounded the Mull of Kintyre
for the first time ever and headed into the Western Isles. Her
assignment was to undertake berthing trials at the terminals normally
occupied by the Isle of Arran and the Hebridean Isles. |
| After leaving her regular summer home-base at
Brodick, at 6.00am on the Saturday morning, she commenced a sail of
roughly six hours to Port Ellen. The weather was dull and grey - a
condition which typified what can only loosely be referred to as summer
2007 - but fortunately the wind did not prevent Saturn (which does not
possess stabilisers) from getting through the North Channel.
She
arrived at Port Ellen at 12.15pm and passed the lighthouse before
berthing both the linkspan. Hebridean Isles had just arrived from
Kennacraig at the time, and was occupying the slip at the grain berth to
unload her traffic - Saturn would have to wait until the larger ferry
left for Port Askaig. |
Saturn's route for the weekend |
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Lying at Brodick prior to sailing for Islay
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Her first arrival in the Western Isles
(Elliott Bowman) |
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Crossing Port Ellen Bay
(Elliott Bowman) |
Lying alongside with Hebridean Isles
(Iain McPherson) |
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Testing the 'grain berth'
(Iain McPherson) |
Using her Voith units to manoeuvre in the bay
(Elliott Bowman) |
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Sailing for Port Askaig
(Elliott Bowman) |
The trials at Port Ellen were successful and Saturn
managed to berth without problems at both the berths, testing her stern
ramp and the pier gangways. She then left and sailed light, following
the Hebridean Isles round to Port Askaig. The regular ferry was on her
way to pick up her regular roster from the Isle of Arran with the 3.30pm
departure for Kennacraig. She was in fact to be the first of three
vessels to use the pier in quick succession.
Saturn had to lie off in
the Sound of Islay while first the Hebridean Isles, loading with
Kennacraig traffic, and then the Isle of Arran used the linkspan. When
the Isle of Arran had unloaded she left for Port Ellen and the Saturn
finally managed to get alongside. Once again the stern ramp was
successfully landed and the gangways were tested. |
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Passing the Eilean Dhuira at Feolin
(Elliott Bowman) |
Hebridean Isles and Isle of Arran together
(Elliott Bowman) |
Lying off in the Sound of Islay
(Elliott Bowman) |
Waiting for Isle of Arran to depart
(Elliott Bowman) |
|
Following on from this Saturn then left Islay and made for Kennacraig
where she was to spend the night. She spent the night at the northern
berth while the Isle of Arran occupied the linkspan berth.
The
following morning the weather was not much better, with persistent rain
prevailing once more. Saturn left Kennacraig at around 9.00am and headed
south and back to the Clyde once more. She was back in service on the
Arran run on the Monday. |
Testing her ramp at Kennacraig linkspan
(Iain McPherson) |
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Alongside with Isle of Arran at Kennacraig
(Iain McPherson) |
Back in service at Ardrossan |
|
Many thanks to Elliott Bowman and Iain McPherson for
getting the photos of Saturn's excursion! |
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