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HISTORIES - Loch Buie |
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Loch Buie
History |
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LOCH BUIE was a variant
of the versatile Loch Class ferries and was designed specifically for one route;
the Fionnphort – Iona service. Since the start of car ferry services to Mull,
the route across the Sound of Iona has always seen large numbers of day trippers
and tourists. Since 1979 the route had been in the care of MORVERN – one of
the first batch of Island Class ships in the early 1970s. Following the
introduction of the giant ISLE OF MULL on the Oban – Craignure service in 1988
the numbers of tourists turning up to sail over to Iona grew continuously
through into the 1990s. The MORVERN found herself needing the assistance of
larger sisters CANNA and then RHUM in order to cope with all the passengers
requiring carrying on the ten minute journey across the Sound.
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It was clear that a larger vessel would be needed and
soon. As previously mentioned, the new ferry was designed purely with this route
in mind. The route is unique in that it is foot passengers that form the bulk of
all the traffic using the ferry as opposed to vehicles – in fact since
MORVERN’s arrival in 1979 only cars belonging to islanders, or essential
service vehicles were carried. To this extent the vehicle capacity could be
reduced in preference for additional passenger accommodation.
The LOCH BUIE’s layout is similar to that of the
original 4 ‘Baby Loch’s’ of 1986 and 1987 – her car deck was wide enough
for two lanes of cars and she had a passenger lounge down each side of her hull.
Towards the bow an additional lounge was incorporated, straddling the width of
the hull, above the car deck. This meant a height restriction for vehicles and
as such reduced her suitability for other routes where drive-through operation
for high vehicles was really needed. Nevertheless this additional lounge meant
her passenger certificate allowed her to carry up to 250 persons per sailing –
somewhat more than her predecessor.
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Early in her career, loading at Fionnphort
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The LOCH BUIE’s layout is similar to that of the
original 4 ‘Baby Loch’s’ of 1986 and 1987 – her car deck was wide enough
for two lanes of cars and she had a passenger lounge down each side of her hull.
Towards the bow an additional lounge was incorporated, straddling the width of
the hull, above the car deck. This meant a height restriction for vehicles and
as such reduced her suitability for other routes where drive-through operation
for high vehicles was really needed. Nevertheless this additional lounge meant
her passenger certificate allowed her to carry up to 250 persons per sailing –
somewhat more than her predecessor.
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Following trials on the
Forth, the LOCH BUIE was delivered to the west coast via the Caledonian Canal
(as were the first Loch Class ferries back in the 1980s) where she just managed
to squeeze her 10 metre-wide hull through the locks and bridges, being the
widest vessel design able to use the waterway.
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Her first day at Fionnphort was in late spring
1992 and all did not go according to plan. What was meant to be MORVERN’s last
day on the route before becoming spare turned out somewhat differently when the
new vessel was making an approach to the Mull slipway and damaged one of her
Voith-Schneider units on the concrete ramp. She was forced to sail to the Clyde
for repairs to her propulsion and eventually returned early in the summer high
season.
LOCH BUIE has been a great success on her route.
Her vehicle capacity is never stretched and her design is only of inconvenience
to wagon drivers who are required to reverse on via her stern ramp, although
this rarely poses a problem. She tends to use her bow ramp at Fionnphort and
then stern loads at Iona. Her stern ramp was extended specially after a few
years, for using at the slipways so as firstly to avoid the risk of her
disembarking passengers getting wet feet, and secondly to make it easier for
large vehicles to board from the very steep slipways without becoming stuck.
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Arriving from Iona
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On relief at Largs |
With Bruernish at Fionnphort |
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After her propulsion repairs the LOCH BUIE returned to the Sound of Iona and
assumed her new role with no significant problems. Occasionally she is unable to
sail due to low tides in the Sound, but for the most part her only disruption
comes in the form of a rather long detour down the Sound of Iona so as to avoid
the inconveniently located sandbank that lies directly between Fionnphort
slipway and that at Baile Mor on Iona.
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She rarely sails on other routes, due to the height restriction on her car deck,
but did see service on the Largs – Cumbrae Slip crossing in late summer 1997
when some of the other Loch Class ships were busy breaking themselves. She was
due to head away for her overhaul shortly after anyway so an Island Class was
sent to cover at Iona while the LOCH BUIE operated on a predominantly
vehicle-carrying route for the first time, in partnership with one of the other
small Lochs. Other than this, the only other routes the LOCH BUIE has seen
service on are the Tarbert - Portavadie and Claonaig - Lochranza runs, both as
very short-term relief duties. Her sphere of operation has generally been from Fionnphort – Iona and the short sail north to her overnight berth in the Bull
Hole, between Fionnphort and Kintra where at first she tied up to a buoy but she
now uses a new purpose-built berth.
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Loading at Iona
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Each winter the LOCH BUIE is relieved for a couple of weeks by LOCH LINNHE or
one of her sisters when it is time for annual overhaul and surveying, usually at
Ardmaleish on Bute before returning in readiness for another season’s worth of
tourists to descend.
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Text thanks to SoC Crew (C)
 GO BACK TO
LOCH
BUIE |
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