Baroness Michie of Gallanach from Oban will sponsor the newest addition to the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet, MV Coruisk, when the ship is named in Armadale next month.

Caledonian MacBrayne has today confirmed that the £7.5million MV Coruisk, the sheltered water vessel which will operate on the Clyde in the winter and between Mallaig and Armadale in the summer, will be officially named by Baroness Michie at Armadale.

The naming ceremony will take place on Thursday, August 14 at mid-day, and it is expected that MV Coruisk will take over the Mallaig to Armadale service later in the afternoon.

Caledonian MacBrayne Chairman, Dr Harold Mills said: “I am delighted that Baroness Michie of Gallanach has agreed to sponsor MV Coruisk. This is the second ship we have named this summer and we are delighted to welcome the latest addition to the fleet. MV Coruisk is custom built to service the two areas and gives us flexibility to cover overhauls on the Upper Clyde in the winter, while servicing Mallaig to Skye in the summer.  Being double-ended, and with a side-loading facility, she will be able to meet all the demands placed on her by two very busy routes.  We look forward to her appearance on the Clyde first of all and then in Mallaig.”

Finishing work is currently underway on MV Coruisk at the builders’ yard in Devon and the new ship is due on the Clyde for trials in the last week of July.

Ends

For further information on the contents of this News Release, please contact Hugh Dan MacLennan, Public Affairs Manager, Caledonian MacBrayne.

Tel: 0776 435 4021; e-mail hugh.maclennan@calmac.co.uk

Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd.

M.V. Coruisk

Sheltered Water Vessel – built Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. Bideford North Devon (Hull NO 190).  To Lloyds Class +100A1 Passenger Vehicle Ferry with EP Notation. MCA Class 1V, V V1 and V1A.  European Class C certificate will be issued.

To serve Mallaig-Armadale (summer) and the Upper Clyde.

Length Overall               65.00m approx

Length W.L.                   58.80m

Breadth Mld.                 14.00m

Load Draft                       3.05m

Depth Mld.                      5.00m

Two Main Engines type MAK 6M20 each rated at 1000kW @ 1000 rpm and driving Two Schottel Rudder Propellers type SPT 1010

Two Auxiliary Generators type Cummins/ Stamford each rated at 112kW, 140 kva.

Emergency Generator type Cummins/Stamford rated at 52kW,65kva

Rolls-Royce Aquarius 50 Folding Fin Stabiliser System

No of crew                   6/7

No of Passengers          250

No of Cars                   40

No of  HGVs                4

Deadweight                  250 Tonnes

Contract Speed            14 Knots

Gross Tonnage            1599 approx

Vessel equipped to carry 44 tonne vehicles and dangerous goods; Roll on roll off facilities with additional side loading ramp; Vessel engine controls, alarms and monitoring, all carried out from engineer’s control station on the bridge.