Caledonian MacBrayne’s MV Pioneer will set out on the latest stage of her remarkable career at the end of August, as she heads for the Equator and pastures new.

CalMac has confirmed that the vessel, which began her service with the Company on August 14, 1974 sailing out of Port Ellen, has been bought by an operator who intends to use the ship serving the islands of Sao Tome and Principe in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator.

MV Pioneer’s final official function in the CalMac fleet was in August 2003 when she made a memorable final sailing from Gourock to the Kyles of Bute and back. Since then she has been laid-up in Greenock’s James Watt Dock.   It is anticipated that she will leave the James Watt Dock within the next four weeks.

Managing Director Lawrie Sinclair said: “MV Pioneer has completed her distinguished period of service in the CalMac fleet and I can confirm that we have put in place the arrangements to maintain the name for possible future use. While MV Pioneer may be departing these shores, she will always have a place in our history and she had many friends and admirers on the West Coast.”

On the occasion of last year’s final cruise, CalMac published a commemorative volume entitled “MV Pioneer” written by Company Historian Ian McCrorie, which is available through our online merchandise shop or from the Company’s Marketing Department, priced £4.95 plus £1.50 p+p. Cheques, made payable to Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd must accompany order.

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MV PIONEER : historical background

One of the most popular ships in the CalMac fleet in recent years, she was built by Robb Caledon, Leith, and launched on 1 April 1974 by Mrs William Ross, wife of the then Secretary of State for Scotland, for ‘general work’ in the Western Isles.  Her shallow draught, however, indicated that she was destined for drive-on operation on the Islay route as successor to the car ferry Arran, which had been trying to compete with Western Ferries on the route.  Her appearance was novel at the time, the passenger accommodation being placed forward and the car deck open aft.  She sported two funnels athwartships and her mainmast was a gantry right at the stern.  With a Government subsidy behind her, with a Government subsidy behind her, she gradually won back traffic for the state company and Western Ferries within a few years withdrew their service.   CalMac in fact moved their mainland operation to the WF terminal of Kennacraig in 1978.  This allowed a vessel with a deeper draught to operate – the Iona – and she duly displaced the Pioneer the following year. 

The Pioneer returned to her birthplace and emerged in May 1979, complete with a hoist just abaft the funnels, as required for her new role as Mallaig-Armadale ferry in summer and relief ship, mainly on the Clyde, in winter.  Ten years later, a further cascade of vessels took place on the coming of the Lord of the Isles, with the Iona once again supplanting the Pioneer.  Her hoist being no longer necessary, she had it removed and replaced by simple side ramps.  This allowed her to side-load at Dunoon and Rothesay in her ‘third life’ as spare vessel for the fleet and Upper Clyde relief in winter.  For six years she had no regular summer employment, but in 1994 she returned to full-time service, even inaugurating a twice-weekly vehicle service between Rothesay and Brodick, which lasted five years.  It could not have been predicted, however, that the Pioneer had to return to Mallaig-Armadale for two extended spells.  In 1998, she covered until the delivery of the Clansman in July, interrupted for a month when she maintained the Mull crossing in emergency. 

In her last year in service, 2003, she was on the station for the entire summer.