MV Coruisk

MV Coruisk approaching Wemyss Bay
History
United Kingdom
Name:	MV Coruisk Scottish Gaelic: Coir 'Uisg
Namesake:	Loch Coruisk in the heart of the Cuillin of Skye
Owner:	Caledonian Maritime Assets
Operator:	Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry:	Glasgow
Route:	Oban - Craignure (summer) Wemyss Bay - Rothesay (winter relief)
Builder:	Appledore Shipbuilders, Bideford, Devon[1]
Cost:	£6 750 000
Yard number:	190
Launched:	3 May 2003[2]
Completed:	2003
In service:	14 August 2003
Identification:	IMO number: 9274836[3] Callsign: VQKF2 MMSI Number: 235008929
Status:	in service
General characteristics
Class and type:	ro-ro vehicle ferry
Tonnage:	250 DWT[2]
Length:	65 m (213 ft 3 in)[1]
Beam:	14 m (45 ft 11 in)[1]
Draft:	3.05m
Installed power:	Machinery: 6M20 each rated at 1000kW @ 1000 rpm
Propulsion:	Two Schottel Rudder Propellers type STP 1010
Speed:	14 knots
Capacity:	249 passengers and 40 cars

MV Coruisk is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferry built in 2003, operated by Caledonian MacBrayne and serving the west coast of Scotland.

History

Following her launch at Appledore's yard in early 2003, MV Coruisk left on her delivery voyage on 2 August. She carried out berthing trials on the Clyde, before taking over the Mallaig to Armadale route on 14 August. She was officially named at Armadale by Baroness Ray Michie of Gallanach at a special ceremony.^[4]

Initial technical problems required MV Pioneer to resume the service for some time. On 24 August, Coruisk lost power and struck a reef at Mallaig harbour entrance, losing one of her propulsion units. She went to the Clyde for repairs and did not return to Mallaig that season. The following winter season at Dunoon, was only slightly more successful, with slow berthing and many passenger complaints.^[4] Subsequent seasons have been less eventful. A temporary modification is made for the winter seasons to accommodate the gangways at Wemyss Bay and Rothesay.

Layout

MV Coruisk's design is unique.^[4] As well as bow and stern ramps, allowing drive-through operation, she also has a port side ramp, allowing side-loading on the Clyde in winter months. The bow ramp is protected by an open visor, similar to those found on Orkney and Shetland inter-island ferries. Clearance on the car deck is 5.1m.^[4]

Above the car deck are two passenger decks, one containing the main lounge areas with toilets and a small shop/kiosk. A small external deck area on the same level, both fore and aft of the lounges, has stairways leading to the open deck above. Crew accommodation is on the upper deck. Sitting even further up, the bridge gives the master a view down over bow and stern.

Schottel electric azimuth thrusters incorporate rotating pods protruding beneath the hull, with two propellers on each. Although similar to Voith Schneider units, the vessel proved much harder to control and manoeuvre.

Service

Until 2016, MV Coruisk provided the Mallaig to Armadale service in summer. She relieved on the Upper Clyde in the winters, while MV Lochnevis adds Armadale to her Small Isles roster. Since 2011, when the company's Dunoon service became passenger-only, Coruisk has mainly relieved at Rothesay. In Winter 2013-2014, she provided a support service for the Argyll Ferries service from Gourock to Dunoon.^[5] In March 2014 she ran into the pier at Dunoon sustaining serious damage but managed to make her own way to Greenock to be assessed for repairs^[6]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MV Coruisk.

In 2016, MV Coruisk became the second vessel on the Oban - Craignure service (in the summer timetable period), being replaced at Mallaig by the much smaller MV Lochinvar and MV Lord of the Isles (in between the latter's Lochboisdale - Mallaig sailings). This reshuffling of the Mallaig fleet has been largely criticised by campaigners calling for Coruisk to remain at Mallaig with Lord of the Isles.

Footnotes