Ferries

[TheMantis 1,758]

The Cromarty-Nigg boat. Unless I'm mistaken that's one of Uncle Roy's garden sheds in the background.

[+IBM 1,518]

I traveled on this one many times to Orkney.  The Pentalina sailing from Gills bay to St Margarets Hope which was less than half the price for my works van than going by Northlink from Scrabster to Stromness.  Pentland Ferries do not receive any subsidy from the government unlike Northlink Ferries who receive millions each year!  There is now a new ferry Alfred which has recently replaced the Pentalina.

[TheMantis 1,758]

10 hours ago, IBM said:

I traveled on this one many times to Orkney.  The Pentalina sailing from Gills bay to St Margarets Hope which was less than half the price for my works van than going by Northlink from Scrabster to Stromness.  Pentland Ferries do not receive any subsidy from the government unlike Northlink Ferries who receive millions each year!  There is now a new ferry Alfred which has recently replaced the Pentalina.

 

Never knew that. We were over in the summer of 2018 on the Pentalina for a week. Last time was in 1999 from Scrabster on the St Ola

[+snorbens_caleyman 560]

15 hours ago, IBM said:

I traveled on this one many times to Orkney.  The Pentalina sailing from Gills bay to St Margarets Hope

Went across on the Pentalina a couple of years ago.  As you'll know, things like camper vans were reversed onto it, so that they could drive straight off without having to turn on the vehicle deck.

One lady driver could not reverse in a straight line, and veered to the left every time.  They would stop her before she made contact with the railing, and send her off back up to straighten out and try again.  Took her about six attempts, by which time everyone was watching her...

[TheMantis 1,758]

19 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Went across on the Pentalina a couple of years ago.  As you'll know, things like camper vans were reversed onto it, so that they could drive straight off without having to turn on the vehicle deck.

One lady driver could not reverse in a straight line, and veered to the left every time.  They would stop her before she made contact with the railing, and send her off back up to straighten out and try again.  Took her about six attempts, by which time everyone was watching her...

 

There was a guy on our trip, and to be fair he was towing a caravan rather than driving a motorhome, but he just got one of the crew to do it, and slipped him something which looked like a fiver. Mind you I've never heard so many alarms going off on a ferry before. I take it you can disable them on most cars nowadays, it's certainly easy on mine (Skoda Octavia). As for reversing on, we had a woman with just a wee Astra when we went over to Rousay and she was absolutely hopeless.

Edited December 16, 2019 by TheMantis

[+IBM 1,518]

Most people don't know how to disable their alarms. On tourist kept turning his of from the top deck when I said to him don't lock it. But someone might steal it ? They won't get far I said ? He did that but watched the car until we berthed!

[TheMantis 1,758]

Still on Orkney. MV Graemsay coming into Hoy.

And MV Eynhallow from Rousay to Mainland at Tingwall.

[+snorbens_caleyman 560]

MV Eynhallow on a different sort of day, in October 2002.   Doesn't look too bad, but I remember thinking that I was very glad that I didn't have to take any ferries that day.  We next went along to the Broch of Gurness, and spent much of the time there sheltering from the wind behind a wall.

[+IBM 1,518]

Pentland Ferries first vessel Pentalina B which was the ex Cal-Mac Iona which was 40 years old rolling a bit in the swell at Gills Bay.

 

[+IBM 1,518]

The pier at Gills Bay was extended to enable larger vessels to dock by towing a floating dock to Gills and sinking it in place then filling it up over the next few years.

 

[+IBM 1,518]

[+IBM 1,518]

The ex Cal-Mac Claymore replaced the Pentalina B.  There is a book about Pentland Ferries, called Pentland Hero by Roy Pederson about and is worth a read.

 

[TheMantis 1,758]

1 hour ago, IBM said:

Pentland Ferries first vessel Pentalina B which was the ex Cal-Mac Iona which was 40 years old rolling a bit in the swell at Gills Bay.

 

Ah right, I've definitely got a slide from 1999 which shows a boat in Calmac colours in St Margaret's Hope.

[TheMantis 1,758]

Two from 1999. The St Sunniva may be at St Margaret's Hope, the other one is definitely St Margaret's Hope, but not sure which boat, maybe the Iona.

 

[+IBM 1,518]

The St Sunniva sailed from Aberdeen to Lerwick but would cover when the St Ola was away for refit sailing from Scrabster to Stromness.  I think it might be at Stromness before the harbour was re-developed it is not St margarets Hope.

The second one is the Iona.

[TheMantis 1,758]

22 hours ago, IBM said:

The St Sunniva sailed from Aberdeen to Lerwick but would cover when the St Ola was away for refit sailing from Scrabster to Stromness.  I think it might be at Stromness before the harbour was re-developed it is not St margarets Hope.

The second one is the Iona.

I bow to your supreme knowledge. It was the summer mind you, maybe that's how they did the refits. The Lewis one is always in October.

I remember the Sunniva and the Clair doing alternate sailings back in the day. Can't remember if they both did the same route, turn about, or if only the Sunniva deviated into Stromness. Been to Shetland quite a lot as the Missus' sister married there. So I've cut peats in Lewis and Shetland, two different techniques, not many can say that ?

Here's the Northlink boat in Stromness last year, and the Pentalina at St Mag's.

 

[+IBM 1,518]

3 hours ago, TheMantis said:

I bow to your supreme knowledge. It was the summer mind you, maybe that's how they did the refits. The Lewis one is always in October.

I remember the Sunniva and the Clair doing alternate sailings back in the day. Can't remember if they both did the same route, turn about, or if only the Sunniva deviated into Stromness. Been to Shetland quite a lot as the Missus' sister married there. So I've cut peats in Lewis and Shetland, two different techniques, not many can say that ?

Here's the Northlink boat in Stromness last year, and the Pentalina at St Mag's.

 

The refits are not usually done in summer for the North Isles either so it may have diverted for another reason.

I have never cut peats so can't comment on that!

Here's the Northlink boat (Hamnavoe) in it's previous colours in Stromness.

[TheMantis 1,758]

I'll leave this one untitled although it's an easy guess:

[+IBM 1,518]

Must be Kylesku which is one I was never on.

[+IBM 1,518]

Here is the Rosehaugh but not at Kessock.

 

[TheMantis 1,758]

27 minutes ago, IBM said:

Must be Kylesku which is one I was never on.

Yes, Maid of Glencoul in 1978.

14 minutes ago, IBM said:

Here is the Rosehaugh but not at Kessock.

 

Looks like Corran Ferry looking over to Ardgour.

[+IBM 1,518]

35 minutes ago, TheMantis said:

Yes, Maid of Glencoul in 1978.

Looks like Corran Ferry looking over to Ardgour.

Yes it was the reserve for the Maid of Glencoul.  It is now a based at Invergordon.

 

[TheMantis 1,758]

@IBM your Seil bridge photo got me looking through my hard drive as I was there ages ago. I discovered it was October 2002, we had a few days in Oban and I haven't looked at the photos since, taken with my first digital camera which was 3Mp. Before that I was using Kodachrome and having to scan everything for the web. The first pic is Luing from Seil and the other one is looking back.

[+IBM 1,518]

Mantis that's another I have not been on I think you might have more photos of ferries than me  I will post some more after Christmas.  I hope you have a good one.

[Scarlet Pimple 973]

Oh My! These ferries are so much larger than the Kessock Ferryboats I used to know when I was a boy in my early teens.

I suppose that's progress...and more money in the pockets of the shipping lines. They sure look good though and probably much more comfortable also!

Good thread, chums.