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MV Lochinvar, the second of the two new diesel/electric hybrids commissioned by CMAL from Fergusons on the Clyde for the Calmac fleet, has been in Tarbert on Loch Fyne since Thursday, 24th April.
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Destined to take over the Tarbert-Portavadie vehicle and passenger route from MV Isle of Cumbrae, she worked the route all day on Friday and today was at a spick new berth on the lochward side of the Tarbert Harbour Authority building.
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There was a small working team aboard her, generally tidying up and touching up her paintwork – all suggesting she’s going into serious action very soon.
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She is said by a Tarbert resident to have ‘a bow door alarm klaxon that would wake the dead’, while at the same time describing her as ‘a purposefully handsome boat’.
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She certainly seems to be winning friends.
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Some are seeing her as quite big and quite luxurious for a fairly undemanding short passage [a noted wit has wondered aloud if the Deputy First Minister is already eyeing her up to win over Dunoon]. The Tarbert=Portavadie crossing is about 20 minutes – and her sister ship, MV Hallaig, is doing the Sconser [Skye] to the inshore Isle of Raasay run, which, at 25 minutes, is in the same frame.
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Her bow and stern ramps curl back inboard over the decks, with a vertical prop at one side of each, stopping the descent.
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On her shoreside upper deck today, we counted about 43 outside seats, which at the mid point below the bridge, split into facing either ahead or astern. There are about a dozen more seats dispersed in a couple of locations, fore and aft, on the lower walk-on deck.
If the roads infrastructure can be developed to create something worthy of the description of ‘access’ at the Portavadie side, the marriage of the upmarket Portavadie marina resort and this boat, with the lovely Tarbert itself, could contribute to a sustainable localised economic upturn – a much needed event.
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Now Lochinvar has to perform. She’ll be good to watch. Good luck to her and to the communities she’ll serve.
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A last note is that Tarbert bay is looking in need of serious dredging after the winter storm tides. There’s about a metre high mud bank, higher each time we see it, separating the Cafe Barge from the fishing fleet at the harbour.
