First of Four Ferries Delivered to CMAL
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has taken ownership of MV Isle of Islay following a handover ceremony at Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, Turkey, where the vessel was built.
MV Isle of Islay, the first of four ferries being constructed at the yard, will serve Islay and Jura when she enters service, and will be joined by her sister vessel MV Loch Indaal later this year.
The vessel has received Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) approval and passenger certification, and will now be prepared for the repositioning voyage from the Sea of Marmara back to Scotland. This will be undertaken by operators CalMac and is expected to take around two weeks.
Once MV Isle of Islay arrives in Scotland, she will undergo a period of crew familiarisation and local operational trials before entering service.
The new vessel is equipped with the capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. This boosts vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes by 40%, improving the overall resilience of the wider fleet.
