Owner Challenge Shipping Co. Ordered 20 September 1994 Launched 1998 Draft 6.21 m | Operator Seatruck Ferries Construction started 13 May 1996 Length 122 m Builder Huelva | |
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Name Dart 7 (January 1999)
Lembitu (September 1999)
Celtic Sun (March 2000)
Lembitu (October 2001)
RR Challenge (April 2005)
Challenge (October 2007) Port of registry 1998–2005 Tallinn, Estonia
2005–2013 Valletta, Malta
2013 onwards Douglas, Isle of Man Route Heysham - Belfast route, until late 2012
2013 Stornoway - Ullapool
Late 2015 onwards Heysham - Belfast route | ||
MS Clipper Ranger is a freight ferry built in 1998, which was in service with Seatruck Ferries on the Heysham - Belfast route until the latter half of 2012. In September 2013, she was chartered to Caledonian MacBrayne for the freight service between Ullapool and Stornoway.
Contents
History
MS Lembitu was built by Astilleros de Huelva and launched in 1998 for the Estonian Shipping Co., Tallinn. She was named after Lembitu of Lehola, a 12th-century Estonian leader. On 20 April 1998 she was chartered by P&O European Ferries for use in the Irish Sea. On 2 September 1998 she was chartered by Dart Line for use on the Dartford - Vlissingen route and renamed Dart 7 in January 1999. On the 15 September 1999 she was chartered by International Atlantic Line for use on the Southampton - Bayonne route and renamed Lembitu once again. In November 1999 she was chartered by Unknown Operator for use between Marseille and North Africa. In March 2000 she was chartered by P&O Irish Sea Freight for use on the Liverpool - Dublin route, and renamed Celtic Sun. In October 2001 the charter ended and she reverted to the name Lembitu once again, being chartered by Norse Merchant Ferries for use on the Heysham - Dublin route. In December 2001 she returned to Estonian Shipping Co., and was put into service on the Tallinn - Helsingfors - Rostock route. She was then in service with Scandlines on the same route. In January 2005, she was chartered by Channel Freight Ferries for use on the Southampton - Radicatel route. In March 2005 she was chartered by Norse Merchant Ferries for use on the Belfast - Heysham route. In April 2005 she was sold to Elmira Shipping of Piraeus, Greece and in the same month was registered under the Maltese flag for Challenge Shipping Ltd., Valletta, Malta, being renamed RR Challenge at the same time. In 2005 she was chartered by Seatruck Ferries for use on the Heysham - Warrenpoint route. She was sold to Attica Enterprise of Piraeus in September 2005 and purchased by Seatruck on 1 October 2005, being renamed Challenge at the same time. She was registered to Challenge Shipping Co. Ltd on behalf of Clipper Denmark A/S on 13 February 2008. Challenge was renamed Clipper Ranger in 2008 and was subsequently put on the Heysham - Larne route. In April 2012, Seatruck announced that the Heysham - Larne service would be closed, and on 7 May 2012, Clipper Ranger made her last departure from Larne, and was placed onto Seatruck's new Heysham - Belfast route.
Clipper Ranger was withdrawn from service and laid up in Birkenhead, Liverpool for the latter half of 2012 and remained alongside in January 2013.
It was announced on Wednesday 13 March 2013 that Clipper Ranger was being chartered by P&O Ferries on the Liverpool to Dublin route from Monday 25 March 2013.
On 10 September 2013, it was announced that Clipper Ranger was to replace MV Muirneag on the freight ferry run from Stornoway to Ullapool. She is chartered to operate the service until August 2014, when the new Loch Seaforth will take over the Lewis service, replacing both MV Isle of Lewis and Clipper Ranger. After undertaking berthing trials at both Stornoway and Ullapool on 19 September, she began her charter on 21 September. On 28 January 2014, Clipper Ranger collided with a pier at Stornoway, causing damage to the ship's hull.