Namesake mountain on Lewis Port of registry Panama Length 106 m Beam 19 m | Operator N/A Launched 25 April 1979 Draft 5 m | |
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Name 1979 Mercandian Carrier
1984 Alianza
1984 Mercandian Carrier II
1985 Belard
2002 Muirneag Owner 1979 Merc-Scandia KS
1985 P&O Irish Sea
1994 Isle of Man S.P.Co (Mannin Line)
1998 Aabrenaa Rederi A/S
2002 Harrisons (Clyde), Glasgow
2013 N/A Route 2002-2013 Stornoway to Ullapool | ||
Mv muirneag
MV Muirneag is a ro-ro freight ferry, built in 1979 as MV Mercandian Carrier. From 1986 to 2002, she was named MV Belard, serving initially across the Irish Sea. From 2002 to 2013, she was chartered by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Stornoway to Ullapool freight crossing, until she was replaced by Clipper Ranger.
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History
MV Mercandian Carrier was built in 1979 for Merc-Scandia KS in Frederikshavn, Denmark. In 1985 she was sold to P&O Irish Sea for the Belfast to Ardrossan service. She underwent an extensive refit, costing 1 million pounds and was renamed Belard, a name created from the first three letters of the ports served. In 1993, she was replaced on the Irish Sea service by the larger and faster Merchant Valiant. Her next owners, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, operated her across the Irish Sea. From May 1995, she carried out a variety of charters, until she was sold in January 1998 to Aabrenaa Rederi A/S of Kingstown, St. Vincent for service in Norway and the Baltic. Returning to UK waters in 2001, she was chartered for the Aberdeen to Lerwick service and then Ipswich to Ostend.
In 2002 she was purchased by Harrisons of Glasgow and entered a long-term charter to Caledonian MacBrayne for a freight service between Ullapool and Stornoway. She was renamed Muirneag, the Gaelic name of a mountain on Lewis and of a 1903 Zulu herring drifter from Stornoway, the last herring drifter in Britain to be worked by sails alone. Muirneag has a blue hull with Calmac branding and funnels. Sailing overnight across the Minch, she has to withstand extremely poor sea conditions. In November 2005, she spent 15 hours attempting to gain access to Stornoway Harbour in a heavy storm.
By 2013, it was recognised that Muirneag was unviable for the overnight freight service. On 10 September 2013, it was announced that the Seatruck Ferries vessel Clipper Ranger would replace Muirneag from 21 September, pending successful berthing trials at Ullapool and Stornoway on 19 September. The larger vessel has been chartered until July 2014, when the new German-built Stornoway ferry Loch Seaforth replaces both current vessels and provide a 24/7 single vessel service to Lewis. It was announced on 25 September that Muirneag had been sold for further service to Turkish owners at £600,000.
Layout
Prior to taking up the Irish Sea service in 1986, Belard underwent an extensive refit. Vectwin rudders were fitted to give her the manoeuvrability required at Ardrossan. A directional Elliot White Gill Jet was fitted augmenting her single propeller. The vehicle lift to her upper freight deck was replaced with an internal ramp.
