The MV Isle of Islay, the first of two vessels to serve Islay and Jura, has been launched on 16 March at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.
The vessel, which is one of four ferries being built at the yard, marks a significant milestone in Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited’s (CMAL) commitment to delivering new ferries to serve the Scottish islands.
Scheduled for delivery in October 2024, the vessel will have capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles.
It will provide a combined 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes, bolstering the overall resilience of the wider fleet.
Work will continue onboard the vessel while it is in the water, before it undergoes sea trials and is handed over to owners, CMAL.
Crew familiarisation and local operational trials will then take place upon her arrival from Turkey, before the MV Isle of Islay enters service.
Cemre Shipyard also confirmed that “4 vessels have been ordered by the Scottish Ferry Operator CMAL, for the islands. The first of these 4 vessels, Isle of Islay will serve between Islay and Jura, which is the busiest route of the Clyde and Hebrides network.”
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: “This is another important milestone reached in the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver six new major vessels to serve the Clyde and Hebrides network by 2026.
“With MV Isle of Islay progressing towards delivery in October, and her sister ship MV Loch Indaal following soon after, ferry users can anticipate more reliable and resilient services with increased capacity for the Islay routes from 2025. I look forward to seeing these and more new vessels being added to the fleet in the coming years and bringing improvements for island communities across the Clyde and Hebrides network.”
The second vessel for Islay and Jura is due to be launched at Cemre later this year.
Source: CMAL.
