MV Loch Ranza

MV Loch Ranza (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Raonasa) is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ro-ro car ferry, operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, serving the island of Gigha.

MV Loch Ranza approaching Ardminish
History
United Kingdom
Name	MV Loch Ranza Scottish Gaelic: Loch Raonasa [1]
Namesake	Lochranza
Owner	Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
Operator	Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry	Glasgow
Route	Tayinloan–Gigha
Builder	R. Dunston, Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire[1]
Yard number	H955
Launched	17 December 1986[2]
In service	16 April 1987
Identification	IMO number: 8519887[3] Callsign: GJGJ MMSI Number: 232003370
Status	in service
General characteristics
Class & type	ro-ro vehicle ferry
Tonnage	206 GT 65 DWT[4]
Length	30.2 m (99 ft 1 in)[1]
Beam	10 m (32 ft 10 in)[1]
Draught	1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Installed power	6-cyl Volvo Penta
Propulsion	2 × Voith Schneider Propellers
Speed	9 kn (17 km/h)
Capacity	200 passengers and 12 cars
Crew	3

History

MV Loch Ranza was the last of four drive-through ferries built in the 1980s by Dunston's of Hessle, to cope with increasing traffic on CalMac's smaller routes.^[4]

Layout

The four vessels were based on the design of MV Isle of Cumbrae.^[4] They had a second passenger lounge, on the port side, reducing the capacity of the car deck.^[4]

Service

MV Loch Ranza replaced MV Rhum on the Lochranza–Claonaig crossing in April 1987. After only five years, she was replaced by the larger MV Loch Tarbert. Loch Ranza moved to the Tayinloan–Gigha crossing in July 1992, where she has remained since.^[4]