MV Loch Frisa

File:MV Loch Frisa.jpg MV Loch Frisa at Oban, June 2022.
History
File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
Name	MV Loch Frisa Scottish Gaelic: Loch Friosa
Namesake	Loch Frisa
Owner	Caledonian Maritime Assets
Operator	Caledonian MacBrayne
Route	Oban - Craignure
Acquired	5 October 2021
In service	13 June 2022
Renamed	6 June 2022
Status	In service
Norway
Name	MV Utne
Namesake	Utne
Operator	Norled
Route	Utne - Kvanndal
Builder	Sefine Shipyard
Launched	2014
Identification	IMO number: 9740720 MMSI number: 257774600 Callsign: LCBJ
General characteristics
Tonnage	1,160 Gross Tonnage 348 Net Tonnage 210 Deadweight
Length	49.9 m (164 ft)
Beam	14 m (46 ft)
Draught	3.7 m (12 ft)
Deck clearance	4.6 m (15 ft)
Propulsion	2 × Scania AB diesel engines 2 × Veth Propulsion azimuth propulsion units
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h)
Capacity	195 passengers 34–40 cars 4 trucks

MV Loch Frisa (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Friosa) is a ferry bought by Caledonian Maritime Assets for operation by Caledonian MacBrayne to serve between Oban and Craignure in Scotland. She was originally named MV Utne and operated by Norled from 2015 to 2021. In December 2021, following a naming competition, CMAL announced her renaming as MV Loch Frisa.

History

MV Utne was launched in 2014 and operated by Norled from 2015. In 2021, Norled sold her to Caledonian Maritime Assets for €6.6 million (£5.6 million), as they were replacing their diesel-powered vessels with zero-emission battery-electric vessels.

Following a public vote, she was renamed to MV Loch Frisa, with the other options being Glen Forsa and Torosay. She was modified for her new role by Dales Marine Services in Leith at a cost of £3.4 million. She was renamed in Craignure on 6 June 2022, and entered service in June 2022.

There was an earlier Loch Frisa which served in Scottish waters, the MacBrayne cargo steamer SS Loch Frisa, a general cargo ship which sailed under MacBrayne's houseflag in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Layout

Loch Frisa is a double-ended ro-ro ferry. As she has no crew accommodation, crew are based ashore. In Norway, she had two crews and was able to operate 18 hours a day.

Service

Loch Frisa was designed for service in a Norwegian fjord, and operated between Utne and Kvanndal on the Hardangerfjord, a sheltered crossing of 2.5 miles. Upon transfer to CalMac, she initially joined MV Isle of Mull on the Oban to Craignure, Isle of Mull route, replacing MV Coruisk as the second vessel. Her first public voyage, carrying four cars from Craignure to Oban, was on 13 June 2022. MV Coruisk moved back to Mallaig in summer 2022. During 2022-23 winter overhauls, Loch Frisa operated a single vessel timetable. Due to delays in the annual overhaul programme, Isle of Mull was redeployed to South Uist and Coruisk remained on the Oban - Craignure route with Loch Frisa from 26 March to 16 April and 13 to 26 May 2023.

Loch Frisa was again rostered to be the sole ferry on the Oban - Craignure route for the winter of 2024-25, however the introduction into service of MV Glen Sannox on the Arran service in January 2025 allowed for MV Isle of Arran to be deployed to Oban to provide additional crossings to Craignure.

External links

• MV Loch Frisa - on the CalMac official website