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crossings&cruises...
Main
Crossings
 Ballycastle - Rathlin
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Ballycastle - Rathlin
Northern Ireland - Rathlin Island
Crossing Time: 45 Minutes
Regular Ship: Canna |
SHIP TIMELINE:
1996:
Bruernish
1997:
Bruernish /
Canna
1998 -2008:
Canna
Additional Ships:
Raasay on overhaul relief
cover
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Terminal Facilities: |
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Ballycastle: Slipway located in the
main harbour adjacent to the berth for the now ceased Ballycastle -
Campbeltown crossing Rathlin: Main
overnight berth for the vessel is located here. Loading takes place via
the slipway, for cars (islanders' vehicles only) and foot passengers
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Route History: |
Initially the car ferry service from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland to
Rathlin was operated by CalMac under charter to the Northern Ireland
Office. The Bruernish
ventured south across the North Channel and took up the service in
December 1996. In the event the route was to pass into CalMac's sphere of
operations the following April.
Although Bruernish
had the capability of carrying up to 6 cars across on each sailing, this
facility was restricted to vehicles of islanders only, as on Iona in the
Western Isles. As a result the service was to remain a mainly passenger
orientated service.
The Bruernish
remained on the Irish crossing for only a few months. April 22nd 1997 saw
the new Rathlin ferry arrive in the form of her sister Canna,
herself recently replaced on the Scalpay crossing by Rhum.
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Canna in her last CalMac role |
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Canna at Ballycastle
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From April 1997 the Canna remained the dedicated Rathlin vessel and barring spells on the Clyde
or at Corpach
for annual overhaul, she has not deviated from this crossing. On spells
off duty she is usually relieved by one of her sisters, either the Bruernish
or, from 2006 onwards the last of her type, Raasay.
The initial contract for the Rathlin service was for five years, however
given the success of the service, this was recently extended. The
success can be put down to mainly marketing efforts by CalMac. Leaflets
were produced with the sole aim of publicising the small island, and
coupled with special day sail prices, the tourists soon took up the
offers available.
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Things changed in the way this route was run when CalMac (as it had been
known) was split into two parts; one part owning the vessels and piers
etc, known as Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (or CMAL for short) and the
other part chartering the ferries from CMAL and actually running the
services, known officially as CalMac Ferries Ltd although most people
wouldn't know the difference as the vessel liveries were unchanged.
Rathlin was a special case though and another operating company, known
officially as Rathlin Ferries Ltd was set up and Canna was chartered in
the same way but to Rathlin Ferries and not CalMac (confused yet?)
Nothing actually changed in the day to day service the island received,
although in 2007 there was a hint of what was to come when the new
Explore brochure was published - Rathlin rather ominously did not appear
in the timetables for summer 2008...
When the route went out to tender CalMac (or rather Rathlin Ferries) were
undercut by an alternative operator in the charge of a Ciaran O'Driscoll
and lost the contract to run the service beyond June 2008. Due to the
failure of O'Driscoll's boat to be granted its passenger certificate in
time, Canna sailed under the Rathlin Ferries banner until the end of
June, before her charter was transferred to the new company from 1st
July. And so it was that on that date, CalMac's association with running
the Ballycastle - Rathlin service ended and along with it so did Canna's
role in the CalMac fleet, for the time being at least. |
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