Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Catamaran Ferry ALFRED on charter to Caledonian MacBrayne leaves Troon for Brodick (Isle of Arran)

   ALFRED was on a long-term charter by Caledonian MacBrayne (reputedly costing 1 million pounds sterling each month) to replace the Ardrossan - Brodick ferry CALEDONIAN ISLES which had suffered very serious engine problems and was spending many months being repaired at the Cammel Laird yard at Birkenhead, England.

   At the start of the charter ALFRED was working the busy Brodick service from Ardrossan Harbour and using the Irish berth while the smaller MacBrayne ferry ISLE OF ARRAN was rostered onto the Ardrossan-Brodick run and using the usual Arran berth.    But soon the Irish berth became unsuitable (gossip says the ramp had serious mechanical failures) and the berth was declared unfit for use.   

   So ALFRED found herself moving along the Ayrshire Coast to the Port of Troon where she uses the ramp at the Ferry Terminal at the East Pier and daily works the (now) Troon - Brodick passenger and vehicle service.

   The Brodick service is extremely busy especially during the summer months and the ISLE OF ARRAN, being smaller and with much less capacity than the usual CALEDONIAN ISLES, would have been unable to carry the large amount of summer traffic on her own.