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COLUMBA

Shipbuildervessel built by Hall, Russell & Company, Limited (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)

Date12 March 1964

Object NameFERRY

MediumSTEEL

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 220' 7" x breadth 43' 7" x depth 13'
Gross Tonnage: 2104 ton

Object numberABDSHIP002598

Keywords

Aberdeen Built Ships

About MeYard: Hall, Russell & Co.
Yard Number: 912
Subsequent Names: HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS (1989)

Fate: Still extant (March 2023)

Propulsion: Motor
Description: Passenger and vehicle Ro/Ro ferry, poop and bridge deck 151', quarterdeck 66', forecastle 45', twin screw, welded construction.

Owners:
1964: Secretary of State for Scotland (Managers Caledonian MacBrayne), registered at Leith.
1989: Hebridean Island Cruises Ltd for 'European trading and Mediterranean Sea'. Still in use for cruises around Scottish Isles and to Norway.

General History:
1964:
Harbour tugs failed to hold ship on launch and high winds drove her into her sister ship CLANSMAN (fitting out).

1964-1972:
Oban - Craignure (Mull) - Lochaline (Morvern) ferry.

1973-4:
Summer - Mallaig - Armdale and (1972 only) overnight sailings Mallaig - Loichboisdale and Castlebay.
Winter - relieving other vessels for overhaul.

1975-1988:
Summer - 2 weekly sailings Oban - Staffa and Iona, thrice weekly to Colonsay, four times weekly to Lochaline, Tobermory, Coll and Tiree. These sailings could be combined to make mini cruises, using vessel's passengers cabins. 1979 and 1980 - one mini cruise to St. Kilda in each of these years.
Winter: Overhaul reliefs, November 1985 - May 1986 Uig triangle (Uig - Tarbert - Lochmaddy).

15/10/1988:
Handed over to new owners, Hebridean Islands Cruises, at Greenock and renamed HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS. Sailed to Brochester for shot blastiing and repainting, then to Great Yarmouth for £1.5 milllion refit, including new staterooms and cabins and refurbishment of existing ones. Investors have already contributed more than £450,000 and more than £500,000 has been offered by the department of trade and industry.

27/05/1989:
Sailed from Oban on inaugural cruise as luxurious mini liner round Western isles carrying 46 passengers. Typical day to include short voyages sightseeing stopovers, wining and dining onboard entertainment in evenings.

28/07/1989:
First cruise ship to land passengers on St. Kilda for 20 years. Other announced destinations Flannan Islands, Crinan, Colonsay, Tiree, Barra, Stornoway, Kyle of Lochalsh, Mull of Kintyre, Islay, Eigg, Tobermory, Torridon, Jura.

06/09/1990:
Season so successful, including calls at St. Kilda and Orkney, that sailings extended to mid October with 2 additional cruises from Oban and 3 from Kyle of Lochalsh.

02/04/1991: Reporteed healthy profit made in 1990 and that 90% of guests are from the U.K. Capt Iain Cameron said that although there are some American guests, the company does not go all out for American market, it being too vulnerable to terrorist scares etc.

07/10/1991: Vessel overshot the pier at Kyle of Lochalsh during a force 9 gale, hitting New Kyleakin ferryboat "Loch Dunvegan". 3 small holes torn in plates of Hebridean Princess, but being well above waterline seawothiness not affected.

12/11/1991: Undergoing £200,000 overhaul at Tyneside Yard of A. and P. Appledore - decor being revamped, picture windows enlarged, more single staterooms, engine overhaul.

1993/4 Winter: Car hoist removed.

Still in operation on Hebridean Luxury Cruises (as of March 2023).

(sources: British Newspaper Index online - mostly Press & Journal;
Alistair Deayton (2015), 'CalMac: An Illustrated History of Caledonian MacBrayne' (Stroud: Amberley Publishing)
Alistair Deayton (2014), 'MacBrayne Ships' (Stroud: Amberley Publishing))

Notes: 2 Crossley Bros. engines fitted Oil SA 8 cylinder (10½"x13"), 2400 BHP.