MV ''Keppel'' is a passenger-only ferry built in 1961 for the Tilbury to Gravesend crossing. She had twenty years of service on the

Largs Largs ( gd, An Leargaidh Ghallda) is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town mark ...

to Millport route. Since 1993, she has operated in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

History

MV ''Keppel'' was the last of three sisters built for British Rail Eastern Region. Originally named ''Rose'', she was launched in 1961 and entered service on the

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an ancie ...

to Gravesend route. In 1967 ''Rose'' became surplus to the needs of B.R., and was transferred to the

Caledonian Steam Packet Company The Caledonian Steam Packet Company provided a scheduled shipping service, carrying freight and passengers, on the west coast of Scotland. Formed in 1889 to complement the services of the Caledonian Railway, the company expanded by taking over r ...

on the

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

where she was renamed ''Keppel''. The ship then underwent some modifications, and was then placed onto the

to Millport route, a service she carried out for almost 20 years. In 1980 she ran aground off Farland Point and sustained considerable damage. She became surplus to requirements on the Clyde and was sold in 1993. She operated independently as ''Clyde Rose'' (name never registered) for that summer but was laid up at the James Watt Dock, before being sold to Maltese interests.

Service

Built for the

to Gravesend route on the Thames, she was used as the backup and relief vessel to her sisters. On transfer to the Clyde, she was placed on the

to Millport crossing. From 1974, she berthed overnight at

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

, giving a morning crossing to

Wemyss Bay Wemyss Bay (; ) is a town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the traditional county of Renfrewshire. It is adjacent to Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. The town and villages have alway ...

and serving the McAlpine yard at Ardyne. This ceased when the yard closed in 1977 and ''Keppel'' was laid up for most of the year. She gave afternoon cruises to Rothesay and round Cumbrae. Despite the introduction of , in 1977 on the Largs to Cumbrae Slip crossing, ''Keppel'' was retained for a further nine years, until the arrival of the new car ferries, and . Even then, she survived another seven years as a cruise vessel. Her Maltese owners have extended her career on cruises out of

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

, and later for cruises to and from the island of

Comino Comino ( mt, Kemmuna) is a small island of the Maltese archipelago between the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring in area. Named after the cumin seed, the island has a permanent population of only two residents and ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Keppel Caledonian MacBrayne 1961 ships Ships of Malta