Skip to content

Crew of new CalMac ferry involved in Moroccan rescue

News imageCalMac a screengrab for CCTV which shows a group of men in Hi-vis jackets carrying a man on a resuscitation board onto a ferry. The ferry is in the middle of a dark blue sea.CalMac
The CalMac crew launched a rescue mission off the coast of Morocco

The crew of a new CalMac ferry have helped save a man from the sea off from Morocco during a dramatic night time rescue.

The MV Isle of Islay is currently making its way to Scotland after being built in a Turkish shipyard.

The ferry had to leave its berth in Gibraltar due to stormy conditions and while in Moroccan waters the crew spotted a man in the water.

The crew quickly deployed the fast rescue craft to recover him and get him onboard.

The man was looked after onboard for "several days" before being handed over to Moroccan authorities.

Louis de Wolff, CalMac's fleet management director, said: "CalMac crews are well-trained in acting fast to take part in rescues at sea, often supporting the coastguard in Scottish waters.

"None of us expected MV Isle of Islay to be involved in a rescue so soon after being delivered, but it is testament to the professionalism of our crew that the individual was saved from dangerous sea and weather conditions in just a few minutes."

The ferry, which is the first of four being built in Turkey, is facing difficult conditions on its journey to Scotland.

Across several days last week, windspeeds in the local area were consistently higher than 30 knots and gusting at over 50 knots.

The vessel sheltered off the east coast of Morocco before berthing at Almeria port over the weekend. It will remain there until later this week when an anticipated weather window will allow the vessel to sail to A Coruña in northern Spain.

From there the ship will head across the Bay of Biscay which is known for its rough seas, to reach UK waters when there is a suitable weather window.

News imageCMAL A black and white ship with Isle of Islay written on the side, moored by a quaysideCMAL
MV Isle of Islay, before setting off from the Turkish shipyard where it was built

De Wolff added: "We're bringing the vessel home in winter, when sea and weather conditions in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, where we'll be headed next, are at their most treacherous.

This has been compounded by a series of storms hitting the Iberian peninsula over the last two weeks.

"The crew continue to do a first-class job in bringing her closer to Scotland and we will confirm arrival details nearer the time."

When it arrives in Scotland the vessel, which can carry 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 HGVs, will serve Islay and Jura.