MV Jupiter

MV "Jupiter" is a ship in the fleet of Caledonian MacBrayne. She operates as a car and passenger ferry in the Firth of Clyde area in Scotland. MV "Jupiter" is currently the oldest major vessel in the Calmac fleet, having been in service since 1974. She is the third River Clyde steamer to bear the name 'Jupiter'.

Layout

"Jupiter" incorporates a large open car deck towards the stern, with enclosed passenger accommodation and services towards the bow across three decks. The design is of the roll-on/roll-off type, with cars driving on via either the stern ramp or via one of the ramps amidships that lower to port and starboard respectively.

The ship houses two passenger lounges, one with a cafeteria, with crew accommodation on the upper deck.

The ship sports a “flying bridge”, an additional deck directly above the main bridge with platforms extending to port and starboard to allow crew better views of the ship’s approach to piers during docking maneuvers. The flying bridge was not an original feature of the "Jupiter"; it was an innovation integral to the design of younger sister ship "Juno" (launched in September 1974) that was felt so useful it was retrofitted into "Jupiter" during her first annual refit. cite book | author = McCrorie, Ian | title = Ships of the Fleet -- Caledonian MacBrayne | year = 1980 | publisher = Caledonian MacBrayne | ISBN = 0-9507166-0-X .] cite book | author = McCrorie, Ian | title = Hebridean and Clyde Ferries of Caledonian MacBrayne | year = 1985 | publisher = Caledonian MacBrayne .]

ervice

MV "Jupiter" was the first of a new generation of car ferries built in the 1970s to serve the routes on the Firth of Clyde. These ships came to be nicknamed the "Streakers" because of their greater speed (compared to what had served the area’s routes previously) and superb manoeuvrability (due to her novel propulsion units, which greatly reduced loading and unloading times at each end of her route). ] .

"Jupiter" has primarily operated the Gourock – Dunoon crossing on the upper firth, (for much of her first decade of operation, the phrase “Gourock-Dunoon Ferry” was emblazoned on her hull), but has also operated the Weymss Bay – Rothesay route slightly further downriver from time to time. ] Alongside her younger sister ship, MV "Juno", and the third “streaker”, MV "Saturn", "Jupiter" has operated these Upper Firth routes for the last 34 years.

As well as normal car ferry duties, "Jupiter" has also undertaken many special, passenger-only cruise voyages to various locations in the Firth of Clyde and surrounding areas. In the 1980s and 1990s such cruises were regular occurrences in the summer months, with destinations such as Largs and Tighnabruiach seeing visits from "Jupiter" or one of her sister ships.

Future

Though "Jupiter" remains in service (as of Summer 2008) on her traditional Gourock-Dunoon route, the era of the Streakers is likely to come to an end soon. Just as the 1970s saw "Jupiter" and her fellow Streakers replace an older generation of vessels on the Clyde routes, so a new generation of Calmac ferries designed for the Upper Firth are entering service now. (MV Argyle and MV "Bute" being the first two to enter service).

References