# MS Arrow > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MS_Arrow > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MS_Arrow.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Arrow > Source revision: 1347249737 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **MV *Arrow*** is a > [Ro-Ro](/source/Roll-on/roll-off) [ferry](/source/Ferry) built by Astilleros de Huelva SA, [Huelva](/source/Huelva), [Spain](/source/Spain) in 1998 as ***Varbola*** for the [Estonian Shipping Company](/source/Estonian_Shipping_Company), [Tallinn](/source/Tallinn). During a charter to Dart Line she was renamed ***Dart 6***, reverting to *Varbola* when the charter ended. In 2005, she was sold to [Malta](/source/Malta) and renamed ***RR Arrow***. In 2007, she was sold to [Seatruck Ferries](/source/Seatruck_Ferries), [Heysham](/source/Heysham) and renamed *Arrow*. In September 2022, it was revealed that she had been bought by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for an estimated €9 million.[1] ## Description *Arrow* is a RO-RO ferry, a sister ship to [MS *Clipper Ranger*](/source/MS_Clipper_Ranger), [MS *Helliar*](/source/MS_Helliar) and [MS *Hildasay*](/source/MS_Hildasay). She is 122.32 metres (401 ft 4 in) long, with a beam of 19.80 metres (65 ft 0 in) and a draught of 6.20 metres (20 ft 4 in). She has a total of 1,057 metres (1,156 yd) lane capacity, which means she can carry 88 trailers, with provision for 12 passengers. She is powered by two [Wärtsilä](/source/W%C3%A4rtsil%C3%A4) 9R32 [diesel engines](/source/Diesel_engine), which produce a total of 7,400 kilowatts (9,900 hp), giving her a speed of 17 knots (31 km/h).[5] ## History *Varbola* was built by Astilleros de Huelva, [Huelva](/source/Huelva), [Spain](/source/Spain) as yard number 571.[5] She was built for Estonian Shipping Company, Tallinn. On 26 August 1998, she was [chartered](/source/Bareboat_charter) to Dart Line, [Dartford](/source/Dartford) for use on the Dartford–[Vlissingen](/source/Vlissingen) route. *Varbola* was renamed *Dart 6* in January 1999. In September 1999, the charter ended and she reverted to *Varbola*. In October 1999, she was chartered to Merchant Ferries for use on the [Heysham](/source/Heysham)–[Dublin](/source/Dublin) route. In January 2003, *Varbola* was chartered to Dart Line for use on the Dartford–Vlissingen and Dartford–[Dunkirk](/source/Dunkirk) routes. In May 2003, she was chartered to [Norse Merchant Ferries](/source/Norse_Merchant_Ferries) for use on the [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool)–[Belfast](/source/Belfast) route, transferring to the Heysham–Dublin route in April 2004.[5] On 18 July 2005, *Varbola* was sold to Elmira Shipping & Trading, [Piraeus](/source/Piraeus) and renamed *RR Arrow*. She was reflagged to [Malta](/source/Malta). On 23 December 2005, she was chartered to [Condor Ferries](/source/Condor_Ferries) for use between [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth), [Jersey](/source/Jersey) and [Guernsey](/source/Guernsey). The charter ended on 14 January 2006, following which she entered service with [Norfolk Line](/source/Norfolk_Line). On 30 October 2007,[5] she was sold to [Seatruck Ferries](/source/Seatruck_Ferries) for [€](/source/Euro)15,000,000.[6] The ship was renamed *Arrow* in November. Following further service with Norfolk Line she was laid up at Liverpool in May 2009. *Arrow* re-entered service with Seatruck on 20 October 2009 on the Heysham–Dublin route.[5] In May 2012 and 2013, *Arrow* was chartered to the [Isle of Man Steam Packet Company](/source/Isle_of_Man_Steam_Packet_Company) for the [Isle of Man TT](/source/Isle_of_Man_TT). In October 2013, the Steam Packet Company confirmed a three-year charter which commenced on 28 April 2014 with a purchase option.[7] During the summer of 2014, while not required in Steam Packet Company service, the vessel was temporarily sub-chartered to operate between Jersey (Channel Islands) and Portsmouth (England). She resumed services in the Irish Sea in the winter.[8] In April 2015, *Arrow* was called in to cover freight traffic as the [Isle of Man Steam Packet Company](/source/Isle_of_Man_Steam_Packet_Company) fast craft [HSC *Manannan*](/source/HSC_Manannan) was out of service for nearly a week and [MS *Ben-my-Chree*](/source/MS_Ben-my-Chree) was required to carry as many passengers as possible.[9] On 18 March 2016, *Arrow* was called in to cover freight services to the [Channel Islands](/source/Channel_Islands) for [Condor Ferries](/source/Condor_Ferries) as the regular vessel, [*MV Commodore Clipper*](/source/Condor_Ferries#MV_Commodore_Clipper), was covering routes while underwent repairs.[10] On 25 June 2020, while under subcharter to [NorthLink Ferries](/source/NorthLink_Ferries), *Arrow* ran aground at the entrance to [Aberdeen Harbour](/source/Aberdeen_Harbour). She was freed by harbour tugs and continued to the quayside.[11] From 19 July 2021, she was chartered by [Caledonian MacBrayne](/source/Caledonian_MacBrayne) to carry freight on the busy [Stornoway](/source/Stornoway) to [Ullapool](/source/Ullapool) route, freeing [MV *Loch Seaforth*](/source/MV_Loch_Seaforth_(2014)) to make additional passenger crossings.[12] On 23 July 2021, damage caused by a rope getting wrapped in the ship's propeller resulted in the vessel being withdrawn from service. On 25 July 2021, she went to Belfast for repairs, arriving there on 27 July. Repairs were completed on 2 August and she returned to service from Stornoway on the following evening.[13] The charter is due to end on 7 September.[13] In December 2021, due to thick fog at Heysham causing several cancelled sailings for the Isle of Man Steam Packet in the week before Christmas, *Arrow* was brought in to help clear the backlog of freight, which allowed *Ben-my-Chree* to carry her full complement of passengers.[14] From 17 January to the end of March 2023, *Arrow* was chartered by [Caledonian MacBrayne](/source/Caledonian_MacBrayne) to assist with freight operations on the busy [Stornoway](/source/Stornoway) to [Ullapool](/source/Ullapool) route during the closure of the port at [Uig](/source/Uig,_Snizort). She was used only four times (18 February, 8, 15 and 16 March) when [MV *Loch Seaforth*](/source/MV_Loch_Seaforth_(2014)) freight sailings were cancelled due to the weather conditions, and to substitute her when there was significant traffic.[15] On 30 October 2023, CalMac announced that *Arrow* would be chartered again for the [Stornoway](/source/Stornoway) to [Ullapool](/source/Ullapool) route, due to [MV *Alfred*](/source/MV_Alfred) being unable to use the linkspan in Stornoway. The charter would initially run from 2 to 15 November, with CalMac looking to extend the contract beyond that time.[16] On 28 March 2025 she began a year long charter to [DFDS Seaways](/source/DFDS_Seaways) operating from [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth) to [St Helier](/source/St_Helier), [Jersey](/source/Jersey) as the main freight vessel after DFDS won the contract to serve the island.[17] ## References 1. ["Isle of Man Steam Packet Company secures ownership of MV Arrow"](https://www.steam-packet.com/information/news/2022/Sep/IOMSPC_Secures_ownership_of_MV_Arrow) 1. ["Shop prices likely to rise slightly under Jersey's new freight service"](https://www.channel103.com/news/jersey/supermarket-prices-likely-to-rise-under-jerseys-new-freight-service/) 1. ["The Seatruck Fleet"](http://www.seatruckferries.com/seatruck-fleet). Seatruck Ferries. 30 July 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180811101126/https://www.seatruckferries.com/seatruck-fleet) 11 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 August 2021. 1. ["Seatruck R Series"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171011072204/https://www.seatruckferries.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/Seatruck_R_Series.pdf). Seatruck Ferries. Archived from [the original](http://www.seatruckferries.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/Seatruck_R_Series.pdf) on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2014. 1. ["M/S Varbola"](http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/varbola_1998.htm) (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 23 November 2009. 1. ["Ships for sale - ship sale and purchase"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101008062218/http://shiplink.info/images/sale2007_11.htm). Shiplink. Archived from [the original](http://www.shiplink.info/images/sale2007_11.htm) on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2009. 1. ["Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Secures Freighter On Long-Term Charter"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180118181013/https://www.steam-packet.com/AboutUs/News/2013/Sep/SPC%20SECURES%20FREIGHTER%20ON%20LONG-TERM%20CHARTER/). Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Archived from [the original](http://www.steam-packet.com/AboutUs/News/2013/Sep/SPC%20SECURES%20FREIGHTER%20ON%20LONG-TERM%20CHARTER/) on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2013. 1. ["Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's new freight vessel to begin operations"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140506181752/http://www.steam-packet.com/aboutus/news/2014/Apr/ISLE%20OF%20MAN%20STEAM%20PACKET%20COMPANY%E2%80%99S%20NEW%20FREIGHT%20VES). Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Archived from [the original](http://www.steam-packet.com/aboutus/news/2014/Apr/ISLE%20OF%20MAN%20STEAM%20PACKET%20COMPANY%E2%80%99S%20NEW%20FREIGHT%20VES) on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014. 1. ["Steam Packet: now the Ben is delayed by fog"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150411072621/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/steam-packet-now-the-ben-is-delayed-by-fog-1-7196596). *IOM Today*. 7 April 2015. Archived from [the original](http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/steam-packet-now-the-ben-is-delayed-by-fog-1-7196596) on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015. 1. ["Condor take steps to keep their services running"](https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2015/03/31/condor-take-steps-to-keep-their-services-running-after-new-ship-liberation-taken-out-of-action/). Jersey Evening Post. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2021. 1. ["Investigation after freight ferry runs aground at Aberdeen harbour"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-53176815). BBC News. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020. 1. ["MV Arrow - Ullapool to Stornoway"](https://www.calmac.co.uk/mv-arrow). CalMac. Retrieved 21 July 2021. 1. Merritt, Mike (25 July 2021). ["Ship brought in to relieve pressure on Stornoway ferry breaks down within a week"](https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/islands/3338530/ship-brought-in-to-relieve-pressure-on-stornoway-ferry-breaks-down-within-a-week/). *Press and Journal*. Retrieved 27 July 2021. 1. ["Freight vessel brought in after sailing disruption"](https://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/freight-vessel-brought-in-after-sailing-disruption/). *3fm News*. 21 December 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211221072516/https://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/freight-vessel-brought-in-after-sailing-disruption/) 21 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 December 2021. 1. ["MV Arrow charter | Transport Scotland"](https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/mv-arrow-charter-1/). *www.transport.gov.scot*. Retrieved 2023-03-14. 1. ["Move to charter two 'emergency' ferries amidst new Scots ferry delay"](https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23895774.move-charter-two-emergency-ferries-amidst-new-scots-ferry-delay/). The Herald. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023. 1. ["Isle of Man's MV Arrow chartered to Channel Islands for a year"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwynnj58414o). 27 February 2025. ## External links - [Current position of *Arrow*](http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?mmsi=215951000) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [MS Arrow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Arrow) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Arrow?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.