It’s hard to believe Argyll Flyer has been operating the Gourock – Dunoon service now for 8 years. Purchased rather rapidly from Irish owners when newly formed Argyll ferries were awarded the ferry contract. The ship was quite quickly overhauled, renamed and rebranded before joining Ali Cat which had been operating a peak only service in support of the car ferries on the route.

The arrival of Argyll Ferries saw the traditional car ferry service replaced by a passenger only service connecting with the rail service at the Gourock side of the route.

Argyll Flyer is the bigger of the two ships and is of a monohull fast craft design. Originally capable of 29 knots, the ship operates at a more sedate 12 knots on her current route in line with speed restrictions in that part of the Clyde.

The ship is quite basic in her fit out, there is no kiosk like there was on the older car ferries which is a shame and the operation today is a much leaner one than in used to be.

The ship uses the redundant car ferry linkspans at both ports, with gangway access to the ship at the stern.

For my trip I was boarding in Dunoon. We were staying at Hunter’s Quay and on the short drive around to Dunoon I saw the flyer heading into Dunoon. By the time we got to the vicinity of the pier she was pivoting around onto the linkspan.

Loading by the linkspan is an odd experience, the linkspan in question has never carried cars although that was its original purpose, the old ships wouldn’t fit it and no new carry ferries have been built for the route.

The passenger gangway surprised me on that it was quite tiny and only capable of handling single file pedestrian traffic. That said with a capacity for 186 passengers maximum loading and boarding a full complement of people probably wouldn’t take very long. On our crossing perhaps 40 people left the ship and a similar number joined her.

From speaking to one or two passengers, the Flyer is the more popular of the two ships. The Ali Cat never really finding much passenger favour.

Onboard there are rows of red seats atop grey lino flooring and a few posters, some of the now defunct Argyll Ferries company.

Upstairs there is plenty of outdoor seating, something not present on the Ali Cat and at the stern of the lower deck of the vessel there is a covered outdoor deck although part of this is roped off, presumably to keep passengers away from ropes being cast aboard when berthing.

The ship uses her own mass as a pivot to remove herself from the quay. At Dunoon she pressed her stern quarter to the wall and moves her bows off an at Gourock she used her port side foc’sle. It was a bit strange to witness but it clearly does the job.

Fast monohulls tend not to do well at lower speeds than they are designed to travel at, but the flyer managed well in the flat calm of the Clyde the day I sailed although I could imagine she could be very lively in a swell.

I made the return trip to Dunoon on the flyer later in the day in brighter weather and spent the crossing on the open deck which was very pleasant, the motion of the vessel when turning onto the berth at Dunoon is quite unpleasant as she seems to get caught up in her own wake and rolls quite a lot so I stayed seated and advised my son to do the same. Once steady we made our way off the ship via the aft gangway.

The old berth on the pier used by the old car ferries remains but is in a very run-down state and sealed off. The linkspan built to replace the old one is probably the envy of many a pier and it’s a crying shame that it isn’t used for its intended purpose.

Caledonian MacBrayne are now operating the route again with the tender to run the service which was announced in 2016 having been cancelled. This tender called for more hardy vessels for the route which in truth it really needs. Sadly it’s unlikely that car ferries will return to the route but hopefully better passenger ferries are  on their way.