Lorraine McLean from Downpatrick, Co Down has made maritime history after becoming the first female skipper of the Strangford ferry.
In north-east Ireland at the narrowest point where Strangford Lough meets the Irish Sea, the ferry between Portaferry and Strangford in County Down has been running uninterrupted since 1180 when it was introduced by John de Courcy. By road the distance between Portaferry and Strangford is 47 miles (76 km) and via the ferry it is a short 0.6 nautical miles (0.69 mi; 1.1 km) 8-minute journey.
In 2016, a new ferry, STRANGFORD II was delivered. Both STRANGFORD II and PORTAFERRY II operate as alternates on crossings throughout the year between them making 22,000 crossings per year, 16 hours a day, 364 days a year.
Lorraine became familiar with the crew of the Strangford ferry during her time commuting from Downpatrick to Belfast where she was studying for a PhD in Marine Biology from Queen’s University.
As Lorraine outlines she first became interested in becoming a ship’s Captain when she expressed her fondness for the crew and the work they do, and even joked with them about the possibility of ‘job openings’.
In 2019, she joined the crew as the first female senior purser of the car ferry, in over half a century. As a purser Lorraine’s role was to issue tickets to passengers, but her keen interest in the ferry’s operations led to her learning the ropes of the wheelhouse and following three years of rigorous training, 40-year-old Lorraine assumed the coveted position in the ferry’s wheelhouse and qualified as Captain in 2023.
Information sources:
A E McAlpine
Albert Bridge
Ardfern
Eric Jones
Irish News
Johnny Bare Toes
Mark Rooney
Strangford Lough Ferry Service – unofficial (Facebook page)
strangfordlough.org
Tom McClean Positive Belfast
lecalepeninsula.com
niferry.co.uk
