Ken marks retirement from CalMac after 33 years at sea
It was an emotional last day at work for one of CalMac’s longest serving engineers last week as he retired after 33 years with the ferry company.
Ken MacKenzie was piped off the MV Lord of the Isles on Wednesday May 24 as the Oban resident disembarked the ferry with his wife, Alison.
This was a special occasion for the 66-year-old, who started his long career with CalMac as a junior engineer 33 years ago, quickly rising in the ranks to become a chief engineer after just four years.
Ken was taken aback by the greeting and applause from his family, friends and CalMac port staff as he walked down the gangway at Oban, with his daughter Kirsty arranging for a piper to accompany him ashore. The family then enjoyed a day of celebration to mark the occasion, starting with a hearty breakfast at Poppies at Saulmore Shore.
“It was a complete surprise and we weren’t even meant to be in Oban because we should have been doing the MallaigSouth Uist route,” said Ken.
Fittingly, Ken is originally from South Uist, but has lived in the “Gateway to the Isles” since he married Alison, with his parents both from Oban.
The 66-year-old joined CalMac aged 33 after working in several different jobs on supply vessels, before moving to an onshore job at Glensanda Quarry on the Morvern peninsula.
However, he was keen to return to sea and joined CalMac in 1990, leaving the UK’s largest quarry for its largest ferry operator.
Ken said: “I didn’t like how things were then at the quarry, but it was good that at CalMac you had to take responsibility for everything. When I went back to sea with them I also liked the time off wages were good.”
During his time at CalMac, Ken has worked on all of the larger older vessels, spending 17 years on the MV Isle of Lewis, which he says from an engineer’s perspective, was a “particularly difficult ship”.
“The Isle of Lewis was an especially challenging ship, but it kept going. I can only count on one hand how many times we couldn’t sail”, he added.
Despite, the well-documented challenges which CalMac has faced in recent years, Ken believes the people they employ are a big part of what makes them a good company to work for.
“CalMac are one of the better shipping companies and the people that sail the boats are often islanders themselves,” he said.
“I won’t miss the and the job, but
I will miss the people because there was close companionship on the ships and it’s like a small family because you get on so well with your colleagues.”
After disembarking the LOTI - which Ken describes as “a happy ship” - for the last time on Wednesday, Alison presented him with a very long ‘to do’ list that is sure to keep him busy in retirement.
“There are many jobs needing done and I’m just looking forward to spending more time with my three grandchildren and future grandchild, whose arrival is imminent,” he added.