"Maid of Ashton" Sheer Plan

MV Maid of Ashton was a passenger ferry launched in 1953 and built by Yarrow and Co. Ltd. of Scoutstoun, Glasgow, for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company. Founded in 1889, The Caledonian Steam Packet Company would later merge with David MacBraye’s in 1973 to become the company CalMac, still in operation today. Originally serving the Holy Loch, the vessel was eventually sold and operated on the Thames in London as a floating restaurant. This document is a Sheer Plan – drawn by hand using ink on starched linen, a sheer plan is a drawing showing some of the most important lines on a ship. This plan was drawn up as part of the process of designing and constructing a vessel. You can still see the Yarrow and Co. stamp signed by the draughtsman in the bottom right corner.