Still Sailing in the Sun: Keppel turns 65


Anchored in the Blue Lagoon at Comino island, Keppel celebrated her 30th season in Malta this year

Former Millport ferry Keppel reached 65 years old this year but shows no signs of slowing down (well, still doing her 9 knots!). John Beveridge sought her out on a trip to Malta in September, and joined her on her daily cruise to the Blue Lagoon at Comino island and to the larger island of Gozo.

Keppel at St Paul’s Bay (with Captain Kevin at his table, far left)

From Valletta, a 50-minute bus trip to St Paul’s Bay in the north east of the island found Keppel berthed stern-to at the quayside.

Operated by Hornblower Cruises, her captain, Kevin Grech, sits at a portable table selling armbands for the cruise. Prices are €30 for the cruise to the Blue Lagoon, €35 to Gozo. She was well filled.

I had taken along photos of Keppel on the Clyde and got chatting to him. It was he and his dad, Joe, that bought her in 1995 and sailed her to Malta, did minor conversion work to her, and started sailing in 1996. It is still a family business. A few years ago they removed the wheelhouse and landing platform and replaced it with a 4-unit toilet block before adding a new wheelhouse back on top. The entrance to the lower saloon forward still has the same door but is now crew accommodation. The Purser’s Office is used as a CO2 store, and the entrance to the engine room is open to view (but nothing to see, just noisy). The lower saloon housing and toilet accommodation have been removed, as has the davit and lifeboat and the deck is now seating. A top deck was added and is provided with deck chairs. The deck is covered with artificial grass which is ideal when the vessel is moored and “everyone” goes swimming.

The water chute in action, when ‘everyone’ goes swimming

The cafe/shop at the stern

Below decks, the aft saloon is accessed from the stern and is the cafe/shop. It has the original green benches from the forward saloon; she still has the original Lister Blackstone engines; the ventilators are the originals; the wooden bouyancy apparatus are now in a local museum.

The open top deck, added after Keppel arrived in Malta

Keppel noses bow in to a sea cave

10am on a warm, clear blue sly day, but with a reasonable swell the cruise to Comino and the Blue Lagoon took 55 minutes. Keppel performed a 180 degree turn to pick up a buoy and berth stern in. The top deck became a jumping-off platform for swimming and a slide attached to the starboard side was swung out to become a water chute. Yes, I did jump off the ship (once!). Captain Kevin is there encouraging everyone to jump and blows the horn every time someone does (hence the name Hornblower). It gives about 90 minutes for people to swim then leaves to make the 10 minute crossing to the large island of Gozo. I stayed on for the visit to Gozo, others chose to stay on Comino and swim. The price included a bus to the main town and 2 hours to explore. Keppel leaves to return to Comino and pick up those who remained.

Keppel arrived back at Gozo on time at 3.20pm, and the homeward cruise took us (very) close in to a number of rock features, lagoons, and landmarks before arriving back at St Paul’s Bay at 4.50pm.

All-in-all a most enjoyable day out, the weather was warm and sunny all day and (for me) a memorable way to commemorate the Keppel’s 65th year, and 30th year in Malta. She may be slightly altered, but her throbbing diesels, smoky exhaust, and manoeuvrability will always remind me of summer days in Millport. In Malta, Keppel has found her place in the sun.

Wearing CSP funnel colours and still registered in London, Keppel is pictured here from a small boat in Millport Bay in 1972

Keppel also featured in an article on this website published ten years ago, when Susan Forrest enjoyed a similar excursion aboard the former Cumbrae ferry.

John Beveridge has been a member of CRSC for many years and has written for articles the CRSC website as well as having addressed our winter meetings. If you would like to join CRSC, and receive copies of our much-prized west coast shipping Review and ‘Clyde Steamers’, our annual magazine, as well as being able to access a growing library of ‘Members Only’ posts on the website, then please click here.

Also by John Beveridge:

Website Articles
The View from the Bridge
What now for Sir Walter Scott?
The easily overlooked ABC ferries
MAID OF THE LOCH: The Inside Story of the Campaign to Rescue Her – Part 1 – 1982-1996 : “That Sinking Feeling”
MAID OF THE LOCH: The Inside Story of the Campaign to Rescue Her – Part 2 – 1996-2012 : “Maid Saved”
MAID OF THE LOCH: The Inside Story of the Campaign to Rescue Her – Part 3 – 2013-2017 : “Fundraising Frustrations”
MAID OF THE LOCH: The Inside Story of the Campaign to Rescue Her – Part 4 – 2017-2019 : “The High and the Low”
MAID OF THE LOCH: The Inside Story of the Campaign to Rescue Her – Part 5 – 2020-2021 : “In Steam”

Published on 7 November 2026