CalMac ferry network in crisis as four boats break down in three weeks

CalMac's largest ferry MV Loch Seaforth has been taken off the Ullapool-Stornoway route to be taken into dry dock for "major" engine repairs.

The eight-year-old vessel is likely to be out of service until at least May 4.

The Herald can reveal that yesterday technical issues with the 23-year-old MV Clansman ferry serving Coll and Tiree have emerged.

It returned to Oban at 1pm with all services cancelled for the rest of the day after it developed a fault. CalMac said the issue is being investigated.

The Herald can reveal that two further vessels serving the Wemyss Bay and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute have also been laid up for repairs since the start of April.

A technical problem with the 16-year-old MV Argyle meant it was taken out of action as it needed to go in for repairs last Thursday.

CalMac said that until further notice the 17-year-old MV Bute - which itself had only just returned to service after over two weeks of repairs "due to a technical issue" would help in covering the crossing. The problems with the four ferries has caused disruption to eight ferry services and has raised grave concerns about how the ageing CalMac fleet will be able to cope as the islands open up for the summer.

The latest issues come off the back of the country's ferry building fiasco - and comes as the islands prepare to open up next week as Covid restrictions ease.

The two lifeline ferries being build at Ferguson Marine which were due to be in service in early 2018 are now up to nearly five years behind schedule and their cost is now over double the original £97m contract.

The first of the ferries the MV Glen Sannox is now destined for the Arran to Ardrossan route - Scotland's busiest ferry crossing - between April 2022 and June, 2022.

Ferguson Marine, lef by tycoon Jim McColl went into administration in August, 2019 following a dispute with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) - the taxpayer-funded company which buys and leases publicly owned CalMac's ships on behalf of the Scottish government - over the construction of the ferries under the fixed price contract.

The Scottish Government then pushed ahead to take full control of of the shipyard company as it went under with blame attached to soaring costs of the ferry contract.

Arran Ferry Action Group chairman Gavin Fulton said the situation was a "national scandal" and those responsible should already have lost their jobs for the state of Scotland's ferries.

He said: "I think it is a national scandal. The fact we have had the whole fiasco of Ferguson's Marine with the completion dates shunted into the future and then this. Things can only get worse before they get better.

"These issues have been known and we and others have warned about the problems with the ferries for years now. And nobody has listened. "They haven't invested, they have squandered so we are shaping up for a year or so of serious trouble.

"There is always something not working, it is pathetic really.

"No matter what happens, nobody ever gets the sack."

Joe Reade, chairman of the Mull & Iona Ferry Committee, added: "The current crisis caused by engine failure of the Loch Seaforth demonstrates the failure of the ‘build it as big as possible’ strategy that has been repeated over and over again across the network. Rather than building in resilience and flexibility by deploying a larger number of smaller ferries, CMAL, Transport Scotland and CalMac have attempted to meet growing demand by making vessels larger and larger, and having fewer of them.

"These increasingly complex one-off Hebridean behemoths come at enormous cost – not just for the vessel itself, but for the pier lengthening, and port dredging required to make them fit existing infrastructure.

"It is increasingly clear that the whole public ferry system in the Hebrides is dysfunctional and reaching a crisis point. The incoming government need to open their eyes to the problem and make some radical and much overdue fundamental changes."

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the local authority for the Western Isles, has called for a "complete overhaul of the cumbersome, ineffective and outdated structures" of ferry services in Scotland.

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS), which was created by Transport Scotland and is part-funded by the Scottish Government, has previously demanded "better due diligence" in procuring ferries and better engagement with the communities who rely on them.

They and others have been critical of a "closed group" of Scottish Government-controlled bodies - Transport Scotland as funders, CMAL, and Calmac.

CalMac has said that the MV Isle of Arran - which normally runs - on the Ardrossan to Brodick route - will be temporarily taking over the overnight freight run on the Stornoway-Ullapool route. And the MV Isle of Lewis has been been taken off its usual route between Castlebay on the Isle of Barra and Oban in Argyle to support the Loch Seaforth run.

But that has led to the temporary cancellation of the Ardrossan to Campbeltown service till "at least May 4".

CalMac explored the possibility of hiring a vessel on a temporary basis but none were available at short notice.

It also means that there is disruption to the busy CalMac’s Ardrossan-Brodick route which will only operate a single vessel service at the start of the summer season.

The spin off effect will also mean reduced services on the route from Mallaig on the west coast of the Highlands to Lochboisdale on the island of South Uist.

Its ferry, the MV Lord of the Isles, will combine the Lochboisdale, South Uist, and Castlebay services.

But while the 380ft-long MV Loch Seaforth which cost £42m can carry up to 143 cars, 700 passengers and 30 articulated lorries, the replacement Isle of Arran can only take four lorries and the Isle of Lewis can take 13.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar says that even a double run of the Arran would appear to fall "way short" of what is required.

Comhairle leader, Roddie Mackay, said: “Once again, the people of the Western Isles are being let down by CalMac.

"Using the Isle of Arran highlights CalMac’s failure to provide the service for which they have been contracted. This latest service reduction comes on top of significant harm done to the Barra service and Barra economy.

"We need a complete overhaul of the cumbersome, ineffective and outdated structures of CMAL and CalMac Management. They are not delivering and haven’t been for some years.

Glen Sannox was 'launched' on  November 21, 2017 by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

“The prospect of a long-term loss of ferry service to the Western Isles at least for the remainder of April – and in all likelihood well into May – while MV Loch Seaforth is out of service, will be yet another major economic blow to our islands and our people and we are looking for urgent confirmation that MV Isle of Lewis will continue the freight service until a more suitable vessel is procured.

“We also support the calls for compensation for those businesses who have been detrimentally affected by this service failure and who have incurred significant additional costs.”

In messages to customers about the spin-off effect of the failure of the MV Loch Seaforth, CalMac said: "We know and understand the reduction of any service can be very challenging for our customers and the communities we serve, and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause."

Managing director Robbie Drummond said: "We have moved vessels around in order to ensure vital freight services get to and from the Western Isles while the Loch Seaforth is being repaired.

"A combined timetable has been tailored to allow shellfish to be transported from Barra and South Uist to the mainland in time to get to fish markets."

He said the Isle of Arran had been taken away from a busy service to help businesses and that the Isle of Lewis was also carrying freight to maximise available capacity.

Mr Drummond added: "The situation is far from ideal and we are doing everything we can to provide services under extremely challenging circumstances."

"I appreciate that the reduction of the service between Brodick and Ardrossan is very challenging for our customers, and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.

“The MV Caledonian Isles is operating her normal timetable in the meantime and we have provided a second vessel on the Lochranza-Claonaig route to help meet demand, therefore doubling up capacity on that route.

"We are confident that the MV Loch Seaforth will be back in service in a matter of weeks and the normal summer timetable will be back up and running as planned.”