Services to and from one of Scotland's islands have been disrupted after an 'emergency' vessel, that is costing taxpayers £1m a month to charter, broke down.
Gearbox issues discovered on board MV Alfred on Sunday have led to cancellations to and from Arran running into Monday.
The vessel has been providing services with MV Caledonian Isles to Brodick while 38-year-old MV Hebridean Isles, which has served on the route, has been sidelined for over nine months.
The Scottish Government-owned ferry operator CalMac said that Monday’s 0700 sailing from Ardrossan would be cancelled after the route’s main ferry, MV Caledonian Isles, berthed in Brodick overnight due to a forecast of strong winds.
CalMac said that the issue with MV Alfred was due to a "technical issue" with the port side gearbox which "requires further investigation”.
It means sailings due to be to be operated by Alfred were cancelled.
The MV Isle of Arran is to make a guest appearance on the Brodick route, on passage to its annual overhaul to help out. It was to run the 3.40pm from Arran and the 5.15pm from Ardrossan.
It emerged later on Monday afternoon that sailings on the alternative route to Arran through Lochranza were suspended due to an ongoing issue with the vessel’s hydraulic ramp.
It is believed the vessel affected is the eight-year-old pioneering diesel electric hybrid ferry MV Catriona.
It means the 5.05pm from Lochranza and the 5.40pm from Claonaig are cancelled.
READ MORE: Ferguson Marine under fire over safety failures over fiasco ferries
Monday was due to be the last day of service on the Ardrossan-Brodick route for MV Alfred, the ferry brought in by the Scottish Government at a cost of £9m for nine months.
It is due to go on sea trials on the route to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis to see if she can be used to cover when MV Loch Seaforth goes for its annual overhaul.
Pentland Ferries staff, which has been operating services on behalf of Scottish Government-owned CalMac, bought MV Alfred for £14m in 2019 to operate between Caithness and Orkney.
It was built in Vietnam and can accommodate 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12 articulated vehicles/coaches.
At the time it was described as the "most environmentally-friendly ferry in Scotland".
Transport Scotland said the £9m was to cover berthing dues, fuel, the commercial charter rate and other undisclosed costs.
One ferry user group official said it was "unfortunate timing when combined with the busy September weekend and adverse weather conditions resulting in further cancellations and disruption to service".
Adverse weather has also led to service suspensions of the Monday services to and from Barra, South Uist and the Small Isles of Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna Beneray to Leverburgh on Harris.
The move to bring in MV Alfred earlier this year came amidst widespread disruption to services because of faults with vessels discovered during the annual overhaul process.
The vessel was a the centre of a crash investigation after a grounding in July, last year.
The vessel was due to be in service until the first of two long-delayed and over-budget ferries, Glen Sannox was in service, which it was hoped would be for the summer 2024 timetable.
But further construction delays has meant that it is widely speculated that it is not expected to be ready in time.
Scottish Government-owned Ferguson Marine, which is getting the ferry ready for passengers, has said that the vessel’s sea trials have had to be postponed to January to March because of internal modifications to escape routes required by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
CalMac had expected Glen Sannox to be handed over in December 2023, and Glen Rosa in December 2024. They say that once handed over there will be a two month period where they will carry out crew familiarisation and network trials.
It was at the centre of controversy when on July 5, last year, it partially ran aground on the Isle of Swona, the more northerly of two islands in the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and Caithness on the Scottish mainland.
RNLI lifeboats were called to evacuate the Vietnam-built ferry – with one person being rushed to hospital with a fractured shoulder. It later emerged that six injured passengers are seeking compensation.
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