Six ferries down over one weekend as CalMac 'calamity' deepens

MV Loch Buie was removed from service on the Mull to Iona link on Saturday due to a technical issue and a a passenger only charter service operated by Staffa Tours had to be brought in. It was back in service on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile MV Lochinvar was removed from the service to Fishnish on Mull on Friday due to a problem with its aft propulsion drive. MV Loch Linnhe has been redeployed to assist with capacity and was to pick up sailings to clear traffic.

Passenger charters have been arranged to operate the service to Tobermory on Mull in the absence of MV Loch Linnhe and CalMac said traffic levels and capacity are being "closely monitored".

READ MORE: Fiona Hyslop tells CalMac to be 'realistic' in ferry repairs row

CalMac said it expected MV Lochinvar to return to service on Monday afternoon, but this was "dependent on the status of the vessel".

And users were advised that wait times may be longer and preferred sailing choices may not be guaranteed.

And repairs to MV Isle of Cumbrae meant a service cancellation on Friday on the busy Largs to Isle of Cumbrae service which has already cause island concern over the loss its main vessel MV Loch Shira.

Another ferry serving this island of Kerrera has become passenger only due to an issue with the bow door.

Meanwhile some users on Arran have lodged concerns that the last boat from the mainland on Monday to Thursday was at 3pm.

It comes as weather conditions have forced CalMac to divert services to and from Arran from Ardrossan to Troon over the period.

A free shuttle bus service is to operate between Ardrossan and Troon to help foot passengers get between the ports.

Meanwhile the Port of Troon Harbour Authority have issued a Notice To Mariners advising boaters to exercise caution and listen to VHF channels for harbour instructions when the ferry is docking/departing.

"Failure to adhere to safety guidelines not only jeopardises the safety of individuals and vessels but also undermines the integrity of maritime regulations. Mariners found in violation of safety protocols may face legal action, depending on the severity of the offense," it said.

Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland said it has told CalMac that they expect them to engage with communities to arrive at the solutions to meet island needs with "available resources".

It comes after it as confirmed that MV Caledonian Isles, one Scotland's oldest ferries has been sidelined until at least late August, after CalMac was landed with a £5m repair bill over rust.

The ferry operator had warned in February of disruption across the Clyde and Hebrides network as a result of steelwork issues with the 31-year-old MV Caledonian Isles which serves on the Arran route, one of the busiest on the Scottish coast, and is due to be replaced.

One of the elder statesmen of the ferry fleet, it has been out of action since going for an overhaul at the start of January and it had been hoped in the last up date that it would be back by July to help with the busy summer period.

But user groups who have been pushing for contingency plans have now discovered that the vessel will not return till sometime in late August.

It was sidelined for over three months with further steelwork and engine difficulties this time last year with repair work then estimated at £1m. It had been due to leave the yard after an overhaul before issues with the engines, steelwork and bearings were noted by engineers.

Further steelwork problems were attributed to a further period spent in the yard in early 2022.

The vessel was found to have had major technical problems during overhaul again this year and was not expected back till at least the end of next March originally.

Users had been told that the vessel needs "extensive steelwork" leading to concerns that it is suffering rust issues.

The 29-year-old MV Isle of Lewis which was put out of action after issues surfaced last weekend went back on duty on Saturday having been berthed in Greenock for repairs to a bow visor.

The developments had caused disruption to services to and from the beleaguered island of South Uist.

One of the oldest vessels in CalMac's ageing fleet, the 37-year-old MV Isle of Mull had been drafted in to operate an emergency combined two-island timetable till Friday to and from Barra and Lochboisdale, the main port on South Uist. It had already been shifted from the Mull service to operate to and from South Uist until May 10 due to network issues.

CalMac was forced to remove MV Loch Shira from one of its busiest routes on April 5 due to it being damaged by heavy vehicles and was expected to be sidelined for months.

The vessel, which usually operates on the Largs to Cumbrae route, entered dry docks for repairs and is not expected back until mid-June at the earliest.

The MV Loch Riddon had been operating a single vessel service leaving customers facing an increase in waiting times.

CalMac had redeployed MV Isle of Cumbrae – as the supporting second vessel on the route until another vessel was able to take over.

The ferry operator had warned users that until further notice due to smaller vessels operating on the route, vehicle capacity had been slashed and queues are to be expected.

A ferry user group official said that it "seemed like every day there was a ferry that has had to be taken out of service due to a problem" and that urgency was required to deal with the breakdowns in the short term before new ferries are completed.

"I cannot recall a time when so many ferries had a problem at the one time which adds to the calamity we are experiencing before the full summer season is in full effect," he said. "There have been regular appeals for help over these resilience issues in the short term but in all reality not enough is being done.

"The Scottish Government really does have to intervene to a greater extent because it is no longer a surprise that so many ferries should be retired because of their age."

It comes as CalMac's spend on unplanned maintenance of the ageing ferry fleet has more than trebled in five-and-a-half years.

Details from the state-owned ferry operator shows that over the period some £16m has had to be spent on the unexpected repairs.

While an average of £147,377-a-month was being spent on the CalMac fleet nearly six years ago the bill has risen to £481,310 now.

Concerns have been raised that some £3,850,483 was spent on unplanned ferry maintenance in the first eight months of 2023/24 - already the highest since CalMac began tracking the spend.

It represents a rise of more than £800,000 on the bill for the whole of 2022/23.

Meanwhile, new ferries Glen Sannox and sister ship Glen Rosa, which were due online in the first half of 2018, with both now due to serve Arran, are at least six years late, with costs expected to be quadruple the original £97m contract.

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Under the contract, CalMac is responsible for annual overhaul and maintenance of the fleet. However the Scottish Government is committed to investing in our ferry services and has provided additional support through resilience funding.

“We have invested more than £2 billion in our ferry services since 2007 and we have outlined plans to invest around £700 million in a five year plan to improve ferry infrastructure. We have bought and deployed an additional vessel in the MV Loch Frisa; chartered MV Alfred and MV Arrow to provide additional resilience and capacity; commissioned two new vessels for Islay and two new vessels for the Little Minch routes. Construction is progressing well on all four vessels - on time and on budget.

“We share the desires of island communities for sustainable and effective ferry services and look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with them on future services and vessel replacements.

“We have also pressed upon CalMac that we expect them to engage with communities to arrive at the best possible solutions to meet their needs with available resources. CMAL and Transport Scotland are working alongside CalMac to support this work and ensure that our islands remain open for business.

"[State owned ferry owner and procurer] CMAL and Transport Scotland are working alongside CalMac to support this work and ensure that our islands remain open for business.”