ISLANDERS and travellers have faced another day of chaos as ferry operator CalMac has had to bring in another passenger ferry as technical problems hit two of its ageing fleet.
It has emerged that while trying to deal with a backlog of vehicles and freight in the service to Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna after repair work was carried out to the thruster of 21-year-old car ferry MV Lochnevis, it has broken down again. This time it is a problem with the centre shaft generator circuit breaker.
And a technical issue with 12-year-old MV Finlaggan which runs from Kennacraig on the Argyll and Bute mainland to Islay has led to further cancellations. CalMac investigated with the use of divers, meaning sailings were cancelled.
They ferry firm said it was the result of Finlaggan striking something in the water, and it had to be checked for damage. The issue was understood to have been resolved in mid-afternoon.
Problems with Lochnevis have resulted in disruption for the past three weeks. On May 16, calls to Rum and Canna had to be cancelled.
READ MORE: Calmac: Ferry breakdown causes 'backlog' of vehicles
Lochnevis which can carry 190 passengers and 14 cars, had to stop all services on the morning of the Spring Bank Holiday because of the technical issue. It later operated a passenger-only service and brought in a passenger charter MV Larven to operate on Tuesday so that it can be repaired.
On Tuesday evening, while the publicly owned ferry operator said the issue with Lochnevis had been resolved and it was due to be back in service on Wednesday, it was unable to accommodate booked day trip passengers to Rum and Canna.
It offered "apologies for any inconvenience caused".
And it added: "To clear the backlog of vehicles and freight an amended timetable will operate to all four islands."
But further sailings were cancelled on Thursday morning, before CalMac said that due to continuing problems with Lochnevis, services to Muck and Eigg had to be cancelled. It decided to bring in MV Larven again to be able to at least provide a passenger service.
The ferry operators said services to Rum and Canna continues to be "liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice" and on Friday morning said services to Muck and Eigg would again be cancelled.
One Eigg resident Stuart Fergusson posted a complaint with CalMac saying: "CalMac Ferries, working hard to ensure your trip to the Small Isles are a complete disaster."
He added: "Come for a day trip to Eigg, but we won't come back and collect you!"
He said:"Calmac are just providing the possible worst service in terms of cancellations etc. "We have tidal issues, fender problems, and now the boat has technical issues. Since we went into summer timetable, there have been timetable amendments just about every week resulting in tourists/locals finding it hard to impossible to organise any sort of travel.
"This is on top of the fact that due to social distancing the boat is reduced to 40 passengers instead of 190..
"You can imagine how infuriating this is on so many levels.
"I run the cafe and bar so the affect is quite measurable in terms of loss of business."
It comes as Nicola Sturgeon announced that the islands are coming down from Level 1 to Level 0 Covid restrictions from Saturday. It means that life in the islands should now move nearer to normal.
Launched in 2000, the Lochnevis, cost around £5.5m and was purpose built as part of a £30m European assisted programme to modernise ferry services to the Small Isles.
Some 25% of its construction costs qualified for support from the European Regional Development Fund.
The latest issues come off the back of the country's ferry building fiasco at the now state-owned Ferguson Marine.
The two lifeline ferries being built 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.
Meanwhile MV Loch Seaforth returned to services for the 10.30pm freight sailing from Stornoway on Monday after being offline for repairs for nearly seven weeks. She successfully completed her sea trials over the weekend.
The return of CalMac's largest vessel came after complaints of a cancellation of a freight sailing on Lewis at the weekend - leaving behind at least seven articulated lorries - three with loads of salmon.
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