STATE-CONTROLLED ferry operator CalMac has come under fire for failing to listen and communicate as services are  “decimated”  for island communities as yet more delays were announced to the construction of new vessels.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the council covering the Western Isles has accused senior management at CalMac of deciding to “hunker down” away from the islands and breaking a promise to engage with the local authority.

It comes as it emerged problems with the starboard main engine of the 21-year-old MV Hebrides has meant that the suspension of services to and from Uig on Skye will last till Sunday. Engineers were carrying out repairs on the vessel which can carry 612 passengers and 90 cars on Thursday and CalMac said they were continuing to investigate "contengency plans".

"We recognise that cancelling a service can be very challenging for our customers and the communities we serve and apologise for the disruption this will cause," the ferry operator said.

Yesterday three lifeline services were suspended during the day partly due to weather, after eight the previous day.

Meanwhile Comhairle nan Eilean Siar bemoaned a lack of communication from CalMac’s new chairman after no island-based people were appointed to the board and called for urgent action from Calmac and Scottish Government to ensure lifeline services are restored and a community voice is listened to.

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The council has written to transport minister Jenny Gilruth to call for “more equitable representation across CalMac and CMAL (Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited) boards”, although she told MSPs she had not seen the letter as of Wednesday morning.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar had previously expressed dismay at the appointment of Danish businessman Erik Ostergaard as chairman of David MacBrayne Limited (DML)  – the parent company that owns CalMac – after calls for islanders to be represented on the board were ignored.

Mr Ostergaard was the former head of CMAL - the taxpayer-funded company which owns and procures ferries for the Scottish Government - and is at the centre of the row over the failure to deliver two working ferries to the network and are currently languishing in Ferguson Marine's Port Glasgow shipyard.

Uisdean Robertson, chairman of the council’s transport committee, said he had received an assurance from Ms Gilruth’s predecessor Graeme Dey “that our frustration was understood and our views would be considered”.

Mr Robertson said: “The minister specifically assured me that the new chair of David MacBrayne, Erik Ostergaard, would make it a priority to ensure that island residents and communities’ views are represented appropriately on the board.

“Despite this promise, Mr Ostergaard has made no attempt to contact the Comhairle since assuming his new chairmanship – which is entirely consistent with the approach he took in his previous role as chair of CMAL.

“It would seem that actions speak louder than words and while lifeline ferry services have been decimated in recent weeks, the senior management hunker down in Gourock or, in the chair’s case, Copenhagen.

“We need decisive action from those in leadership positions both in how they work with the communities they serve and with investment in the fleet that is very long overdue.”

It came after issues with short cabling were expected to add further delay and increase costs over the already put back delivery of two green vessels at the centre of Scotland's ferry fiasco.

The ferry destined to serve the Isle of Arran will be delayed even further after a “blunder” with internal cabling was discovered.

Both Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and Hull 802, being built at the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow, rely on a “complex network” of more than 9800 cables.

But in the week before Christmas 2021, engineers unwound coils that had been installed in late 2018/early 2019 and found some of them were too short to reach the necessary equipment.

After three weeks of investigation, Ferguson engineers believe that at least 400 cables will need to be addressed, with the worst case requiring 939 cables to be replaced.

A new analysis from outgoing turnaround director Tim Hair reveals that addressing the problem is a "time-consuming process" that will further delay the project to deliver the Glen Sannox which was due to serve on one of Scotland's busiest crossing, the Ardrossan to Arran service in May, 2018.

He said it will also further delay the completion of the second vessel known as Hull 802 which was also supposed to be sailing in July, 2018.

Mr Hair said that at present it is "not possible" to determine the impact on schedule and cost.

Last month serious questions were raised over the viability of both vessels as it emerged key hull features had been left off seven years after the design was completed.

Ministers carried out a takeover after the Jim McColl-led Ferguson Marine went into administration in August, 2019 following a dispute with CMAL over the construction of the ferries under a £97m fixed price contract.

Ferguson Marine said there had been "unforeseen complexities" with the project, leading to soaring costs of the ferry contract - which have now more than doubled.

Ministers believe they were acting in the public interest in taking control of Ferguson Marine, as it saved the yard from closure, rescued more than 300 jobs and ensured that the two vessels under construction will be completed.

Concerns emerged last month over a failure to install a crucial ducktail on either vessel, even though previous owners of the Ferguson Marine shipyard said six years ago that they were required to meet official specifications affecting their green credentials and speed.

Robbie Drummond, managing director for CalMac, said: “We are now well into the third week of extreme and unprecedented weather conditions – one of the longest periods of very poor weather and high significant wave height for many years.

“Some vessels are experiencing unexpected technical faults requiring urgent repair, in addition to a delay to some of our statutory annual overhauls which mean that a number are out of service.

“Combined with ongoing Covid-related absences, we are facing very challenging circumstances with an extremely limited fleet.

“Our teams are working hard to get those vessels currently off service back as soon as is safely possible, and in areas where weather is impacting sailings, we are working to maintain a lifeline service with the limited fleet we have - including our crew operating untimetabled services whenever they can do so safely.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Ministers recognise that a lack of confidence in ferry services can impact upon people’s decision on whether to live and work on the islands, and impacts upon the sustainability of the island communities themselves. These human impacts are at the heart of Scottish Ministers’ commitment to supporting lifeline services through continued investment in ferry services across Scotland. Ministers also fully recognise the need to address delays in investment in ferry infrastructure which is why they have committed to the £580 million in the Infrastructure Investment Plan."