THREE of ferry operator CalMac's key vessels are sidelined to passengers with a 25-year-old vessel out of action due to rust.
An overhaul to 25-year-old MV Clansman has newly identified steelwork corrosion which must be replaced, delaying her return to service.
CalMac says this will continue to have an impact across the network, with Arran, Mull, Islay, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Hebrides communities affected due to necessary changes in vessel deployment.
The vessel was due to be back in service today (Friday) after moving for its annual maintenance overhaul on January 20.
CalMac said that Clansman's return has been delayed by "a few days" to cover the emergent steel work.
And MV Caledonian Isles remains sidelined till at least March 1 following concerns with its main engines.
The vessel was originally withdrawn from the Ardrossan-Brodick route for annual maintenance.
According to state-owned CalMac the overhaul was due to conclude at the end of January after being in dry dock for nearly a month with more than £1m of scheduled work being done to the vessel, including engine servicing.
But the inspections uncovered further issues including damage to both engines.
The vessel, which carries 1000 passengers and 110 cars, was out for weeks just last Easter due to an engine failure.
CalMac has now said that routine inspections of 30-year-old MV Caledonian Isles' main engines identified concerns with crankshaft and turbocharger components that must be resolved prior to completing the overhaul, to reduce the risk of failure in service and "ensure the safety of our colleagues and customers".
Robbie Drummond, CalMac chief executive said: “Given the initial delay of return from annual overhaul of the MV Caledonian Isles, it is disappointing that these plans now must be unfortunately extended."
“It is important that the required work is completed properly to reduce the risk of failure in service and ensure the safety of our colleagues and customers.
“We will keep communities informed of developments and our port teams will continue to work with communities to maintain lifeline services.”
It comes as 27-year-old MV Loch Bhrusda finally made a return from an overhaul on Friday afternoon after delays meant a passenger only charter was brought in.
MV Loch Bhrusda was supposed to have been released from its annual overhaul on January 25, according to an official schedule, but it was unable to operate services linking the island of Berneray with Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris.
It was originally due to operate the route nine days ago while MV Loch Portain was heading for its annual maintenance check.
CalMac said the delay in MV Loch Bhrusda's availability was "due to delays within the annual overhaul programme, combined with current forecast weather on passage".
One ferry user official said: "You really could not write this stuff it is that unbelievable. The naysayers who dismissed concerns about the age of our ferry fleet must be eating their words now as it seems that every few days now there is a problem with a ferry that means that it cannot run properly. "Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government must act and must act swiftly because this just cannot go on like this."
Ferry users have already been told there is no services between Colonsay and Oban on February 11, 18, 25 and March 4.
And a single vessel timetable is operating to Craignure on the Isle of Mull.
Concerns have previously been raised about disruption being felt across the network as the depleted ageing fleet was redeployed to try and cope with the loss of both 38-year-old MV Hebridean Isles and Caldeonian Isles to passengers.
MV Hebridean Isles first hit problems on Boxing Day and has been on and off service with bow issues while passengers to Arran were being switched to a one-boat rather than a two-boat service with the 40-year-old veteran MV Isle of Arran in operation. MV Hebridean Isles ended up providing a freight-only service to the island three weeks ago. It is unclear when it will return to providing normal passenger services.
It had been expected to support services to and from Islay with the MV Isle of Arran for an overhaul for two months from February 5 as part of the rejigging of the network through the state-owned service's programme to improve fleet sustainability through its overhaul programme.
But neither vessel was able to make it.
CalMac have have already cut the Islay service to a single vessel and drafted in MV Finlaggan until February 16. But it was supposed to provide services for a month from next Monday to and from North Uist through a temporary timetable brought in by the closure of Skye's Uig harbour for essential repairs.
MV Isle of Arran has been serving Arran for weeks on its own because of the issues with Hebridean Isles, cutting the number of available vehicle spaces to about half. It is expected to remain solo till at least February 16.
Before the new year a third of the 14 major vessels 35-year-old MV Isle of Mull was found to have suffered hull rust issues and subsequently engine issues and was sidelined for weeks.
It was to emerge from its month-long annual overhaul on December 23 but remained out of action nearly three weeks later.
Some 18 of of CalMac's 35 working ferries deployed across Scotland are now over 25 years old.
Two new lifeline ferries Glen Sannox and Hull 802 were due online in the first half of 2018 when Ferguson Marine was under the control of tycoon Jim McColl, with one intitially to serve Arran and the other to serve the Skye triangle routes to North Uist and Harris, but they are at least five years late. The last estimates suggested the costs of delivery were due to soar against the original £97m fixed price.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We invested more than £2bn 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.
“Since May 2021, we have bought and deployed an additional vessel in MV Loch Frisa in June, chartered the MV Arrow, made significant progress in the construction of vessels 801 and 802, commissioned two new vessels for Islay, progressed investment in essential harbour infrastructure, and now we are delivering a further two new Islay-class vessels.
“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.”
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