Millions of public pounds were sunk in badly-sited terminals and an inadequate new ferry. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Were this one man's ravings, it might matter little. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Hebridean Isles was scheduled to operate alongside Isle of Arran, however significant technical faults saw her providing a freight-only service between Brodick and Troon, before being withdrawn from service altogether in late February.[15]. The Wemyss Bay to Rothesay route is operated by two vessels, built in Poland, MVBute (delivered in spring 2005) and MVArgyle, which entered service in 2007. The cost to the public purse has risen to 2.5 times the original 97m budget - and the first ship won't be handed over to CalMac until the spring of 2023 at the earliest, nearly five years late. misconfiguration and was unable to complete We need to do something different, because the government isn't interested in helping us. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Nor are we advised of Professor Kay's expertise in maritime affairs, but his obscurity is such that he enjoys no entry in Who's Who in Scotland. Jim McColl believes the ferries will cost at least 300m and ferry expert Roy Pederson says it would be better to scrap them and start again. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Michael Beales men were desperate to put last weeks 2-1 Hampden defeat behind them and faced a Kilmarnock side crying out for success on the road. He said: "With hindsight, it put us in a very strong position, because we were responding to what CalMac were looking for, and not what CMAL had put out to the other yards. During the winter season, Caledonian Isles goes for her annual overhaul, and is commonly relieved by MVIsle of Arran, MVClansman or MVHebrides. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. One design was eliminated because it was considered overpowered. She is a double-ender ferry with passenger capacity for 195, and capacity for 40 cars, or 4 HGVs. Something went wrong, please try again later. Audit Scotland said the BBC's investigation raised "serious questions" about the use of public money. The ferry operator is facing frequent issues as it has to constantly repair the aging fleet which is blighted with problems due to the lack of back ups. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Reporting team: Mark Daly, Kevin Anderson, Calum Watson, Katie McEvinney, New data reveals train commuters spend up to 2450 more a year than car-owning colleagues, Pensioner charged over alleged headbutt assault, Inverclyde Youth Council seeks new recruits, Glasgow politicians call for Government intervention on Mortons Rolls closure as local celebs react on Twitter, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Western Ferries competes directly on the Clyde's Gourock-Dunoon service; a private operator runs an alternative Skye ferry, and other car ferries at Jura, Luing, and Corran are run by local authorities. We prioritise food supplies and nothing has been left on the mainland. But those "green" claims are questionable - LNG is still a fossil fuel, and it has to be imported from Qatar before being driven hundreds of miles from Kent to Scotland. Even then, blundering officials had to remove the documents after they forgot to redact her bank details, Frogmore eviction 'leaked' by Palace as political tactic insider claims. As it is one of CalMac's busiest routes, Caledonian Isles has the . The first thing they do is they better buy two cartons of milk, or two two packs of Lurpak. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. [1] She was built for and has run on the Largs to Cumbrae route since 2007. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Aberdeen youth product is training with the under-21s after falling out-of-favour on Tyneside. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Bow Thruster: 2 x Caterpillar 3412 approx 520kW (700hp) each. Caledonian Isles started operating from the new Brodick ferry terminal later that day. The head of Scotland's state-owned ferry network has admitted the service is getting worse. That is what Kerevan presents as hard news. Comments have been closed on this article. Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: During this latest disruption, we have shipped all the food deliveries we have been asked to take. [10] MVSaturn last served Dunoon on 29 June 2011, and was then scheduled to operate the summer relief on the Arran crossing. Most are symmetrical when viewed from the side, with no operational bow or stern. Something needs to change.". She was built in 2017 by Malakoff Limited in Shetland. It comes after a summer of cancellations and disruption across the CalMac ferry network due to breakdowns with the ageing ferry fleet. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. She is used extensively by day-trippers to the Isle of Arran during the summer. . Travel company https://www.youtube.com/user/CalMacFerriesLtd "Why isn't there an automatic plan in place, so that when a ferry goes off there is another there and you do this and that. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. [11], During her annual overhaul in 2022, unexpected steelworks were required, delaying the vessel's return to service. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. [10], In October 2019, Caledonian Isles was diverted to Troon as the linkspans in both Ardrossan and Gourock - the vessel's usual port of diversion - failed, resulting in vehicles being unable to board or alight from the ferry there. CMAL may have broken its own rules by allowing Ferguson to go ahead with its bid despite being unable to provide evidence of a builders refund guarantee, a mandatory financial safeguard, Ferguson obtained a 424-page document from a design consultant setting out CalMac's technical requirements, while other bidders had to rely on a more limited 125-page specification. This peak summer service originally operated between June and August however, due to demand, operates from May to September since 2013. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. The Arran route, where the first ship was due to enter service in 2018, has faced more than 2,500 cancellations . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 21:35, "Costs double on delayed CalMac ferry contract", "Shipyard turnaround is 'most challenging in UK', "Gourock passengers' anger as Arran ferry is given priority", "New Arran Ferry set to launch next June - government confirms", "New Brodick Ferry Terminal Opens To Passengers", "Technical failure causes major disruption to Arran ferry", "CalMac ferry breakdown and five Storm Corrie service suspensions cause disruption", "Ferry out of action for at least three weeks after crash breaks engine", "CalMac sorry for disruption with broken ferries sidelined", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MV_Caledonian_Isles&oldid=1141798879, Main: 2 x Mirrlees Blackstone MB275/8T 2,200kW (2,900hp) each, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 21:35. [15] The third hybrid ferry, MVCatriona, was launched on 11 December 2015 and entered service on the Claonaig to Lochranza route in September 2016. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. [3] The first, named MVGlen Sannox is due to enter service at Ardrossan,[4] and is now scheduled for delivery in mid 2023. It complained about the lack a CalMac plan for food deliveries for hotels and shops. It's getting worse every year and they are building only one new ferry. Most islands in the west of Scotland rely on services from state-owned CalMac, which operates 34 vessels - the largest fleet in the UK. It is now understood while the Scottish Government has come under increasing fire over a failure to deal with the ferries crisis, it is now considering setting up a compensation fund for islands using fines it has imposed on CalMac for underperformance. She measures 50m (164ft 1in) long by 14.5m (47ft 7in) metres wide. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. More: Kerevan and his paper attack not a company, but a community. CalMac has warned of further disruption to its ferry services caused by a lack of backup vessels after three of its ten main ships are out of action till at least mid-March due to technical problems. There are presently ten vessels over 80 metres (260 feet) in length in the CalMac fleet: The upper deck has the bridge and outside seating from the huge red funnel towards the stern. The additional service was provided by MVSaturn from 2005 until 2011, and by MVIsle of Arran from 2012. [citation needed] During periods of adverse weather, it is not uncommon for the vessel to berth overnight at Brodick, with either cancellation of the 1920 service from Brodick, or a return to Brodick after the 1920 eastbound sailing. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Deputy First Minister John Swinney has pledged to look into the new evidence. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Regulation 1177/2010 provides that if a ferry service provider cancels a ferry service, they must refund or rebook you. CalMac initially announced a provisional return date of 28th February, but this was later pushed back to 31st March. The 1920 Saturday departure was removed during the winter 2016/2017 timetable to facilitate a 0820 sailing from Brodick on Sunday, where a crew safety drill has been a normal occurrence since October 2016. An investigation found a failure to replace piston screws during scheduled maintenance may have been to blame. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. CalMac declined to give either an interview or a statement. Concessions vary according to the local councils. Bad weather prevented Caledonian Isles from berthing in Troon, reducing the service to passenger-only from Ardrossan. A mere 7cm (3in) shorter, MVLoch Fyne and MVLoch Dunvegan were built for the Skye crossing.