[12], In April 2022, Caledonian Isles suffered a port engine failure and struck the breakwater. Get the latest news from the Express straight to your inbox. US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Sonic boom heard as RAF Typhoon jets escort plane, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. [3] The first, named MVGlen Sannox is due to enter service at Ardrossan,[4] and is now scheduled for delivery in mid 2023. But CalMac has a problem - the pace of renewal has been slow and the ageing boats are developing more faults, leading to delays and cancellations. The company leased the cruise boat MVClyde Clipper from Clyde Cruises to start the service, but she was out of service with engine problems for most of the first day.[13]. error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. [19] This allows her to berth a considerable distance from slipways, protecting her exposed Azipod propulsion systems in shallow waters. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. When MVGlen Sannox enters service in 2023,[2][3][4] Caledonian Isles is expected to become the second vessel on the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry crossing. 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. HP10 9TY. Two years later tenders went out for two new large ships - one for the Arran route and the other destined for the "Uig triangle", serving Skye, North Uist and Harris. [12] Argyll Ferries purchased MVAli Cat and a former Irish boat renamed MVArgyll Flyer to serve the route. On Friday, as MV Isle of Mull was brought in the North Uist Community Pressure Group tweeted that it was hopeful that vital food supplies would arrive. Jim McColl said "with hindsight" having the CalMac document put Ferguson in a strong position. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. 29 April 2022. Scandal-hit Ferguson Marine faces being dissolved despite millions of taxpayer money being ploughed into it, Caledonian Sleeper to be nationalised as Scottish Government accused of throwing taxpayers' money away, Cap on Scottish council fatcat wage rises lifted despite council tax hikes and severe cuts, SNP civil war turns more toxic as leading Sturgeon loyalist blasts Ash Regan as 'looking like an opposition politician', Moaning CMAL blame media reports about ferry fiasco for poor reputation as 'amateur' shipbuilders, CalMac claim unbundling ferry routes would not bring value to taxpayer despite massive bill for new ferries, Scots island community demands change as ferry fiasco delays hit locals hard, Lawyer to investigate whether 97m Calmac ferry contracts were 'rigged', Islanders face ANOTHER ferry fiasco as MV Caledonian Isles and MV Clansman overhauls delayed, Met Police in London urged to investigate the SNP's Covid 'crime of the century', Campaigners believe longstanding failures in the Scottish healthcare regulation were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, leading to up to 30,000 avoidable deaths and they won't stop until they get justice, Prince Harry feels 'stuck' with Meghan Markle in America as biographer claims he wants them to come home, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit the UK in 2020 but observers reckon the move has not worked out for them, Tax authorities 'destroyed' Rangers, former chairman Charles Green tells court, Green also spoke of his dislike for Craig Whyte, telling the court 'if we had a collection in this court we would have more money from that than Craig Whyte would ever have', Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell's joint bank account is key to resignation, says Private Eye, The outgoing SNP leader and her chief executive husband are urged to answer the question about whether or not they have a joint bank account, as the magazine says Operation Branchform was the 'game-changer' behind shock resignation, Nicola Sturgeon's tax returns reveal gold-plated 460k pension since she became First Minister, The Nats leader promised to publish her tax returns every year in 2016 and then promptly forgot all about it until today. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Score: 4.3/5 (13 votes) . With reports that some had taken to sleeping in cars because of the ferry meltdown, the North Uist Agricultural Show organisers circulated news on Tuesday that the Hosta Hall would be left open till 7pm for anyone who needs somewhere to shelter. Were this one man's ravings, it might matter little. CMAL's argument is that it needs to build long-lifespan "quality" ships, interchangeable between routes and capable of withstanding often harsh conditions. This has been rejected, although leasing the ship as a temporary measure remains a possibility. "CalMac need to sort this out because soon enough it will force people to want to leave the islands which is not what the islands are wanting.". Humza Yousaf 'should be anti-nationalist choice' for First Minister - because he's so useless, The Majority reckons the health secretary will create a 'raging bin fire' for the SNP if he gets the keys to Bute House when the party votes on a new leader, Rangers players rated as dominant first half enough to see off Kilmarnock to close gap on Celtic at top. boeing 767 patriot express. In February 2012, Caledonian Isles was in dry-dock to repair damage sustained in a collision with Winton Pier, Ardrossan. One, by ferry operator CalMac, found that a rival bid from a Polish shipyard best met its requirements, while an independent naval architect noted that FMEL's initial design was heavier and less efficient than the others. 48 hour snow warning for Scotland as Met Office predicts an icy start to spring, Don't put your winter woollies away yet! Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. The Caledonian MacBrayne vessel MV Isle of Mull leaves Oban, with the hills of the Mull in the background. "Our dedicated frontline staff will continue to work with local communities to understand and support their priorities. Sailings are met at Ardrossan Harbour by the ScotRail train service to Glasgow Central. CalMac and CMAL, another government agency which owns the ships and harbours, have a reputation for choosing a certain type of vessel - large, sophisticated mono-hulled ships with capacity for the crew to sleep on board. 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. But yesterday nearly all the sailings on the affected routes remained wiped out despite the move, with just two sailings planned. Second-hand ferry deal to boost CalMac network, Plug-in and sail: Meet the electric ferry pioneers, Ferry deal collapses over CalMac use of catamaran, Arran ferry out of action following engine failure, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he was concerned by the BBC's findings and would look into the matter further. It follows the Scottish Government's transport minister Jenny Gilruth warning it will be financially challenging" to fix Scotland's ferry shortage by the end of the decade. And it insists it remains on the lookout for suitable second hand boats. In August 2015, it was announced that two new ferries would be built at Ferguson Marine Engineering at Port Glasgow on the Clyde. Jim McColl confirmed to BBC Disclosure that he first looked into buying Fergusons at least two months before it went bust. The delays have added to pressure on CalMac's old and increasingly unreliable fleet. . Motorhomes and caravans banned from standby Scottish ferries No prominent backers appear for Ash Regan despite claims endorsements would arrive this week. [7] The streakers' removal from Rothesay was delayed by pier work to install an end-loading linkspan, allowing full ro-ro operation. During her repairs, MVHebridean Isles took up service on the Arran crossing, while MVCatriona operated a shuttle service from Claonaig to Lochranza to clear the backlog of traffic unable to board the smaller Hebridean Isles at Ardrossan. She is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which runs ferries to the Hebridean and Clyde Islands of Scotland. "They are all working hard to support our customers through this period - although disruptions are frustrating, please remember to treat them with respect. Even more troubling is what one can ascertain of the journalistic background. Why doesn't he name them? In 1976 Western Ferries' fast catamaran, Highland Seabird, had to abandon up-river services to Glasgow from Clyde resorts; even on gentle Clyde, floating timber was a menace. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'OK' about leaving Frogmore Cottage following Buckingham Palace's eviction, The couple are said to have accepted that they were privileged to have a house in the US and the UK, Humza Yousaf's lawyer Aamer Anwar wades into same-sex marriage debate as statement defends missed vote, The human rights lawyer has released a statement from the family of Mohammad Asghar, who was placed on death row in Pakistan in January 2014 and whose case was discussed by the SNP leadership contender at a much-scrutinised meeting at Holyrood the following month, SNP blasted for 'dragging their heels' over dangerous cladding programme as they spend less than 1m of 97m funding pot. Eddie Howe makes damning Ryan Fraser Newcastle admission as Scotland star's 'commitment' questioned. Like them, CalMac provides essential services no host of cherry-pickers could equal. In 1974 the average life of a ferry was 13 years old. The truth is brutal. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. . they had lost confidence in the senior management team. The additional service was provided by MVSaturn from 2005 until 2011, and by MVIsle of Arran from 2012. has a calmac ferry ever sunk 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'. It added that some staff employed at the time had now left. Alas, they are those of his paper. A problem with the firefighting equipment on MV Lord of the Isles has forced CalMac to withdraw it from service for and estimated eight days from the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The workers who saw the ferries saga unfold, Ten things we learned about the ferries fiasco, Mackay accepts role in 'catastrophic' ferries failure, Overdue ferry sets sail for new construction phase, Ferries deal awarded without financial safeguards. SHOPS across some Scots islands have been forced to ration essential items amid widespread ferry cancellations due to a broken down vessel, the Herald on Sunday can reveal. She measures 50m (164ft 1in) long by 14.5m (47ft 7in) metres wide. Ferry service getting worse admits Calmac boss - BBC News On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, a system used for the Danish island of Samso, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. Additionally, a 500 Internal Server Error The Arran route, where the first ship was due to enter service in 2018, has faced more than 2,500 cancellations . She is a bow loading vessel of similar design to the Island Class vessels and can take twelve passengers and one car, although due to vehicle restrictions on Kerrera she rarely carries cars. These vessels usually operate on longer crossings, with high passenger numbers. It said that while the Scottish Government must invest in the ferry fleet in the short and long term, it must compensate businesses who have suffered impact from the disruption and build confidence in the Outer Hebrides as a visitor destination "after the negative economic impact of this summer's ferry fiasco". We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. The average life of a ferry increased from 17 to nearly 26 years since the SNP came to power in 2007. CalMac, the state-owned ferry company, has decided motorhomes, camper vans and caravans will only be allowed on their services if they have a confirmed reservation, in a bid to placate. Caledonian Isles serves the Isle of Arran on the Ardrossan to Brodick route. READ MORE: Scandal-hit Ferguson Marine faces being dissolved despite millions of taxpayer money being ploughed into it. Islanders from Arran to Islay have lodged complaints. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. Scottish Government-controlled ferry operator Calmac were forced to make moves to provide an emergency ferry from one of Scotlands busiest routes to Mull to serve the stricken islands in the Outer Hebrides. It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. CMAL confirmed that an in-person meeting for the purposes of clarification did take place at the shipyard on 4 June, but said it believed this was normal and appropriate. "We understand how much our customers and communities we serve rely on ferry services, and how challenging this period is. CalMac says its maintenance budget has risen by 67% over the past five years, with a projected spend of 34.2m in 2022. SUNK BY CALMAC 'Weather-shy' ferry service could spell ruin for isle seafood firm, risking 100 jobs 2021-04-01 - By John Jeffay . It said: "We have had visitors cancel their holidays, leaving accommodation and activities providers with late cancellations, no fresh food in supermarkets, restaurants struggling to get supplies, visitors sleeping in cars and village halls, visitors re-routed hundreds of milesand the list goes on. She is a double-ender ferry with passenger capacity for 195, and capacity for 40 cars, or 4 HGVs. She has the capacity for 100 passengers. MV Caledonian Isles - Wikipedia Insight: Future of CalMac ferry service under scrutiny as islanders During the summer 2012 period, the capacity was limited to 12 passengers for HGV drivers during the week, whilst a full passenger service was provided on Saturdays. The documentary learned that last November union representatives told Finance Secretary Kate Forbes they had lost confidence in the senior management team. Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: During this latest disruption, we have shipped all the food deliveries we have been asked to take. An investigation found a failure to replace piston screws during scheduled maintenance may have been to blame. Aft of the entrance there are lounges down either side with toilet blocks, the shop and a bar lounge further towards the stern. "We have a senior manager from Scottish Water over visiting projects we are working on and struggling to believe this this kind of thing happens in this day and age," he said.