Caledonian MacBrayne ferries in Scotland

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Glen Sannox ferry sailings to resume after crack repair

The new Glen Sannox ferry is expected to resume sailings on Sunday after repairs have been completed on a crack in the ship's hull.

The brand new vessel only began operating in January after being delivered almost seven years late and costing more than four times the original contract price.

CalMac confirmed the news after divers carried out a detailed assessment of the damage on Saturday.  The ferry had been operating for just over two months between Troon in South Ayrshire and Brodick in the Isle of Arran.

A CalMac spokesman said: "The dive inspection has identified a hairline crack on a weld seam on MV Glen Sannox's hull earlier today and we can confirm repairs are now underway at Brodick and expected to complete later today.  We anticipate MV Glen Sannox to resume timetabled service on Sunday 16 March and will confirm this evening."

It added the MV Alfred would operate an extra return sailing on Saturday to provide cover and said the "vast majority" of booked customers had been able to travel.

(Article continues)

Is this what they mean by "teams of crack divers"?

[broadgage]

Did not know that hitachi built ferries.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

CalMac directly awarded new ferry service contract

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The contract to run Scotland's west coast ferry services in future has been directly awarded to the existing publicly-owned operator CalMac Ferries Ltd.

The Scottish government said the service would now be focused on a "public service model" instead of being run on a commercial basis.

The latest contract for the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service (CHFS) had been due to expire last September but was extended by a year.

Ministers had indicated that a direct award, without a competitive tender, was their preference, but they needed more time to ensure this could be done without a legal challenge.

No details of the contract's value or duration were given, but the previous eight-year contract for the heavily-subsidised ferry service was worth £975m. One estimate has suggested a subsidy of £3.7bn over 10 years would now be required.

CalMac is the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s biggest ferry operator and has held the most recent contract to run the routes since 2016, serving 50 destinations.

But the firm has struggled in recent years to maintain services with an ageing and increasingly unreliable fleet which it leases from another government-owned firm. Since 2007, the ships and some of the harbours it relies on have been owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd or CMAL, in a division designed to comply with EU^» (European Union - about) competition rules.

Delays in replacing the older vessels, in part due to the problems with two new dual-fuel ferries ordered a decade ago, have stretched the service almost to breaking point, with many vessels beyond their expected service life.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the direct award to CalMac signalled a new public service model rather than treating it as a commercial contract. She said this would lead to change that better served the needs of island communities, and she denied it would be seen as a reward for failure.

She told BBC Scotland News: "There are over 170,000 sailings. There have been cancellations, some for technical reasons, some for weather reasons, but the vast majority of CalMac's sailing are delivered very well in indeed. If you talk to islands the support for the frontline services of CalMac staff is very appreciative."

CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison welcomed the emphasis on treating the Clyde and Hebridean routes as a public service and promised improvements. He said: "During the extension period for the current contract, we recognised the need for change and are already driving change through the expansion of local teams, enhanced community engagement and improved responsiveness to local requirements.".

The Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service contract is offered as a single "bundle" which the government says has the advantages of protecting less profitable lifeline routes and delivering economies of scale. Critics of that choice have argued that unbundling certain routes and allowing competitive tender would encourage efficiencies.

The Northlink routes to Orkney and Shetland are currently operated by privately-owned Serco, with the government setting fares and service levels and paying the firm a subsidy to make up the difference between costs and revenue.

Hyslop said it was the government's intention to continue putting the Northern Isles services out to competitive tender.

Trade unions have backed the direct award of the west coast routes to the existing publicly-owned operator, with the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union calling for a "People's CalMac". The unions have, however, been critical of the government's approach to ferry procurement which has left CalMac with ageing vessels prone to breakdown.

The GMB union also contrasted the direct award to CalMac with the recent £160m small ferries contract that went to tender and was won by a Polish firm rather than the nationalised Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow.

GMB Scotland general secretary Louise Gilmour said the government should now merge CalMac and CMAL to encourage a more joined-up approach focused on supporting both ferry services and Scottish industry. "Our islands' need for reliable and modern ferries can drive a healthy and secure shipbuilding and maritime sector," she said. "It seems an obvious ambition with significant economic benefits and one that should not be beyond Scotland's capabilities to deliver."

The Scottish Conservatives said the direct award provided continuity but that CalMac would continue to struggle unless the government provided it with a resilient fleet. The party's transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said: "Islanders have been betrayed by the SNP time and time again, and any ferry provider is only as good as the fleet it has to work with."

(Article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Campaigners call for direct award of ferry to Ferguson shipyard

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The proposed design of the replacement Lord of the Isles would be smaller and less complex than the dual fuel ferries recently built in Port Glasgow

A campaign including community, civic and religious leaders as well as politicians from three parties is calling for more government help for the Ferguson shipyard.

An open letter to First Minister John Swinney says the nationalised firm in Port Glasgow should be directly awarded a contract for a new CalMac ferry, as it looks to move on from the controversy over two delayed and overbudget ships.

Local politicians from Labour, the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives as well as the Bishop of Paisley have signed the letter, drawn up by the GMB union.

Transport Scotland said any direct award would have to comply with rules on procurement and state subsidy in order to avoid a risk of legal challenge.

The campaign is asking the Scottish government to ensure a replacement for MV Lord of the Isles is manufactured at the nationalised yard, to help restore its reputation after a "bruising 10 years".

Ferguson Marine has been mired in controversy over the construction of two larger CalMac vessels, MV Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, which involved a demanding specification and a gas propulsion system unfamiliar to UK^▸ (United Kingdom) yards.

The yard employs about 300 workers and apprentices in an area which has high levels of deprivation. In the space of 18 months recently it lost another 1,200 jobs as several major employers closed down or relocated.

Campaigners say that while the reasons for the yard's problems are still debated, the "skilled and committed workforce is entirely blameless".

The letter says that foreign firms with "bids underpinned by low wages" will always beat UK shipyards on cost, but the social and economic value of Ferguson Marine to Inverclyde "is incalculable".


(BBC article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Shipyard's promised investment is 'conditional' - Forbes

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MSPs^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) have previously warned that the Ferguson yard on the Clyde needs urgent investment to allow it to survive

Only a small fraction of the £14.2m investment promised 16 months ago to help the nationalised Ferguson shipyard win new orders has so far been handed over, the Scottish government has confirmed.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said 11 funding requests had been approved, totalling £570,0000 since she first announced the investment in June last year. But in a letter to MSPs , she said the remainder of the modernisation money was conditional on a "robust business case" being made by the Ferguson board.

GMB, the main union representing Ferguson workers, said the firm was being placed in a "Catch 22" situation. It called on the government to give it a new ship order which would then unlock the investment funding.

The Port Glasgow shipyard, which employs about 300 workers and apprentices, is currently working to complete MV Glen Rosa, the second of two gas-powered CalMac ferries that have been beset by design problems and delays. While it has secured some subcontracting work for BAE Systems, it has no ship orders after the ferry is completed in the second quarter of next year.

Holyrood's public audit committee wrote to Kate Forbes last month, questioning the government's commitment to the shipyard after it emerged that procurement orders for major equipment items had been withdrawn. In her reply, Forbes suggested that the firm had simply issued these notices as a means of testing the market and gaining information about potential delivery times.

It is understood the equipment - a semi-automated panel line and profiling and cutting machines - was recommended by consultants First Marine International, which was tasked with reviewing the shipyard's productivity three years ago.

In her letter, Forbes said all 11 requests for capital funding from the shipyard so far had been approved, and the money had been spent on building repairs and health and safety as well as some equipment modernisation. But she added: "Access to the remainder of the modernisation funding will be conditional on a clear, board-approved business case, evidenced through the revised business plan".

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

New chairman to take the helm of nationalised shipyard

A new interim chairman has been appointed for Ferguson Marine, the nationalised shipyard in Port Glasgow.

Duncan Anderson will take over from the current board chairman Andrew Miller, who will step down at the end of his three-year term next month. Mr Anderson is a chartered marine engineer with more than 40 years of experience in ship operations and shipbuilding.

The change of board leadership comes at a crucial time for the shipyard, which is working to complete the CalMac ferry MV Glen Rosa as well as seeking new orders to secure a future for its 300-strong workforce.

Mr Miller, who was appointed chairman in 2023 after a seven-year stint at state-owned Prestwick Airport, was at times a controversial figure. He played a key role last year in the sacking the former chief executive David Tydeman, seen by many as a stabilising figure who made progress in delivering the CalMac ferry MV Glen Sannox after years of delays. But he was dismissed after a series of missed deadlines and substantial cost increases, with the chairman also claiming he had offered "unsubstantiated opinions" to MSPs^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) without the authorisation of the board.

Earlier this year, Mr Miller was criticised for "tone deaf" comments when he compared the effect of media scrutiny of Ferguson's to the physical abuse of children who then struggled to become "well-rounded" adults.

The chief executive of Ferguson Marine, Graeme Thomson, who joined the firm in May, paid tribute to the outgoing chairman, saying "several significant milestones" were achieved during his tenure. Ferguson Marine said Mr Miller would leave the role at the end of November "to focus on future work arrangements, overseas obligations, and family commitments".

It said the new interim chairman had been involved in the construction of more than 100 vessels during his career in shipyards in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Over £1m spent on sending Scottish ferry staff to Turkey

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More than £1m has been spent sending CalMac and CMAL staff to Turkey to oversee the construction of four new ferries, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The two companies, which operate and manage Scotland's nationalised ferry networks, have spent £1,016,162 on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hires on staff visiting the Turkish yard since 2022.

The Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the figures, said taxpayers were being "left to pick up the tab" for the SNP's "ferries fiasco which has left islanders without the vessels they need".

CalMac and CMAL said their staff's work in Turkey was "vital" and "essential".

A CalMac spokeswoman said most of the money related to staff costs, including wages, which would have been paid regardless of where the crew were. She said the extra amount - £23,000 - was for travel and subsistence costs which covered flights to and from Turkey, hotel accommodation, and general subsistence costs.

CMAL also said the same wages would have been paid to its staff regardless of travel costs.

The Cemre shipyard in Turkey was awarded the contracts to build four new vessels worth more than £200m.

These vessels are the MV Isle of Islay - which is due in November and will operate on the Kennacraig to Islay route - the MV Loch Indaal, MV Lochmor and MV Claymore at six-month intervals after the first vessel's delivery.

CalMac sent eight staff to Turkey, spending £845,981, while £170,181 was spent on five CMAL employees.

One Ferguson Marine employee was also sent to Turkey but the costs were covered by CMAL.

The first of the Turkish ferries, MV Isle of Islay, was launched a year ago by Morag McNeill, the chairwoman of CMAL, in a ceremony at the Cemre shipyard.

The nationalised Ferguson Marine is currently building two separate ferries - the Glen Sannox and the still under construction Glen Rosa.

The costs of the vessels has risen to more than four times their original £97m price tag, and were pushed back for completion several times.

Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said taxpayers were being forced to foot yet another hefty bill. "After squandering half-a-billion pounds on the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, ministers have blown another £1m flying staff to Turkey to keep tabs on the ferries being built there. Some project oversight is understandable after the huge problems with the Ferguson-built ferries - but this level of spending seems excessive."

Webber said the SNP had "betrayed islanders and taxpayers at every turn" by leaving remote communities reliant on out-of-date vessels while "letting costs spiral out of control for hard-pressed Scots".

"SNP ministers, who are responsible for Ferguson Marine, must finally provide the support the yard needs to compete, so that ferries can be built here in Scotland, not abroad," she added.

The CalMac spokeswoman said: "New vessels are an essential addition to the CalMac fleet and we are very much looking forward to MV Isle of Islay joining us next month. Staff and crew have been spending valuable time at the yard in Turkey carrying out vital work to support CMAL with the build process and to ensure that the vessel is built as specified, and meets all legal and classification standards. This is the same as the process involved for MV Glen Sannox before she joined the fleet."

She added that staff working in Turkey included marine and technical specialists as well as the senior crew who will be responsible for the vessel's safe passage to Scotland. "Their role includes the implementation of the important processes and procedures required to gain the necessary safety management and other certification needed to operate the vessel in UK^▸ (United Kingdom) waters," she added. "Thirteen brand new vessels will be joining CalMac by 2029 and will be of huge benefit to service resilience and reliability, to the benefit of all customers, including island communities."

A spokesperson for CMAL said: "CMAL is required on site throughout the build of vessels to provide essential quality assurance and supervision. Remuneration is the same regardless of the build location, and travel and accommodation costs are standard. These form part of the overall project budget, which remains on target."

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "As people would expect, CMAL has been and is continuing to work closely with the shipyard to reduce the time between delivery of each of the new vessels where possible. We expect delivery of MV Isle of Islay later this year and MV Lochmor was successfully launched on 23 August 2025 marking another construction milestone."

[TonyK]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Over £1m spent on sending Scottish ferry staff to Turkey

[Image from here is not available to guests]

More than £1m has been spent sending CalMac and CMAL staff to Turkey to oversee the construction of four new ferries, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The two companies, which operate and manage Scotland's nationalised ferry networks, have spent £1,016,162 on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hires on staff visiting the Turkish yard since 2022.

The Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the figures, said taxpayers were being "left to pick up the tab" for the SNP's "ferries fiasco which has left islanders without the vessels they need".

CalMac and CMAL said their staff's work in Turkey was "vital" and "essential".

A CalMac spokeswoman said most of the money related to staff costs, including wages, which would have been paid regardless of where the crew were. She said the extra amount - £23,000 - was for travel and subsistence costs which covered flights to and from Turkey, hotel accommodation, and general subsistence costs.

CMAL also said the same wages would have been paid to its staff regardless of travel costs.

The Cemre shipyard in Turkey was awarded the contracts to build four new vessels worth more than £200m.

These vessels are the MV Isle of Islay - which is due in November and will operate on the Kennacraig to Islay route - the MV Loch Indaal, MV Lochmor and MV Claymore at six-month intervals after the first vessel's delivery.

CalMac sent eight staff to Turkey, spending £845,981, while £170,181 was spent on five CMAL employees.

One Ferguson Marine employee was also sent to Turkey but the costs were covered by CMAL.

The first of the Turkish ferries, MV Isle of Islay, was launched a year ago by Morag McNeill, the chairwoman of CMAL, in a ceremony at the Cemre shipyard.

The nationalised Ferguson Marine is currently building two separate ferries - the Glen Sannox and the still under construction Glen Rosa.

The costs of the vessels has risen to more than four times their original £97m price tag, and were pushed back for completion several times.

Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said taxpayers were being forced to foot yet another hefty bill. "After squandering half-a-billion pounds on the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, ministers have blown another £1m flying staff to Turkey to keep tabs on the ferries being built there. Some project oversight is understandable after the huge problems with the Ferguson-built ferries - but this level of spending seems excessive."

Webber said the SNP had "betrayed islanders and taxpayers at every turn" by leaving remote communities reliant on out-of-date vessels while "letting costs spiral out of control for hard-pressed Scots".

"SNP ministers, who are responsible for Ferguson Marine, must finally provide the support the yard needs to compete, so that ferries can be built here in Scotland, not abroad," she added.

The CalMac spokeswoman said: "New vessels are an essential addition to the CalMac fleet and we are very much looking forward to MV Isle of Islay joining us next month. Staff and crew have been spending valuable time at the yard in Turkey carrying out vital work to support CMAL with the build process and to ensure that the vessel is built as specified, and meets all legal and classification standards. This is the same as the process involved for MV Glen Sannox before she joined the fleet."

She added that staff working in Turkey included marine and technical specialists as well as the senior crew who will be responsible for the vessel's safe passage to Scotland. "Their role includes the implementation of the important processes and procedures required to gain the necessary safety management and other certification needed to operate the vessel in UK^▸ (United Kingdom) waters," she added. "Thirteen brand new vessels will be joining CalMac by 2029 and will be of huge benefit to service resilience and reliability, to the benefit of all customers, including island communities."

A spokesperson for CMAL said: "CMAL is required on site throughout the build of vessels to provide essential quality assurance and supervision. Remuneration is the same regardless of the build location, and travel and accommodation costs are standard. These form part of the overall project budget, which remains on target."

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "As people would expect, CMAL has been and is continuing to work closely with the shipyard to reduce the time between delivery of each of the new vessels where possible. We expect delivery of MV Isle of Islay later this year and MV Lochmor was successfully launched on 23 August 2025 marking another construction milestone."

That's much ado about nothing. I would assume you can't learn how to sail a particular ferry whilst sailing on its maiden voyage across the Med and up the Atlantic from a YouTube video.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

New delay for Turkish-built CalMac ferry MV Isle of Islay

The first of four new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey has been delayed again.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) said it still hoped to take delivery of MV Isle of Islay before Christmas but warned this would be a "challenge".

CMAL had previously told MSPs^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) it expected the ship to be handed over in November, before making the two-week voyage to Scotland.

The government-owned ferries agency says a number of issues are still being addressed before the ferry can be signed off by UK^▸ (United Kingdom) regulators.

MV Isle of Islay, which will will operate on the Kennacraig to Islay route, is the first of four 95m-long ferries being built for the CalMac fleet at the Turkish Cemre shipyard.

When the contract was awarded it was due for delivery in October last year, but construction has been hit by a series of delays which CMAL says were due to supply chain issues and labour shortages.

In an update letter to Holyrood's net zero, energy and transport committee, CMAL said the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carried out a final survey in the last week of October, and the shipyard is addressing issues that were raised. MCA inspectors are due to carry out another final survey on 8 December.

The update letter said: "If all completion activities go smoothly, the shipyard is targeting delivery of MV Isle of Islay prior to the Christmas period. This will be a challenge but CMAL, CalMac, Cemre and the regulatory authorities are all working hard and collaboratively towards reaching this target date for vessel delivery just before the Christmas holidays."

The journey to Scotland will involve a refuelling stop at Gibraltar and a journey across the Bay of Biscay. After arriving in Scotland, CalMac will carry out crew familiarisation and berthing trials at various ports before the ship enters service.

Work is continuing at the Cemre shipyard on MV Loch Indaal - also destined for the Islay route - and two other ferries MV Lochmor and MV Claymore will eventually serve the Western Isles.

CMAL said costs remained "on budget".

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Union warns 'inaction' could sabotage shipyard's survival

The biggest union at the publicly-owned Ferguson shipyard has claimed that government inaction is jeopardising its future.

GMB Scotland said a failure to deliver promised investment or new orders to Ferguson Marine would amount to "sabotage". The union has been calling for a direct award of a new CalMac ferry order to help the Port Glasgow yard restore its reputation after delays and huge cost overruns building two dual-fuel ships.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the shipyard was of "national importance" and the government had previously acted to save jobs but any contract awards must satisfy procurement and state subsidy rules. During a debate at Holyrood on Tuesday she also made clear the release of modernisation funding was dependent on the firm presenting a revised business plan which factored in new orders.

The Holyrood debate discussed a report from the parliament's public audit committee which criticised previous governance failures but also called for more support for the shipyard to help it become more competitive. It warned the shipyard's viability was at risk without urgent action to address years of underinvestment and give the firm "a realistic chance" of securing new work.

GMB Scotland general secretary Louise Gilmour said the report should serve as an "emergency flare".

"The public audit committee could not have sounded the alarm more clearly or loudly over the future of Ferguson Marine," she said. "Its report demanded swift and effective action from the Scottish government but, in the six months since, we have heard only excuses and seen no action at all." She said ministers from John Swinney down had taken turns to "wring their hands and tell us how complicated it is".

"Scotland has a publicly-owned shipyard which successfully built small ferries for generations and a publicly-owned ferry company that urgently needs them. It is not that complicated," she added.

In September, a cross-party coalition of community leaders, trade unions, and local politicians urged First Minister John Swinney to award the contract for a replacement for the CalMac ferry MV Lord of the Isles directly to the shipyard.

The project has been ready to go to procurement since mid-summer, but three months on, no timescale has been given for a decision.

Forbes said any such award must be lawful and Transport Scotland was still considering the business case.


(BBC article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

Another update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

CalMac ferry Glen Rosa delayed again by up to six months

[Image from here is not available to guests]
MV Glen Rosa, seen here leaving dry dock in Greenock, will have to return for a longer docking to fix corrosion problems

The delivery date for MV Glen Rosa - the second of two dual-fuel ferries being built for CalMac - has been pushed back by up to another six months.

The state-owned Ferguson shipyard said corrosion had been discovered during recent inspections and the ship will require an extra period in dry dock next year.

In a letter to MSPs^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament), it said that would have a knock-on effect on commissioning the ferry, and it was now aiming to deliver it in the final three months of next year.

In a separate update, ferries body CMAL confirmed that MV Isle of Islay, the first of four CalMac ferries being built in Turkey, faces another short delay and will not be handed over this year.

MV Glen Rosa and its sister vessel MV Glen Sannox were meant to enter service in 2018 but the build has been plagued by design challenges and disputes over costs which saw the firm fall back into administration and nationalised.

The second of the hybrid propulsion ships has been moored at the quayside of the Port Glasgow shipyard for fitting out work since its slipway launch in April last year.

At the time of the launch it was hoped it would be handed over this autumn as it was in a far more complete state than Glen Sannox, famously sent down the slipway seven years earlier with painted-on windows and plywood funnels.


(BBC article continues)

[TaplowGreen]

Complete and ongoing fiasco from Day 1 of the procurement process.

[TonyK]

Complete and ongoing fiasco from Day 1 of the procurement process.

Even by the usual standards of public investment, this has been a shocker. I would expect Turkey to be cheaper than elsewhere, as it is for dental implants and weight loss surgery.

The ride home from Cemre is going to be a plum job for the crew if they haven't retired by then. It's on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, close the the Bosphorus (translation: Ox-ford). Tourists pay good money for a cruise along that route.

[Chris from Nailsea]

May I post here, to the effect that I have probably only continued to quote such ongoing 'news' updates from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), as they enable me to add yet more fresh images of ferries on this forum.

I love ferries. CfN.

[GBM]

The ride home from Cemre is going to be a plum job for the crew if they haven't retired by then. It's on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, close the the Bosphorus (translation: Ox-ford). Tourists pay good money for a cruise along that route.

OFF TOPIC ALERT.
In my previous to previous occupation, we discharged product oil just North of Istanbul, then back out into the Meddi Sea.
Going back down the Bosporus Strait (compulsory pilotage and single line traffic), our Old Man (Captain) found it quite amusing that we headed a long line of outgoing ships.
Right behind us was a Russian Warship, and all those in our line confined to our top speed of around 11 knots.
Guaranteed the Russians would have liked to 'get a move on'.