This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Portraying CalMac as a subsidy junkie fast alienating the public, Kerevan forecasts its doom before European demands for compulsory competitive tendering. MVClansman, "However, the meeting left CalMac and Transport Scotland in no doubt that the current situation is unendurable," he said. The Loch class are a group of smaller vessels with a single car deck, running the length of the ship, with a ramp at each end. MV Caledonian Isles - Wikipedia We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. She was removed from service and relieved by Isle of Arran, with Loch Riddon providing additional capacity on the Lochranza - Claonaig route alongside Catriona. During this period, MVLoch Riddon operated additional services from Claonaig to Lochranza. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Caledonian Isles has only ever operated between Ardrossan and Brodick on Arran. The Times reports an equally bleak picture across the CalMac fleet in terms of upkeep and new vessels. 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. The rank outsider to become First Minister has only received the public backing of one serving politician, Joanna Cherry, amid struggles to get her campaign going. [1] She normally undertakes up to 5 crossings a day in each direction, leaving Ardrossan at 0700, 0945, 1230, 1515 and 1800, and leaving Brodick at 0820, 1105, 1355, 1640 and 1920. Nor does Kerevan tell us CalMac has been long forbidden freely to compete on the Dunoon route. misconfiguration and was unable to complete has a calmac ferry ever sunk. Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: During this latest disruption, we have shipped all the food deliveries we have been asked to take. MVIsle of Lewis, Duncan Hamilton says he has not spoken to Kerevan for at least three months. The past two years have seen a significant drop in numbers due to Covid restrictions but the ferry network is once again struggling to cope. [10] MVSaturn last served Dunoon on 29 June 2011, and was then scheduled to operate the summer relief on the Arran crossing. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. CalMac says its maintenance budget has risen by 67% over the past five years, with a projected spend of 34.2m in 2022. [9], On 16 March 2019 Caledonian Isles rammed the pier at Brodick after her bow thrusters failed, causing significant damage to her bow visor. She is the smallest vessel in the fleet. 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. MVLoch Portain, MVLoch Buie and MVLoch Shira also have a lounge above the car deck. Mark Daly investigates what went wrong at the Ferguson shipyard, and raises questions about the tender process that saw the contract awarded in 2015. Catalog; For You; Scottish Daily Mail. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Motorhomes and caravans banned from standby Scottish ferries It was hoped that the ferry might be back in operation today after its loss led to major disruption with the shutdown for three days of two routes between Uig on Skye, Lochmaddy on North Uist and Tarbert on Harris. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The costs for the works is expected to cost around 1.4bn plan but it is estimated to soar with inflation after many years of under-investment. Agency safety regulations. Mr Swinney told the Scottish Parliament that he welcomed this move, and that the government's permanent secretary had been in contact with the Auditor General to discuss the matter. Highland Seabird, despite carrying 60,000 passengers in a season, proved utterly uneconomic. The Arran route, where the first ship was due to enter service in 2018, has faced more than 2,500 cancellations . "Significant investments are being progressed by the Scottish government and its partners.". In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. It came as islanders complained to CalMac about food shelves being bare as vital supplies were not reaching shops and evidence of panic buying. Teaching strikes reprieve in doubt as union blasts 14% pay rise as 'paltry'. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. [1] The 2 larger lifeboats were replaced in 2017 to make way for the new marine evacuation system. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. A Transport Scotland spokesman said: CalMac forms part of the local resilience partnership. THE owner of Scotland's ferry fleet demanded a foreign firm pay up to 100,000 to gain UK maritime approval for a 9m vessel it was negotiating to buy to ease chaos on the network ending in the. "You cannot get more than one carton of milk in each shop. History. She measures 50m (164ft 1in) long by 14.5m (47ft 7in) metres wide. Why the facts sink this bizarre CalMac attack | HeraldScotland "There is no milk produced locally. We are lucky at The Herald. has a calmac ferry ever sunk. MV Loch Seaforth. Why doesn't he name them? ", Mr Drummond responded: "We are prioritising food deliveries and weve shipped everything the local haulier has asked for. MVLoch Frisa is a former Norled ferry bought by Caledonian MacBrayne in 2021. Its overhaul has been delayed due to the Clansman not being available to take over its duties; Lord of the Isles - Covering Coll-Tiree-Colonsay services and will have its overhaul once the Clansman returns to service [18] Her design allows her to make the crossing in reverse when sea conditions allow.[18]. [1] The much delayed MVGlen Sannox is expected to serve Arran from 2022,[2][3][4] replacing MVIsle of Arran and allowing Caledonian Isles to become the second ferry on the Ardrossan-Brodick and the Ardrossan-Campbeltown crossings. ], she usually berths overnight at Ardrossan all year. CalMac have insisted that all food was being shipped and said it was not fair to say that any shortages were the direct result of the ferry issues. It would be interesting to see Kerevan's obsession with the profit-motive applied, say, to the police, or our prisons, or the armed forces. Ship management accounting is complex, with costs and the intricacies of ship depreciation spread over CalMac operations as a whole. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. More than seven years later those ships, Glen Sannox and the as yet un-named hull 802, are still under construction at the now-nationalised Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow. [3] The first, named MVGlen Sannox is due to enter service at Ardrossan,[4] and is now scheduled for delivery in mid 2023. has a calmac ferry ever sunk - fabriquesat.fr contact the editor here. 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. GMB union convener John McMunagle said the concerns were raised at board meetings, where they highlighted that there were "managers everywhere" - but they could not get steelworkers. Additionally, a 500 Internal Server Error "We understand how much our customers and communities we serve rely on ferry services, and how challenging this period is. It means that Glen Sannox will now be five years late and will not see service till between March and May 2023 at the earliest, while Hull 802 is not due to set sail till between October and December 2023. CalMac said told The Herald: "Our team is working hard to provide alternative solutions. Our team, 70% of whom live and work locally, truly understand the impact of this disruption. Last year the Scottish government promised 580m of investment in Scotland's ferry network over the next five years - about half of it for new ships - but some claim, given the scale of the problem, that's nowhere near enough. contact the editor here. Find out more about Safer Travel with CalMac. A replacement programme for seven smaller vessels has begun, and is currently at the "concept design" phase. Forward of the main entrance square is the cafeteria, with stairways leading up to the observation lounge and the outside deck. MVIsle of Arran, CalMac, apparently, runs a ''lucrative monopoly'', threatened by ''up to a dozen rivals who are expected to bid for the state-owned company's network'', according to a ''leading maritime expert'', Professor Neil Kay of Strathclyde University. CalMac warns of further disruption to ferry service due to lack of "Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited announces Scottish shipbuilder as preferred tenderer for two large ferries contract", "Shortage Of Workers And Covid Disruption Delay Ferguson Ferries By A Further 15 Weeks", "Public invited to help name CMAL's first LNG ferry", "New 12m CalMac hybrid ferry launched at Ferguson yard", "CalMac takes over the tiller at Argyll Ferries", "New ferry purchased for CalMac Scottish Island Services", Shipsofcalmac.uk: Unofficial list of the past and current Caledonian MacBrayne fleet, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caledonian_MacBrayne_fleet&oldid=1126830855, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 December 2022, at 12:53. CalMac is ''renowned for its high prices, uncomfortable boats, and disregard for customers . You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . The car deck incorporates a set of mezzanine decks, one down each side of the central casing and each divided into three sections. CMAL's argument is that it needs to build long-lifespan "quality" ships, interchangeable between routes and capable of withstanding often harsh conditions. 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. A leaked dossier has suggested the process of awarding a 97m Scottish ferries contract may have been rigged. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. 48 hour snow warning for Scotland as Met Office predicts an icy start to spring, Don't put your winter woollies away yet! The documents indicate that no other bidder was given a similar opportunity to revise its submission so significantly. MVHebridean Isles, 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]. After transport minister Jenny Gilruth convened a resilience meeting with the local MP, MSP, councillors and other stakeholders Alasdair Allan the SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said the minister agreed to look at whether a compensation scheme can be created from financial performance penalties imposed on CalMac. This has been rejected, although leasing the ship as a temporary measure remains a possibility. Jim McColl confirmed to BBC Disclosure that he first looked into buying Fergusons at least two months before it went bust. CalMac initially announced a provisional return date of 28th February, but this was later pushed back to 31st March. Lochnevis has a surprisingly large vehicle ramp, which dominates her appearance. An open deck extends right around the vessel on this level, including forward of the observation lounge and overlooking the bow. Caledonian MacBrayne fleet - Wikipedia 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. Any shortages may be down to supermarket supply chain issues.. Argyll Flyer was not available for the start of the passenger-only service due to prop shaft problems. Privately-run Pentland Ferries has successfully used such ships to and from Orkney for years, and has recently replaced MV Pentalina with a new catamaran. Juno and Jupiter were withdrawn from service in 2010, and by June 2011 Juno had been broken up at Rosneath,[8] meanwhile Jupiter was sold to breakers in Denmark for recycling in that month. We prioritise food supplies and nothing has been left on the mainland. FAQs. [7], The former Clyde ferries, MVJupiter, MVJuno and MVSaturn had provided the Dunoon and Rothesay services for the best part of 35 years. has a calmac ferry ever sunk The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 units in operation and another 4 on order. Who are those 12 rival ferry-operators? CalMac is ''renowned for its high prices, uncomfortable boats, and disregard for customers . Something needs to change.". MVCaledonian Isles has the highest passenger capacity and can carry 1000 people on the Ardrossan to Brodick, Arran crossing. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Twice and thrice - 1982; 1988; 1994 - the Tories tried, and failed, to find an alternative to nationalised CalMac operations. 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. Yet it is false to say that ''not one of Caledonian MacBrayne's 29 vessels'' makes a profit. Most islands in the west of Scotland rely on services from state-owned CalMac, which operates 34 vessels - the largest fleet in the UK. But the project has been beset by problems and the yard has been nationalised after going back into administration. Bow Thruster: 2 x Caterpillar 3412 approx 520kW (700hp) each. "For others that can only do a once-weekly shop how can they when we have no supplies on the islands. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. The average life of a ferry increased from 17 to nearly 26 years since the SNP came to power in 2007. 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. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . The Caledonian MacBrayne vessel MV Isle of Mull leaves Oban, with the hills of the Mull in the background. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. She was built in 2017 by Malakoff Limited in Shetland. One design was eliminated because it was considered overpowered. The vessel, which can carry 612 passengers and 90 cars, was due to be replaced by a new ship, one of two dual-fuel vessels at the centre of a ferry-building fiasco that are languishing in Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow on the Clyde. . An investigation found a failure to replace piston screws during scheduled maintenance may have been to blame. Jim McColl said "with hindsight" having the CalMac document put Ferguson in a strong position. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. 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. [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. MVCaledonian Isles, Of the 10 largest ferries, four are more than 30 years old and the MV Isle of Arran is 39. If Kerevan believes CalMac fares are extortionate, he should take a van to Shetland, or fly from Glasgow to Stornoway. We will continue to do our best to balance demand to capacity however, with no spare vessels and limited deployment options, capacity may be reduced on some routes and in some situations, we may need to prioritise essential bookings. Something went wrong, please try again later. At least three runs - Stornoway, Craignure, and Brodick - are notionally profitable. Government-owned ferries agency CMAL defended the procurement and said an audit in 2018 found "no adverse issues". Ministers under fire as cheap deal for new lifeline Scots ferry is sunk Get the latest news from the Express straight to your inbox. why; as on last Wednesday, our attention was drawn to an astonishing onslaught on ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Glen Sannox floated high in the water after it was launched in 2017 because so much equipment had yet to be fitted, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. 29 April 2022. [15] The third hybrid ferry, MVCatriona, was launched on 11 December 2015 and entered service on the Claonaig to Lochranza route in September 2016. 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. 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. 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. The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 units in operation and another 4 on order. She is powered by a hybrid combination of batteries and a small diesel engine - a world first for a sea-going RO-RO vessel. The two ferries are still being built for CalMac, but will be at least 150m over budget and five years late. John Daniel Peteranna of the group, whose South Uist-based renewable energy company supplies wind turbines to make help make homes self-sufficient said: "It is just not sustainable. As for uncomfortable ships, we must assume Kerevan has never boarded any of the ''mini-liners'' CalMac have built since the late eighties - our own new Hebrides is a splendid example. What's gone wrong with CalMac's new ferries? - BBC News They remain in close local contact with communities and hauliers and are working with them to prioritise the movement of essential supplies. A SCOTS seafood firm could be forced to close with the loss of 100 jobs due to an unreliable and 'weather-shy' ferry service. He has been contacted for comment. A band of rain, sleet and snow is expected to move south during Monday followed by frequent snow and hail showers, Ken Bruce leaves BBC with veiled jibe after they ended his show early over concerns was free advertising for a rival, The 72-year-old Glaswegian left Radio to join Greatest Hits Radio in April after the Beeb told him to step down 17 days early, Teaching strikes held off as union on brink of striking pay deal. And he said it may be that the island will have to look at producing milk locally. 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. SUNK BY CALMAC 'Weather-shy' ferry service could spell ruin for isle seafood firm, risking 100 jobs 2021-04-01 - By John Jeffay . She was built in 2015 as Utne and operated for Norled for 6 years. The group said on Thursday in a message to CalMac's managing director Robbie Drummond and Ms Gilruth: "Maybe the plan is that without visitors we wont need many supplies. CalMac's oldest is the Isle of Cumbrae which is 47-years old. The head of Scotland's state-owned ferry network has admitted the service is getting worse. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The Aberdeen youth product is training with the under-21s after falling out-of-favour on Tyneside. [19] This allows her to berth a considerable distance from slipways, protecting her exposed Azipod propulsion systems in shallow waters. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can 'For god's sake do something': Food rationing fury as islanders blame [7] The streakers' removal from Rothesay was delayed by pier work to install an end-loading linkspan, allowing full ro-ro operation. She is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which runs ferries to the Hebridean and Clyde Islands of Scotland. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. For god's sake do something will you, CalMac. 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. MV Hebrides has been withdrawn from service twice because of issues with its fire suppressant system. The central casing means that she can only carry one lane of commercial vehicles down each side of the car deck. 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