CalMac sailings cancelled after Hebrides ferry hits new faults days after returning from extensive repairs
Sailings cancelled between Harris, Skye and North Uist
A CalMac ferry has broken down for a second time within a week of returning from extended repairs and its annual overhaul.
The latest problem with Hebrides forced the cancellation of sailings between Skye, Harris and North Uist on Wednesday with CalMac warning that disruption could continue into Thursday.
The west coast operator said the 26-year-old vessel had a leak in the charge cooler in its port [left] engine and a spare part was on its way.
The fault came after the ferry suffered a problem with its emergency generator on Monday which also disrupted services.
It had returned to service last Wednesday after three weeks of extra repairs following scheduled maintenance.
The ferry, which can carry 600 passengers and 90 cars, should have returned from annual maintenance in Leith on April 18 but suffered gearbox problems then other faults as it was returning to the west coast a week later.
It was diverted to Aberdeen, where a leak in its bow door seal was repaired. It also suffered problems with an engine speed controller and sprung a hydraulic deck leak.
CalMac apologised for having to halt sailings between Uig in Skye, Tarbert in Harris and Lochmaddy in North Uist.
It told passengers: “Disrupting a sailing is a decision we do not take lightly because we know it will inconvenience our customers and the communities we serve.”
The operator had declared a return to “full normality” when Hebrides and another of its large ferries returned to service last week, which meant it could “plan ahead with a level of confidence”.
However, chief executive Duncan Mackison had told The Scotsman the previous week that it would remain “on the edge” of further major disruption until three new ferries were delivered from Turkey by early next year.
Isle of Mull, one of its other large ferries, broke down on Tuesday, with dozens of stranded passengers being rescued from Mull by the paddle steamer Waverley, which was returning to Oban from a cruise round Eigg.
CalMac said the 39-year-old ferry had a cylinder fault in one of its engines.
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