Delivery date for first Turkey CalMac ferry confirmed as Caledonian Isles makes long-awaited return
The Caledonian Isles returns to service with a low-key sailing from Ardrossan at 5pm
The first of four ferries being built in Turkey will be delivered to its new owners in November, it has been confirmed, as the Caledonian Isles vessel officially returns to service after 20 months out of action.
The delivery date for the Isle of Islay, being built at the Cemre shipyard at Yalova in Turkey, was confirmed in a letter sent to Holyrood’s net zero, energy and transport committee.
The 450-passenger ferry will service Scotland’s west coast routes, with the update coming after almost a year’s worth of delays, including a hold-up to completing sea trials.
The revised timeline was confirmed as the 1,000-passenger Caledonian Isles is scheduled to make its first passenger sailing in almost two years from 5pm on Wednesday from Ardrossan.
The vessel’s return journey from Brodick, on the Isle of Arran, is timed for 6.25pm.
The long-awaited resumption follows a series of major repairs on the vessel in Birkenhead, Greenock and Leith, and will restore regular services between Ardrossan and Brodick.
The repair works had included removing the ferry’s engines to fix major corrosion. Follow-up investigations found the propeller shaft had been misaligned and the rear of the vessel was twisted.
A CalMac spokesperson said: "We're excited that MV Caledonian Isles is ready to return to service, and that excitement is shared by the crew who have really missed serving customers going to and from Arran.
“Today will mark the start of a phased return to service, allowing crew and port staff at Ardrossan to re-familiarise themselves with passenger operations. When she returns to full service, she'll greatly enhance Arran's capacity."
In a letter sent by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd [Cmal] chief executive Kevin Hobbs, it was separately confirmed sea trials on the Isle of Islay had been successfully completed by the end of September.
Mr Hobbs said in the letter: “Full finalisation of the vessel and compliance checks will be carried out throughout October. We anticipate if these activities go smoothly, the vessel will be delivered in November.”
It is then expected to take a fortnight for the Turkey-built ferry to sail from the Sea of Marmara, off Turkey’s coast, back to Scottish waters, via a refuelling stop in Gibraltar.
Crew familiarisation with the vessel and further testing will need to take place once the ferry arrives in Scotland. That schedule means the Isle of Islay is not expected to enter service before Christmas.
Each of the remaining three ferries being built in Turkey would be delivered in six-month intervals after the Isle of Islay.
Mr Hobbs said the overall costs for the four ferries remained on track, with a 3 per cent “risk allowance” built in.
“We continue to work closely with Transport Scotland and CalMac to consider the service implications of the extended delivery dates and plan accordingly for revised entry in to service,” he said.
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