Fury at CalMac's newest ferry Glen Sannox's 'scandalous' three months of major repairs
Vessel will be out of action for more than a quarter of its operational life
Major repairs to Glen Sannox which will keep CalMac’s newest ferry out of service for three months longer than expected are “scandalous”, well-placed industry sources have told The Scotsman.
The 850-passenger vessel will have spent more than a quarter of its operational life laid up when it returns to one of the operator’s busiest routes next month after unscheduled significant work on a series of faults.
Glen Sannox’s annual refit took three weeks but the extra repairs have extended its absence to four months.
It is now not expected back on the Troon to Brodick in Arran route, where it entered service in January last year, until March 2.
New steelwork is being added to temporarily fix vibrations which caused a crack in the hull, while the cooling system has been laboriously cleaned of contaminants.
Anchor equipment is also being replaced after a fault was found during testing.
The ferry’s propellers are expected to be replaced as a permanent fix for the vibration problem in next year’s annual overhaul.
Glen Sannox was completed by the Ferguson Marine shipyard in November 2024, six-and-a-half years late and some four times over budget.
The Scotsman has spoken to two sources with knowledge of the faults who feared more failings might emerge.
They said: “A new vessel should not spend four months in dry dock - it's scandalous that it is having these problems.
“Contamination of the cooling system should not be happening.
“There may be other problems, as not all aspects of the ship are looked at in an annual overhaul.”
There were also worries about its still-incomplete sister vessel Glen Rosa, which is due to be finished by the end of the year to join Glen Sannox on the Troon route.
They said: “Is there also concern about problems with Glen Rosa? Absolutely.”
Arran islanders are furious at the continued disruption, which has been compounded by CalMac’s veteran ferry Caledonian Isles being off the Ardrossan-Brodick route for a seventh week for further repairs until at least next week - months after its unprecedented 20-month lay up for major work.
Bill Calderwood, secretary of the Arran Ferry Committee, said: “These vessels must be an embarrassment to the management of the programme, and the delay in delivery has caused significant economic and reputational damage to Arran.
“Last year, it was considered that the delayed introduction [of Glen Sannox] would deliver a vessel fit for purpose, with extensive sea trials not identifying major issues.
“Since then, our community has had to plan our lives around a much-disrupted service, with ongoing uncertainty of travel.
“Our service requires a period of reliability, and to expect that the second vessel [Glen Rosa] will be the answer when it is finally delivered is considered naïve and very complacent given history of these vessels.
“We cannot accept another summer with the level of disruption we have had to cope with in 2025.”
Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Sue Webber said: “This is a damning insight from an industry insider.
“It exposes the SNP’s incompetence throughout their ferries fiasco. Ministers must finally be held to account for this national scandal.”
Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Daniel Johnson said: “We need answers about how serious the problems with the Glen Sannox are and what these revelations mean for the delivery of the Glen Rosa.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat counterpart Jamie Greene said: “What a complete shambles. The SNP has let down islanders, communities and businesses along the west coast, yard workers and taxpayers.”
Highlands and Islands Scottish Greens MSP Arianne Burgess said: “Ministers and ferry agencies must be open with island communities about the full extent of the issues affecting Glen Sannox, what steps are being taken to resolve them, and how similar problems will be prevented in the remaining vessels still to be delivered.”
CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said Glen Sannox had proved to be a “reliable, valuable addition to the fleet” but the length of time it had spent in dry dock had been “frustrating for service users” and the repairs had been raised under warranty.
However, Ferguson Marine chief executive Graeme Thomson said: “We are confident in the quality of Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.
“Vessels encounter a variety of technical issues during a dry docking, which can be due to a wide range of factors, and it would be misleading to suggest this extended dry dock period can only be caused by issues with her construction.”
A spokesperson the Scottish Government’s ferry buying and owning firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited said: “During a vessel’s first dry dock - often referred to as the warranty dry dock - it is standard practice for any concerns or issues which have emerged during the first year of service to be recognised and addressed.
“The time spent in the warranty dry dock is determined by the complexity of these issues, or anything additional identified during the docking period.”
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