Exclusive:Hugely-late ferry Glen Sannox faces extra test before shipyard can 'begin thinking about handover date'

Ferguson Marine, which is completing CalMac’s second biggest vessel, dismissed reports by two well-placed sources the ship would be delivered at the end of the month and said it had still to “begin thinking about a handover date”.

The continued uncertainty came as passengers suffered yet more disruption on CalMac’s busiest route, which Glen Sannox is due to serve from December.

CalMac has described previous disruption this month, caused by the demands of its ageing fleet, as a “perfect storm”.

All sailings were cancelled on Tuesday between Ardrossan and Brodick on Arran after a stand-in vessel had to be redeployed because of a ferry breakdown elsewhere on the operator’s west coast network.

Ferguson Marine said the additional day of sea trials was required because one of Glen Sannox’s anchors had failed a test on the first day of previous trials three weeks ago.

The trials were suspended two days later after a “blackout” triggered by a false alarm from a fire detector shut down the engines.

However, the Port Glasgow yard said that fault was subsequently rectified and the sea trials were “successfully completed” on October 10.

Interim chief executive John Petticrew described the trials as an “overall success”. He had previously said the vessel should be completed around October 14 - some two weeks after the previous deadline of the end of September.

Ferguson Marine confirmed on Wednesday the further day of trials had begun, with Glen Sannox leaving Inchgreen docks in Greenock where it has been based since sister ship Glen Rosa was launched in April because there isn’t sufficient space for both at the Port Glasgow yard.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government-owned yard said: “Glen Sannox has left Inchgreen to test out replacement anchor windlass parts, and to conduct a number of other routine tests as we progress towards delivery.

“In the days ahead, we will be working through an agreed action list, seeking owner (Scottish Government-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited or Cmal) approval as we go.

“The final stage of the pre-handover checks will be for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency MCA to issue Glen Sannox with a passenger safety certificate.

“This happens right before handover.  We hope to be in a position to confirm a handover date shortly.”

The yard said the “action list” comprised snagging work including minor finishing work in areas such as cabins, walkways and engine rooms.

It said paintwork would also be touched up and the ferry deep cleaned.

The yard had said on Tuesday: “Sea trials to test the anchor are planned for Wednesday, after which we will be in a better informed position to begin thinking about a handover date.”

Two sources had told The Scotsman on Tuesday the ferry was expected to be delivered around the end of this month, with one mentioning Monday, October 28 as a possible date.

One said: “Glen Sannox to hand over circa end of the month”. Another said: “There’s one more day of trials which should be straightforward before handover at the end of the month - around 28th?”

Subscribe to Alastair Dalton’s weekly Transport newsletter

The ship will be handed over to Cmal, which ordered it, before the ferry undergoes some six-and-a-half weeks of trials with CalMac ahead of entering service between Troon and Brodick.

It cannot use Ardrossan because the extent of the necessary upgrading work to accommodate the larger ferry has still to be agreed.

Glen Sannox should have been completed six years ago and is now expected to cost four times as much as the original contract of £97 million, which also included Glen Rosa, which is due to be finished in September next year and join it on the main Arran route.

The ferries have suffered a multitude of problems, including under previous yard managements, who have been accused of building the vessels in the wrong order, leading to extensive extra work.

In 2019, the yard went into administration for a second time in five years and was nationalised by the Scottish Government.

Latterly, the ferries’ novel dual fuel system, which uses liquefied natural gas as well as traditional marine gas oil (diesel), has taken longer than expected to complete.

Meantime, CalMac cancelled sailings on the Ardrossan-Brodick route on Tuesday after redeploying stand-in vessel Lord of the Isles to the main Islay route, whose main ferry Finlaggan had suffered engine problems.

Caledonian Isles, the main ferry on the Brodick route, has been out of action for an unprecedented ten months for major repairs and is not due back until November 20.

Its secondary ferry, Isle of Arran, is undergoing annual maintenance and expected to return on Wednesday.

CalMac said Troon-Brodick sailings were still being operated by the chartered catamaran Alfred, but “we expect this service to be very busy and customers without a confirmed booking are not guaranteed travel”.

However, this a longer route with reduced frequency as a result compared to the Ardrossan service.

CalMac has also warned passengers of high demand for the secondary Arran route between Claonaig on Kintyre and Lochranza, which does not require booking.

It said: “Due to the volume of displaced traffic from the Ardrossan-Brodick service, the Claonaig-Lochranza service will be very busy, and extended wait times can be expected.” The Scottish Government-owned operator CalMac said Finlaggan’s starboard main engine needed repairs. It said there were spare parts on board and the work was being carried out at Kennacraig at the Kintyre end of the Islay route.

Claire Baker, Scottish Labour's transport spokesperson, said: "These constant delays and cancellations are deeply frustrating for islanders and visitors alike. This SNP Government must get a grip on ferries and rebuild trust with ferry users after so many broken promises.

"A Scottish Labour government will prioritise our rural infrastructure and give our island communities a chance to thrive."

Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Sue Webber said: “These latest delays are yet another bitter blow for our island communities, who will be sick of out-of-touch SNP ministers mismanaging this ferry saga.

“These ferries are a lifeline service for communities who need them to see family or access vital medical care and yet CalMac and the SNP have repeatedly failed to provide them.

"The people of Arran in particular have been repeatedly short-changed by these failures, which have left them cut off from the mainland. SNP ministers must wake up to the real world consequences of their ferry fiasco and urgently set out a real plan to fix this mess.”