New delay revealed for first of Turkish ferries being built for CalMac's Islay route
Further risk from bad weather when vessel sails for Scotland
The first of four ferries being built in Turkey for CalMac will not now be completed until Christmas - but even that will be challenging, MSPs have been told.
The further one month delay to Isle of Islay will mean the vessel would be finished 14 months late, with the latest setback attributed to the need for extra work following safety checks.
However, the ferry is not expected to enter service between Kintyre and Islay immediately as CalMac trials will be required once it has reached Scotland, with a risk of bad weather during the voyage potentially delaying its arrival.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMal), which ordered the ferry from the Cemre shipyard in Yalova, said the remaining work, along with painting and cleaning, was underway following “completion surveys” by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency safety regulator in late October.
But it said costs remained within budget.
Chief executive Kevin Hobbs, in a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s net zero, energy and transport committee, said: “If all completion activities go smoothly, the shipyard is targeting delivery of MV Isle of Islay prior to the Christmas period.
“This will be a challenge but Cmal, CalMac, Cemre and the regulatory authorities are all working hard and collaboratively towards reaching this target date for vessel delivery just before the Christmas holidays. Noting this is the target but without guarantee.”
Cmal said the work included fitting fire extinguishers and safety signs.
Mr Hobbs said the MCA was due to return to the yard to do a final survey next week, when he hoped Cmal would receive “final sign off” for the ferry, but he described the remaining work as “time consuming”.
He added: “One of the challenges around a delivery voyage around this time of year will be related to the availability of service engineers if they are required to attend the vessel.
“If the vessel is delivered prior to Christmas, the crew can be arranged accordingly and prepare for and carry out the re-positioning voyage.”
Mr Hobbs said Isle of Islay was expected to take two weeks to sail from the Sea of Marmara to Scotland, including a refuelling stop in Gibraltar
That would be followed by “a period of familiarisation and testing of the vessel at the ports in which it will operate”.
Mr Hobbs said the weather posed a risk to the transit through the Atlantic beyond the Straits of Gibraltar “but this will be closely analysed at the time”.
Previous delays to the ferry, which was scheduled for completion in October last year, were attributed to supply problems caused by the war in Ukraine and unrest in the Middle East, along with shipyard workers being redeployed to assist following a major earthquake.
He said work was continuing at the yard on the other three ferries, with the next one, Loch Indaal, also for the Islay route. They are due to be delivered at six-month intervals after Isle of Islay.
The other two are for the Little Minch routes between Skye, Harris and North Uist - Lochmor, which was launched in August, and Claymore, which is due to be launched by March.
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