One third of CalMac fleet now out of action including fault-plagued Glen Sannox
Passengers warned that “significant disruption on multiple routes is unavoidable”.
CalMac’s ferry crisis intensified on Tuesday with nearly one third of its fleet out of action including its fault-plagued, year-old vessel Glen Sannox needing further repairs.
Six of the Scottish government-owned operator’s vessels are out of service along with four smaller ferries, prompting chief executive Duncan Mackison to warn passengers: “Significant disruption on multiple routes is unavoidable”.
This compares to a previous peak of nine vessels not working last week.
Mr Mackison said: “Though the situation appeared to be stabilising, emergent issues across major and small vessels means the unprecedented scenario we find ourselves in has worsened.
“Everyone at CalMac is acutely aware of the level of disruption many islands on our network have faced recently, and I apologise for that.”
The latest problems include a fuel leak in Glen Sannox, days after it returned from week-long repairs, which prompted a further apology to islanders from First Minister John Swinney.
Sailings on the Troon to Brodick route in Arran were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday due to a “reoccurring technical issue with the vessel's port [left] main engine”, CalMac said.
Passengers were rerouted or transferred by bus to Ardrossan for sailings to Brodick instead.
Glen Sannox’s latest troubles come days after it returned to service last Thursday following problems with its port engine exhaust which left it out of action for a week.
CalMac had said on March 27 : “We’re taking the time to permanently resolve this issue with a view to ensuring Glen Sannox returns next week and there’s a level of confidence that the issue is resolved.”
The operator has now cancelled plans to redeploy the ferry to the Western Isles to plug a gap in its services there.
Its spokesperson said on Tuesday that investigations into the “root cause” of the leak were continuing “and any successful return to service will be subject to this being resolved and further sea trials”.
CalMac also signalled its growing frustration with the Ferguson Marine-built vessel, which has spent about a quarter of its operational life out of action since entering service six-and-a-half years late in January last year, with repair costs expected to reach £3.2 million.
It said: “We recognise that Glen Sannox has had persistent issues since returning from overhaul and this is undermining confidence in service.
“Due to this, we’re going to keep Glen Sannox on the Clyde to operate alongside [Ardrossan-Brodick ferry] Caledonian Isles, ensuring that she is nearby to shore support and third-party expertise should it be required.”
Other problems with Glen Sannox have included a crack in the hull caused by vibrations from the propeller, which will have to be replaced in the next six months.
It is CalMac’s second largest ferry, with space for 127 cars and 852 passengers.
Sailings on the Troon-Brodick route were due to resume on Wednesday when Alfred, its secondary ferry, returns to service following annual overhaul, two days later than scheduled.
CalMac said Alfred was expected back on the Clyde late on Tuesday and a “further update on her return to service will be provided tomorrow [Wednesday]”.
Other ferries undergoing scheduled annual refits include Barra route vessel Isle of Lewis, which was due back a month ago but repairs to decayed steelwork will take until the end of May.
This has coincided with several ferries breaking down, including 37-year-old Lord of the Isles, which has a “technical issue” with its starboard [right] main engine.
That has forced the cancellation of sailings on the Mallaig-South Uist-Oban route.
CalMac said the ferry will be moved to the Clyde “for investigation into the root cause and repairs” from Thursday, which could take up to a week.
Meantime, 42-year-old Isle of Arran remains out of action while engineers struggle to source a replacement coupling for its bow thruster because of the vessel’s age.
A new one may need to specially made.
A sixth major vessel, Hebrides, is now due to return to service on the Skye-Harris-North Uist routes across the Little Minch on April 18, three days later than scheduled.
Elsewhere, sailings between Berneray and Harris were cancelled on Tuesday due to a “technical issue” with 30-year-old Loch Bhrusda’s forward main engine.
The ferry will be moved to Mallaig for repairs and is expected to be back in service on Saturday or Sunday.
CalMac also reported problems with Ardnamurchan-Mull route ferry Loch Linnhe, with an oil leak expected to take two days to fix, while Loch Portain is not due back on its Harris-North Uist route from its annual overhaul until May 12. Other vessels are standing in for them.
Loch Frisa, a secondary vessel on the main Mull route between Oban and Craignure, has had its annual refit extended from Thursday to next Monday due to further planned works and checks.
A “technical issue” with 49-year-old Isle of Cumbrae - CalMac’s oldest ferry - has led to it being replaced by charter vessel Far West on the Tarbert to Portavadie route in Argyll.
CalMac said that had now been fixed and the vessel would return to the route.
Mr Swinney said: “There is very focused work going on to make sure that vessels can be in service and operating.”
He said three further ferries were being built in Turkey following the delivery of Isle of Islay, which entered service to Islay last week.
The First Minister said: “The [Scottish] government is procuring a significant investment in the fleet, with three additional vessels coming from the Cemre yard, and the Glen Rosa yet to be completed, and seven smaller vessels already in production.”
Glen Rosa - Glen Sannox’s sister ship - is due to be finished eight years late by the end of the year, while the seven electric ferries under construction in Poland are scheduled to start arriving next year.
Meantime, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for MSPs to be recalled to debate the CalMac crisis before the Scottish Parliament - which is on an Easter break - officially dissolves on Thursday ahead of May’s election.
Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said on Tuesday: "That so many ferries have been forced into repairs at the same time is an outrage, and a sorry demonstration of the SNP's dire neglect of the ferry fleet.
“This is the last chance for John Swinney to come back to Holyrood and help these communities through the crisis the SNP have left them to face."
Scottish Labour transport spokesman Daniel Johnson said: “This crisis has been years in the making and blame lies firmly at the door of this chaotic and incompetent SNP government – but no one has ever been held accountable.”
Sue Webber, his Scottish Conservatives counterpart, said: "It should beggar belief that Glen Sannox is out of service yet again, but this cursed vessel seems to break down almost every week.
"This ongoing fiasco has done untold damage to Scotland's economy and inflicted so much misery on island communities."
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “The Parliament is in ‘pre-election recess’ and not expected to be recalled for any reason other than being required to respond to a UK general election being called for the same date as the Scottish general election.”
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