Call for contingency ferry as 'global supply issue' is blamed for vessel's delay

In response to calls for a stand-in ferry, CalMac told The Oban Times that for the sake of ’transparency and certainty for people’ it has developed this year’s winter timetables based on neither of its two new vessels due imminently, MV Isle of Islay and MV Glen Sannox, being available.

Details of that timetable will be made public in the next couple of weeks.

Although the end of 2024 would still be within the contractual delivery period, he said he could not give an exact delivery date.

The schedule for the supply and delivery of materials and equipment has been impacted by a chain of global events. The war in Ukraine has been affecting the supply of steel and the incursion in the Red Sea has also meant  that "much of the main equipment is routing around the Horn of Africa, adding many weeks to journey times", Mr Hobbs said in his letter to update ministers.

Shipyard workers deployed to help in rescue operations after the devastating earthquake in south-eastern Turkey also led to a serious loss of manpower.

But Islay Community Council’s Ferry Committee chairman Jim Porteous said the Isle of Islay’s delay was  disappointing and would be a "massive inconvenience" to people.

"It’s very disappointing because it comes after an appalling level of service over several months, with ship breakdowns and changes to timetables.

"People have been looking forward to the new ship arriving as a form of panacea for some of the problems we have been going through."

Mr Porteous said it was worrying that MV Hebridean Isles, currently on the Islay route, is due to leave service  in November, so potentially only the MV Finlaggan would be left servicing the route.

"We can’t survive with just the Finlaggan, it would be a massive inconvenience for people. These two new ships are not being built in Turkey for us on a whim, it’s based on demand."

Loch Indaal, the second ferry being built in Turkey for Islay, is due for delivery in early 2025. In readiness for the two new ferries, upgrades to the south berth of Kennacraig ferry terminal are now complete and the berth has reopened after having closed in January 2024. Fendering work at Port Askaig ferry terminal has also finished, following a six-week closure, allowing ferry services to resume.

With the threat of Islay being left with a single vessel, Mr Porteous said: "We are calling for a contingency ship to replace the Hebridean Isles if we are still waiting for our new ship to come in.

"It’s not for us to suggest, but it would be a possibility that a vessel from Arran could be freed up and give cover here after the Caledonian Isles returns," said Mr Porteous.

Arran’s main ferry, the MV Caledonian Isles, has been undergoing major steelwork repairs and could be back in service by the end of August or into September. Until she returns, the Arran route is being served by the Isle of Arran and Pentland Ferries-owned Pentalina while the island also awaits delivery of the much-delayed MV Glen Sannox, being built by the Ferguson shipyard. It will not be handed over until late September and even then will still need several weeks of crew familiarisation before it comes into service.

In response to the Isle of Islay delay, Duncan Mackison, CalMac’s interim chief executive, said: “Unfortunately, global supply chain issues are outwith every agency’s control and have caused a slight delay to what has otherwise been a faultless process. CalMac crew for the new vessel are on-site at the shipyard to support the final stages of the build, and we stand ready to take delivery of MV Isle of Islay as soon as she is ready.”

Pauline Blackshaw, Director of Strategy and Change for CalMac, said: "CalMac has been consulting closely with communities and stakeholders across the network on winter timetables, and will be sharing those in the next couple of weeks. We have developed a timetable on the basis that the two new vessels due imminently, MV Glen Sannox and MV Isle of Islay, are not available, to provide transparency and certainty to people in terms of what vessel deployment will look like.

"We will do our best to maintain service levels across the network, and ensure every route has the capacity it needs to meet anticipated demand. As always, we will work with communities to minimise any disruption throughout winter."