Rejigged ferry service could yet 'save the summer season'
CalMac has provided some hope for island businesses and residents that the success of Arran’s busy summer season will not hinge on the performance of a reduced capacity, single vessel ferry service.
While the full summer timetable, applicable between March 29 and October 20, is yet to be published, the piecemeal information released by CalMac confirms that Arran will be served by small ferry MV Isle of Arran and the MV Alfred, which will sail between Troon and Brodick.
It is yet to be confirmed how many sailings per day will be provided by MV Alfred once its annual overhaul on March 12 is complete. This will be announced on Friday once the ferry operator has further details about how long MV Caledonian Isles will be out of service.
In light of all of the recent issues facing CalMac - including a five-month absence of regular Arran ferry MV Caledonian Isles and the closure of the Irish berth at Ardrossan - long-suffering businesses on Arran have been concerned tourists would shun the island amid travel fears.
Business owners have been vocal about the potential impact of another disastrous summer season after the MV Caledonian Isles was sidelined for months when its annual overhaul uncovered significant rust issues.
Last week’s announcement that the ferry will require an extensive repair and replace programme, costing £5m and taking an additional 16 weeks, has left CalMac without one of its major vessels, forcing it to cobble together an alternative plan to provide network-wide continuity of service.
West Coast Today understands that CalMac explored deploying MV Isle of Lewis on the Troon to Brodick route, however this is not viable due to design issues with the boat meaning it is susceptible to machinery cooling system issues, which are associated with debris in the water at Troon.
The ferry operator also looked at MV Hebrides and MV Isle of Arran operating on the route, with the MV Alfred on the Little Minch. This was ruled out as it would not have provided enough capacity for Little Minch services.
The plan now, as it stands, is that Ardrossan to Brodick will be served by a combination of MV Alfred and MV Isle of Arran. MV Alfred will operate out of Troon and will begin to sail once it returns from maintenance.
According to CalMac, this option will provide sufficient capacity to meet demand throughout summer, but there may be “constraint at peak periods” and some customers may not be able to secure their preferred sailing time.
This also means the Campbeltown-Ardrossan service will be cancelled for the entire summer season for the second year running.
Robbie Drummond, chief executive of CalMac, said: “The deployment plan we chose provides the best possible service to the network, though we recognise there is going to be some disruption to some of the communities and customers we serve.
“Losing one of the larger vessels in our network during peak season has had a knock-on effect on the wider network and, unfortunately, some disruption is unavoidable.
"However, we have worked hard and, in the circumstances, with careful attention to feedback and known vessel deployment/fit, created a revised deployment plan which we hope will minimise the impact across the network whilst still providing a resilient service which meets the needs of individual communities.
“Given our fleet was already stretched to the absolute limit, and without any spare vessels, it is inevitable the loss of one of our larger vessels during peak season will cause some disruption across the wider network. But our team has been working hard to evaluate what we can do for our summer timetable to minimise that disruption. Any decisions on vessel deployment have not been taken lightly.
“We are looking forward to welcoming a total of six major and 10 small vessels into the fleet over the next five years. However, we face a difficult period as we wait for them to be fully operational on the network. In the meantime, we will continue to work in partnership with local stakeholders and communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for everyone who relies on our services.”
CalMac has also announced it is still considering other options which will allow for improved capacity on multiple routes. This includes undertaking berthing trials with MV Isle of Lewis on the Little Minch route. If successful, MV Hebrides and MV Alfred can then serve Arran, with MV Isle of Lewis serving Little Minch.
CalMac has said it will keep customers updated on any possible future changes.
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Community Engagement Officer - North Arran Community Benefit Society
Experienced Plant Operator - Excavator and Tractor - Scottish Highlands & more - Stag Infrastructure LTD
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