Turkish-built Calmac ferry Isle of Islay set for March launch
A Calmac ferry ordered two years ago is to be launched at a Turkish shipyard in March, four days after the launch of one of the ferries being built at Ferguson Marine on the Clyde which were ordered in 2015.
Isle of Islay is due to be finished at Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova in October and be in service by the end of this year. This is in stark contrast to Glen Rosa, the second of the two Ferguson Marine vessels, whose completion has been delayed until at least May next year.
Scottish Government ferrybuying firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal) announced yesterday that Isle of Islay would be launched on March 16. Ferguson Marine plans to launch Glen Rosa on March 12. Cmal said Isle of Islay was “on time and budget” and would be 85 per cent complete by launch. Glen Rosa and sister vessel Glen Sannox are running six years late and more than three times over budget.
It said Isle of Islay’s hull was “structurally complete”, with the installation of pipework, equipment, machinery, electrical works and outfitting continuing until the launch, along with underwater hull coatings and propulsors being installed.
Cmal said work would continue on board when the ferry is in the water after launch, and will undergo crew familiarisationandlocaloperationaltrials after delivery in October.
It said the vessel, which will serve Islay along with sister ship Loch Indaal as part of a £91 million contract, will be named at a ceremony on the island towards the end of the year. The second ferry is due to be completed at the same yard in February next year.
Cmal director of vessel Jim Anderson said: “Work at the Cemre shipyard continues to progress well, with the project coming in on time and on budget.welookforwardtowitnessing the launch, which is a major milestone in the vessel’s construction.”
Transport minister Fiona Hyslop said: “I’m pleased Isle of Islay will be launched at the Cemre Shipyard in March. Delivering six new major vessels to serve Scotland’s ferry network by 2026 is a priority
An artist’s impression of the Isle of Islay ferry which will go down the slipway in Turkey on March 16 ahead of October completion. It is due to be in service by the end of this year for this Government and this is an important milestone as part of that commitment.”
The ferries can carry 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles, a 40 per cent increasetoaccommodatewhisky traffic. The Turkish yard is building a further two similar ferries for the Little Minch routes between Skye, Harris and North Uist.
Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Graham Simpson said: “While this is great news for islanders, it is an astonishinghumiliationforthe SNP’S original ferries strategy, which still hasn’t delivered two vessels that are six years’ late and hugely over budget.”
Alex Rowley, his Scottish Labour counterpart, said: “I’m pleased to see these four ferries are on schedule and that news will provide relief to our island communities especially given so much negative coverage of the Scottish Government mishandling over Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa. We now need a firm commitment from the Scottish Governmentonwhatthefuture of our ferry replacement programme looks like so that this Government’s mistakes are not repeated.”
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy will lead a virtual bike ride as part of a fundraising campaign for motor neurone disease which has already raised almost half a million pounds in the first two weeks of the year.
Sir Chris will lead the 50km cycle on online platform Zwift as part of the Doddie Aid 2024, the flagship fundraising programme for the My Name’5 Doddie foundation.
The charity was founded in the memory of Scotland rugby great Doddie Weir, who died from the disease in November 2022.