Ferries Services disrupted while vessel repaired

SCOTLAND’S lifeline island ferry network is suffering a new wave of disruption after it emerged that one of its ageing vessels has been put out of action for at least eight days due to an oil leak.

Services across the taxpayer-owned Calmac ferry network have had to be reorganised, with a host of sailings cancelled in order to try to cover for the loss from the fleet of 21-year-old MV Hebrides, an issue not expected to be resolved for more than a week. MV Hebrides is due to be replaced by a new vessel in 2023.

SCOTLAND’S lifeline island ferry network is suffering a new wave of disruption and cancellations after it emerged one of its ageing vessels has been put out of action for at least eight days.

Ferries across the taxpayerowned Calmac lifeline vessel network have had to be reorganised with a host of sailings cancelled to cover for the loss of 21-year-old MV Hebrides, which is not expected to be resolved for more than a week.

MV Hebrides, which can carry 612 passengers and 90 cars, was due to be replaced by a new ship, one of two dual-fuel vessels at the centre of a ferry-building fiasco that are languishing in Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow on the Clyde.

After a delay of more than four years, the new ferry, known as Hull 802, is expected in early 2023.

It comes as further disruption emerged with the 38-year-old MV Isle of Arran taken out of service after a crew member tested positive for Covid-19.

There has also been further disruption on services to Mull since Thursday because of problems with staff availability after another crew member tested positive for Covid-19 on the 33-year-old MV Isle of Mull.

It is understood to be back in service, but Calmac has given continuing warnings of disruptions and cancellations.

The loss of MV Isle of Arran resulted in cancellations on one of Scotland’s busiest crossings – Ardrossan to Brodick.

Problems with an oil leak on the shaft seals on MV Hebrides, which serves the Uig to Tarbert and Lochmaddy route, were discovered over the weekend and repairs began on Friday. At the time it was thought to be a problem with the exhaust.

Today, it is due to go to dry dock in Birkenhead and is expected to be out of service until September 9. Calmac has warned that this date is liable to change.

Twenty-three-year-old MV Clansman has been shifted to help with sailings lost in the Hebrides area from this morning – leading to cancellations of sailings on its usual Oban to Colonsay and Barra routes for the next week.

Sailings between Coll, Tiree and Barra will also be cancelled tomorrow, Calmac said.

And the 32-year-old MV Lord of the Isles, one of the biggest and oldest vessels in the Calmac fleet, has been tasked with taking up some of the slack on the Oban to Colonsay crossing.

However, that has resulted in cancellations to four sailings a day on Mallaig to Armadale on the Isle of Skye route until Sunday.

It also means further cancellations to sailings on the route between Mallaig and Lochboisdale on South Uist.

Passengers that use the Mallaig to Armadale ferry were told that they will be rebooked on to alternative sailings.

Joe Reade, chairman of Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, said: “It’s another example of an overstretched and inflexible fleet failing to do what is asked of it. Another unscheduled dry-docking in a year when the catalogue of breakdowns has been recordbreaking. Just when the islands are trying to trade their way out of the effects of Covid, the ferry system is letting us down.”

Finlay Macrae, Calmac’s head of operations, said: “Unfortunately, MV Hebrides has to be taken out of service for urgent repairs.

“Our priority during this time is to ensure that services continue to operate, but this does mean that some services will be cancelled, and some vessels will be redeployed on to other routes.

“This will have an impact on several sailings.

“We are very conscious that services are very busy and are working with affected customers to address their travel requirements.

“We apologise for any inconvenience that these changes will create for our customers, and greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of service users.”