A SIXTH CalMac lifeline ferry has been forced out of action in the space of a few days after a new wave of faults and suspensions continued to cause mayhem to state-controlled services.
On Monday services to and from Barra, South Uist, Mull, Islay and Dunoon were disrupted with MV Isle of Lewis, MV Lord of the Isles, MV Finlaggan, MV Loch Linnhe and Argyll Flyer all taken out of action after a series of problems from Sunday night.
Now it has emerged that the services cancellations have spread to Islay since early Tuesday afternoon caused by issues with MV Hebridean Isles' bilge system. The vessel had been brought in on Monday morning to support services in Uist after other vessel failures.
While MV Clansman was re-routed in to help Barra and Mull sailings in wake of the latest wave, that has led to services to Coll, Tiree being suspended on Tuesday. Also suspended were services to Colonsay and Islay.
And while MV Lord of the Isles remained out of action services to and from South Uist were remained suspended.
CalMac said: "Cancelling a sailing is a decision we do not take lightly because we know it will inconvenience our customers and the communities we serve. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."
Services to and from Barra and South Uist had been suspended since Sunday night and through Monday after technical problems with 33-year-old MV Lord of the Isles.
South Uist, which has been hit by a series of disruption because of ferry failures had only just had a service returned on Saturday after its main port Lochboisdale was out of action for 15 days to allow for repairs over safety concerns.
There was also further disruption to the Gourock to Dunoon service, which was reduced to a one vessel service because the 11-year-old passenger ferry Argyll Flyer was taken out of action due to a technical issue. It was later back in action.
There was further disruption on Tuesday to an alternative ferry route to North Uist due to works on the pier.
The problems began when one of 12-year-old MV Finlaggan's main engines meant it had to be withdrawn from service on Sunday night.
The same evening state-controlled CalMac found that an area of steelwork on MV Lord of the Isles needed to be repaired and replaced and the vessel was removed from service.
Services to and from Barra and South Uist service were suspended and users were told that a decision on Tuesday services would be made late Monday afternoon.
Issues were exacerbated when a problem with 27-year-old MV Isle of Lewis's bow thruster which emerged on Saturday meant that it was to be withdrawn to undergo repairs. CalMac said on Monday that they had explored options for redeploying vessels from elsewhere in the network but were hampered by "forecast weather and sea conditions".
Customers wanting to get to and from South Uist were told on Sunday night that they should rebook on sailings on Tuesday as space was available.
Services to South Uist continue to be hit with MV Lord of the Isles remaining out of action yesterday.
The vessel is due to reposition to Oban early on Wednesday morning to allow repairs to take place and the attendance of a specialist surveyor.
As the latest ferry problems emerged, Alasdair Allan, the SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said he was meeting transport minister Jenny Gilruth to discuss the ongoing issues.
He said: "The significant disruption to Barra’s ferry service...along with the cancellations on the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route... is extremely frustrating and is causing a great deal of stress to individuals and to island businesses.
"This situation once again demonstrates the continued lack of resilience in CalMac’s fleet, with technical issues on other vessels causing additional disruption elsewhere on the network over the weekend, combined with the impact of adverse weather on numerous routes.
"I believe that expanding capacity on the Sound of Barra’s services, with extra crew if need be, would help mitigate the challenges we have seen this weekend in future.
"I sincerely hope that everyone who needs to travel to and from our islands over the next few weeks, for example on holiday or for the Mòd down in Perth, is able to do so without travel disruptions."
Lochboisdale, the port which links South Uist to the mainland had been out of action to ferries between September 24 and October 8 to allow for repairs to the linkspan used by the ferry.
South Uist was told that it while losing services and that extra services would operate additional to Lochmaddy, in North Uist - 42 miles away.
A routine annual inspection by specialist engineers and Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), which owns the ferry terminal, had revealed a number of lifting ropes on the linkspan which need to be replaced at the earliest opportunity. Last year’s inspections showed no issues.
Last week it emerged that that alternative route for people to Lochmaddy was being hit with cancellations by further concerns over safety due to pier works and adverse weather.
CalMac had continued to warn users that the works associated with a £15.3m pier upgrade which restrict vessel movement in the harbour area can be cancelled at short notice.
It told users to expect further disruption with an amended timetable on Tuesday.
In April, George Leslie Ltd began replacing the existing infrastructure at the west coast ferry terminal to cater for a new fleet of vessels.
In August, Uist islanders complained that shops had to ration essential items amid widespread ferry cancellations.
It came after the loss of MV Hebrides, one of CalMac’s oldest ferries, which was taken out of service on Tuesday for a third time in a matter of weeks because of an issue with its CO2 firefighting system - which is a safety issue.
The state-owned ferry operator CalMac is having to handle an ageing ferry fleet with new vessels Glen Sannox and Hull 802 still languishing in Port Glasgow as the costs of their construction have soared from the original £97m contract to at least £250m and delivery is over five years late.
Seventeen of CalMac's 35 working ferries deployed across Scotland are now over 25 years old.
The oldest in the CalMac fleet is the Isle of Cumbrae which is 46-years old.
Meanwhile the much delayed Glen Sannox and as-yet-unnamed Hull 802 are due to be delivered to serve island communities in 2023 and early 2024 at a potential cost of nearly £350m – over three-and-a-half times the initial £97 million contract.
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