The 'emergency' ferry that is costing taxpayers £1m a month to charter cannot provide lifeline services on one of CalMac's busiest routes, it has emerged.
MV Alfred is out of action having broken down for the second time in a month - as it was discovered it is unable to fit in the port of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
Another emergency ferry which has been chartered to support the beleaguered network operated by Scottish Government-controlled ferry operator CalMac is being brought in.
Gearbox issues discovered on board MV Alfred at the end of September originally led to cancellations to and from Arran and meant it was out of action for around three weeks.
It led to delays in sea trials on the route to Stornoway to see if she can be used to cover when MV Loch Seaforth goes for its annual overhaul.
Now it has emerged that plans for it to provide freight services to and from Stornoway have had to be scrapped because it cannot fit on a linkspan - a drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a roll-on/roll-off vessels.
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It has been confirmed that the vessel is now out of action because it needs more repairs due to an issue with her thruster.
It was due to travel to Troon on Saturday to allow contractors for repairs.
Once fixed, it will provide services to and from Brodick on the Isle of Arran while the usual ferry, MV Caledonian Isles carries out network berthing trials. CalMac are hoping Alfred will be ready by Saturday (November 4).
Meanwhile MV Arrow, which has previously been brought in as an emergency short-term charter, is making a comeback to cover for the Stornoway freight service.
CalMac originally negotiated the charter to cover for the freight demand to and from Stornoway when MV Loch Seaforth undergoes an annual refit. Seaforth was due to depart on October 20 to spend two weeks in dry dock on the River Mersey.
It was already due to carry lorries and haulage during her absence into early November but now will be deployed from Thursday (November 2).
One ferry user group official expressed concern that there was not enough knowledge of how the emergency ferry could be used in advance of the charter.
"I have always felt it was incredible that there was no clear idea on where the ferry could be used on the network before the charter was agreed," he said.
"Of course we need extra resilience for the sake of lifeline services, it is absolutely key right now, but the whole charter has become a bit of a mess especially as we are bringing in another charter as a result. It is a crazy situation brought about by lack of past investment."
The Isle of Arran Ferry Committee has requested that the Scottish Government-owned ferry operator CalMac provides more information about the timetable to be applied.
Sam Bourne, chairman of the Arran Ferry Action Group said it was a "short notice redeployment in the fleet juggle tombola" and that urgent clarity was required on crewing levels, the frequency of sailings and how many passengers would be carried.
He said that a previous limit of 230 might not be sufficient.
MV Caledonian Isles, which can carry 1000 passengers and 110 cars, is capable of taking on at least twice the number of passengers and cars that MV Alfred can muster.
"There are a lot of questions surrounding MV Alfred taking over from MV Caledonian Isles, " said Mr Bourne. "Alfred is significantly smaller than Caledonian Isles."
MV Alfred was brought in by the Scottish Government at a cost of £9m for nine months to help support the CalMac network after a series of breakdowns of the ageing fleet.
It was due to join the fleet from April 18 but was delayed because of Pentland Ferries had issues with another vessel in its fleet - meaning it had to hold the vessel back.
Pentland Ferries staff, who will operate services on behalf of Scottish Government-owned CalMac, bought MV Alfred for £14m in 2019 to operate between Caithness and Orkney.
It was built in Vietnam and can accommodate 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12 articulated vehicles/coaches.
At the time it was described as the "most environmentally-friendly ferry in Scotland".
Under charter, all crew is provided by Pentland Ferries who will be responsible for delivery of service and the operational, technical and safety management of the vessel, including maintenance, repair, overhaul and provision of crew throughout the charter period.
Transport Scotland said the £9m will cover berthing dues, fuel, the commercial charter rate and other undisclosed costs.
Two years ago a deal to buy a vessel similar in design to MV Alfred for £9m collapsed after the Scottish Government-owned procuring and ferry owning company Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) demanded a foreign firm pay up to £100,000 to pay for modifications that would allow it to gain UK maritime approval for it.
Negotiations had been taking place to secure the Indonesia-built vessel for months but the owners of the catamaran said they believed CMAL were never serious in completing the sale.
The Scottish Government-owned ferry operator said the primary focus for the use of MV Alfred was to have her available for resilience purposes and provide relief benefits across the network.
MV Alfred was at the centre of controversy when on July 5, it partially ran aground on the Isle of Swona, the more northerly of two islands in the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and Caithness on the Scottish mainland.
RNLI lifeboats were called to evacuate the Vietnam-built – with one person being rushed to hospital with a fractured shoulder.
Dozens more were feared to have suffered mental trauma and physical injuries including fractures, sprains and soft tissue damage.
It emerged that six passengers injured are seeking compensation.
CalMac is said to be UK's largest ferry operator, running 29 routes to over 50 destinations, across 200 miles of Scotland's west coast.
Their fleet of 35 vessels complete approximately 136,000 sailings a year with crossings ranging from five minutes to five and a half hours.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The deployment of vessels is for the operator to ensure the delivery of lifeline services. The MV Alfred is owned and operated by Pentland Ferries, and the charter of their vessel is a commercial matter between them and the operator.”
CalMac said Pentland Ferries said that berthing trials carried out by MV Alfred at Stornoway and Ullapool have not been successful.
A spokesman for CalMac added: “The Stornoway to Ullapool service is being covered by MV Isle of Lewis during the day and MV Hebridean Isles at night for freight services. MV Alfred is at Troon for a repair to her thruster and will then replace MV Caledonian Isles for a few days so she can carry out berthing trials elsewhere on the network. "MV Arrow is regularly chartered for relatively short periods to cover freight services during the winter season when vessels are away for their annual overhaul. We remain committed to providing the best possible service to the communities we serve.”
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