£5m repairs as CalMac ferry sidelined for over seven months on 'rust'

It has been out of action since going for an overhaul at the start of January.

The Isle of Arran Ferry Committee said it was pushing for contingency plans over the latest problem to hit CalMac's ageing fleet.

The Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency said the news about MV Caledonian Isles "is deeply regrettable" and expected CalMac to come forward with details of the changes to timetables as soon as possible, to allow ferry users to plan ahead and keep disruption to a minimum.

It was sidelined for over three months with further steelwork and engine difficulties this time last year with repair work then estimated at £1m. It had been due to leave the yard after an overhaul before issues with the engines, steelwork and bearings were noted by engineers.

Further steelwork problems were attributed to a further period spent in the yard in early 2022.

The vessel was found to have had major technical problems during overhaul again this year and was not expected back till at least the end of next month.

Users have been told that the vessel needs "extensive steelwork" leading to concerns that it is suffering rust issues.

The Herald understands that the the vessel will be delayed in dry dock for a further estimated 16 weeks.

A message to user groups said that the ferry operator had received clarification from the dry dock operator on the initial scope of "significant steel renewal and repair required" at a cost of £5m.

"Work has commenced to survey and scope the requirements for steel renewal and repair, and the estimated timescale for her return to service may be subject to change following a fuller assessment of repairs required," user groups were told.

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"I am sorry to report that this delay will have an impact on various routes across the CalMac network, and not just on the Ardrossan to Brodick service. Work to review vessel deployment plans is now underway, and we will communicate timetable changes by Monday 4 March. This is the earliest date we can confirm these changes as there are various options which need to be considered and evaluated for suitability."

"I know this news will cause concern and frustration for communities across the whole network, and we apologise for this."

Caledonian Isles and the 26-year-old MV Clansman have been sidelined for a third successive year after faults including rust emerged during annual overhauls.

MV Clansman was due to return to service on February 9 but after users being told it will return on February 19, it has now been put back until at least Friday (February 23).

Among the islands currently being affected by the resulting disruption is longsuffering South Uist - which was at the centre of a major island protest in the summer of last year over disruption to services.

Last year MV Clansman was delayed from coming back into services after an overhaul identified steelwork corrosion which had to be replaced. On February 10, it was said work that was needed was supposed to take a few days.

But 13 days later she was still out and had to go to the King James V dock in Glasgow for further inspection after further issues.

And in early 2022, an inspection of the Clansman uncovered the need for further steelwork due to corrosion during her overhaul meaning her return was delayed by a further three weeks.

The latest issue with MV Clansman, said to need complex work to the engine has meant that services between Uig on Isle Of Skye and Tarbert in Harris have been cancelled since Saturday. CalMac confirmed steel repairs were completed during the scheduled annual overhaul and did not cause the latest delay.

Services between Uig and Lochmaddy on North Uist between the mainland and Lochboisdale on South Uist were cancelled on Monday and are due to remain that way till at least Thursday.

A limited 'alternative service' has been set up to run between Lochboisdale on South Uist and Uig.

CalMac told users on Tuesday that there was a "significant backlog of traffic" for services to Lochboisdale and Lochmaddy and suggested a lengthy detour travelling from Ullapool to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

CalMac said of the latest issues: "Numerous surveys have been completed on MV Caledonian Isles during her life and every year works are completed to our satisfaction and that of the Classification Society.

"This year, the need for a significant level of steelwork has emerged during the overhaul process. Working with the repair yard... and independent specialists, a carefully defined plan will be developed for repairs on a staggered basis, as doing them all at the same time could compromise the structural integrity of the vessel. We will provide a further update when we are able to do so.

"Our teams will be working exceptionally hard to assess every eventuality in terms of vessel deployment, with a view to minimising disruption for the communities and customers we serve.

The development coincided with the departure for an annual overhaul of the Scottish Government-funded £1m-a-month 'emergency' ferry MV Alfred - which had been serving on the Uig Triangle lifeline service route, supporting the communities at Skye, Lochmaddy and Tarbert.

CalMac said that it had explored all avenues to see if they could delay the departure of Alfred, which is owned by Pentland Ferries, but that it was not possible.

A ferry user group spokesman said: "It is absolutely astonishing. The question is how can the slow progress of rust come as a surprise – and over such a vast area? Was there not regular monitoring of steel thickness on an annual basis? Rust in a 31 year old ship is hardly surprising – why were they not looking for it years ago."

Scottish Conservative West Scotland MSP Jamie Greene said: “This latest astonishing revelation is just about the worst possible news for Arran and islanders who are at their wits end.

“This ageing vessel is over three decades old and is costing millions of pounds to repair and keep afloat.

“Its recent absence has been devastating for Arran’s economy and residents and businesses were eagerly anticipating its return to action. Now they will shamefully have to wait at least another four months.

“The SNP Government’s record when it comes to Scotland’s ferry network has been nothing short of scandalous.

“The people of Arran urgently need a full working ferry service and I will be taking this up with SNP Ministers in Parliament as a matter of urgency.”

Like MV Clansman, Caledonian Isles suffered issues in overhaul for a third year running.

It was sidelined for over three months with further steelwork and engine difficulties this time last year.

When it went for an annual overhaul in early January 2023, it was due to return to service on February 2 but that was delayed for, again, additional steel work and engine repairs being required.

CalMac initially announced a provisional return date of February 28 but this was later pushed back to March 31 and then pushed back further to mid-April.

Further steelwork problems were attributed to a further period spent in the yard in early 2022.

The vessel was found to have had major technical problems during overhaul this year, having been due to return on January 23, and is now not expected back till at least the end of March.

Users have been told that the vessels needed steelwork, which has led to rust concerns.

Caledonian Isles was moved to the Cammell Laird yard facility in Liverpool for repairs and there had been a race against time to get it available in time for the summer timetable to kick in on March 29.

Two new ferries Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa being built at the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard were due online in the first half of 2018, with one initially to serve Arran and the other to serve the Skye triangle routes to North Uist and Harris, but are at least six years late, with costs expected to be quadruple the original £97m contract. It has been confirmed that both are now to serve Arran.

Glen Rosa was meant to be delivered to CalMac in August 2018, but that is currently scheduled for May 2025. Glen Sannox, was launched by Nicola Sturgeon nearly seven years ago and is not expected to be ready till July at thee earliest.

But the dates of arrival have been constantly in a state of flux as their construction has been plagued by design challenges, cost overruns and delays.

Robbie Drummond, CalMac chief executive, said: “We know this news will cause concern and frustration for communities across the whole network, and we apologise for this.

“Our team will be working exceptionally hard over the coming days to assess every eventuality in terms of vessel deployment, with a view to minimising disruption for the communities and customers we serve. We will do the best we can in these circumstances, but it is unavoidable that there will be a knock-on effect on other routes on the network.

“MV Caledonian Isles has served North Ayrshire with distinction for over three decades, but like any ageing vessel the scope of work required in annual overhaul is likely to grow each year.

“Over a third of our vessels are now operating beyond their average life expectancy, and we invested record levels in annual maintenance in 2023.

“We are stretched to the absolute limit in terms of network deployment already, and the arrival of six major and 10 small vessels in the coming years will provide much-needed resilience and reliability to the service.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Ministers have been clear with CalMac on the need to achieve better service levels.  We are listening carefully to concerns raised by islanders and other ferry users and working hard to address these.

"The Cabinet Secretary for Transport met this week with communities to hear first-hand the difficulties they are facing.  We expect CalMac to communicate and engage with those affected and ensure that the consultation promised under the revised Route Prioritisation Matrix is applied.

"Clear communications on these plans are essential to ensure travellers are aware of alternatives put in place and that Islands remain open for business over the busy Easter period.

“The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to investing in our ferry networks, and delivering six new major vessels by 2026 is a priority. We have invested more than £2 billion in our ferry services since 2007 and we have outlined plans to invest around £700 million in a five year plan to improve ferry infrastructure. CalMac are also investing additional sums to improve fleet sustainability and to provide a more resilient service for customers and communities.”