Latest news with #FergusonMarine
STV News
a day ago
- STV News
CalMac to re-draw winter plans as key ailing ferry out up to four more months
Scotland's west coast ferry operator has been forced to re-draw its winter plans after a ferry which has not sailed since January of last year could be out for four more months. The Caledonian Isles was forced out of action 18 months ago, leaving the route between Ardrossan in Ayrshire and Brodick on the Isle of Arran without a ferry. The newly-minted Glen Sannox – delivered vastly over budget and years late by the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow – is unable to dock at the Ayrshire port due to being too big. The Caledonian Isles was initially taken out of service for substantial work in January 2024, with costs expected to be around £5 million. However, a hull deformity was discovered after repairs at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, which has had a knock-on effect on the ferry's return to service and prompted CalMac to seek to recover some of the almost £11 million in costs. But on Tuesday, the operator said the vessel would return to dry dock for further repairs which will likely take between eight weeks and four months, prompting a re-think of the winter timetable. CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said: 'Based on the current prognosis, we could be in a situation where MV Caledonian Isles returns in September in a best-case scenario or November in a worst-case scenario. 'However, we intend to publish winter timetables soon and aim to give communities and customers certainty about service levels and vessel deployment during that period. 'This is a complex process as we need to develop this plan whilst factoring in an annual overhaul schedule that will see a fleet, which is another year older, spend a record of number of days in planned maintenance. 'The return of MV Caledonian Isles, and the expected arrival of MV Isle of Islay, will provide relief and resilience.' The Isle of Islay is due to enter service later this year, after having recently completed its second set of sea trials successfully at the shipyard in Turkey where it is being built. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
CalMac to re-draw winter timetable as key ferry out for 4 more months
The Caledonian Isles was forced out of action 18 months ago, leaving the route between Ardrossan in Ayrshire and Brodick on the Isle of Arran without a ferry. The newly-minted Glen Sannox – delivered vastly over budget and years late by the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow – is unable to dock at the [[Ayr]]shire port due to being too big. READ MORE: Brewdog 'set to close 10 flagship bars' including in Scottish city The Caledonian Isles was initially taken out of service for substantial work in January 2024, with costs expected to be around £5 million. However, a hull deformity was discovered after repairs at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, which has had a knock-on effect on the ferry's return to service and prompted CalMac to seek to recover some of the almost £11 million in costs. But on Tuesday, the operator said the vessel would return to dry dock for further repairs which will likely take between eight weeks and four months, prompting a re-think of the winter timetable. CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said: 'Based on the current prognosis, we could be in a situation where MV Caledonian Isles returns in September in a best-case scenario or November in a worst-case scenario. 'However, we intend to publish winter timetables soon and aim to give communities and customers certainty about service levels and vessel deployment during that period. 'This is a complex process as we need to develop this plan whilst factoring in an annual overhaul schedule that will see a fleet, which is another year older, spend a record of number of days in planned maintenance. 'The return of MV Caledonian Isles, and the expected arrival of MV Isle of Islay, will provide relief and resilience.' The Isle of Islay is due to enter service later this year, after having recently completed its second set of sea trials successfully at the shipyard in Turkey where it is being built.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Turkey ferry NV Isle of Islay on track to be delivered by October
It has been confirmed that the second of successful sea trials means that MV Isle of Islay - one of the first of the four ferries being built in Turkey in the wake of Scotland's ferry fiasco - is on target to be delivered sometime by October. State-owned ferry procurer Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) confirmed that MV Isle of Islay remans scheduled to be delivered by October - meaning in theory it could be available for the summer timetable which ends on October 19. That means that the ferry will have taken just less than three years to be complete, with work starting in October, 2022. Meanwhile, the delivery of MV Glen Rosa - the second of Scotland's two ferry fiasco vessels, is running eight years late. The latest in a long series of rescheduled delivery dates for the ship shows that it is due online sometime between April and June - next year. That's over ten years after the first steel was cut on the Ferguson Marine vessel. Glen Rosa and sister ship MV Glen Sannox were due online in the first half of 2018 when Ferguson Marine was under the control of tycoon Jim McColl, with both now due to serve Arran. The last estimates suggest the costs of delivery could more than five-fold from the original £97m cost. A second set of sea trials for MV Isle of Islay have now been carried out by the Turkish shipyard Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, Turkey. MV Glen Rosa (Image: George Munro) The trials took place in the Sea of Marmara from Wednesday, July 16 to Sunday, July 20 and were attended by staff from CMAL and CalMac Included in the trials were the set-up and testing of the battery energy storage system (BESS), as well as the testing and optimisation of the power management system (PMS) and energy management system (EMS). The vessel has returned to the Cemre Marin Endustri quayside, where she is undergoing further outfitting work with CMAL saying the vessel remains scheduled to be delivered in the third quarter of this year. It comes as it was confirmed that Ferguson Marine was "mitigating risks" over delivery of MV Glen Rosa while it is not expected to be ready for the start of the crucial summer timetable - next year. Ferguson Marine, the nationalised Inverclyde shipyard firm at the centre of the fiasco, has Glen Rosa would be ready for passengers in the second quarter of 2026 - between April and June. Read more from Martin Williams: But the summer timetable for tourists and islanders alike is usually valid from the end of March. A ferry user group official said: "It is fantastic to hear that one of many crucial lifeline ferries is finally going to be delivered after a lack of investment. "We can but hope that the remaining issues with MV Glen Rosa can be ironed out sooner rather than later and hopefully bring to an end a dark chapter in the delivery of lifeline island services. The fact Turkey is deliver a ferry so quickly against the record of Ferguson Marine is an indictment on ferry procurement in Scotland and we can only hope that things can only get better." CalMac ferry (Image: .) Islay is being built to hold 450 passengers and 107 cars, while Glen Rosa is designed for up to 852 passengers and 127 cars. Jim Anderson, director of vessels at CMAL, said: 'The successful testing of the hybrid system [of MV Isle of Islay] marks a significant step forward in completing this new vessel for Islay and Jura. 'The team at Cemre have made good progress in the build programme for the vessel, and we continue to work closely with the shipyard as we move into the final stages of the build.' MV Isle of Islay is the first of four ferries being built at the Turkish yard, and marks what Sottish Government-owned ferry owner and procurer Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) says is a "major milestone in its commitment to delivering new ferries to serve the Scottish islands". MV Isle of Islay and sister ship MV Loch Indaal are being both being constructed for CalMac's Islay service. Construction of the vessels got officially underway in October, 2022 after the £105m contract was controversially given to the Turkish shipyard. CMAL has said that the new 310-foot vehicle passenger ferries will provide a combined 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes and "improving the overall resilience" of the wider fleet. Past testing of Islay evaluated the vessel's performance at full load, including speed, stability, manoeuvrability, anchor deployment/recovery and endurance. The trials also established the effectiveness of the vessel's propulsion plant, automation and navigational systems.
STV News
2 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Delivery of Glen Rosa marks ‘key milestone' as it enters dry dock
The second of Ferguson Marine's over-budget and delayed ferries has reached a 'key milestone', the shipyard has said. The MV Glen Rosa has now been moved to dry dock at Dales Marine Services in Greenock. The dry dock will allow the state-owned yard to carry out essential maintenance, repairs and inspections to the vessel. PA Media Works planned include rudder and stabiliser inspections, welding work to the bow clam doors and painting repairs. The Glen Rosa, which will serve the Arran route, is expected to remain in dry dock until August when it will return to Ferguson Marine's shipyard in Port Glasgow. The publicly owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) is expected to be handed the ferry in the second quarter of next year following several delays. The ship, along with the now-delivered Glen Sannox, was meant to be delivered in 2018 and will now cost an estimated £460 million – up from the original price tag of £97 million for the two vessels. Graeme Thomson, chief executive of Ferguson Marine, said: 'Entering dry dock is a significant event in the build lifecycle of a new vessel and we are pleased we have reached this key milestone. 'I'm delighted to be able to demonstrate the progress that has been made and want to restate our commitment to delivering MV Glen Rosa, which we are currently confident will happen to schedule.' Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of CMAL, said: 'This is an important milestone, and we welcome this further step towards vessel completion and delivery.' Kevin Paterson, chief executive at Dales Marine Services, said: 'We are proud to play a role in the ongoing development of the MV Glen Rosa. 'Our team of experienced engineers at the Greenock dry dock will work closely with Ferguson Marine to ensure that the maintenance and repair work is completed to the highest standard. 'It is a pleasure to contribute to the journey of a vessel that will play a vital role in Scotland's ferry network.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Delivery of ferry fiasco vessel Glen Rosa marks ‘key milestone' as it enters dry dock
The MV Glen Rosa, second of Ferguson Marine's over-budget and delayed ferries, arriving at dry dock at Dales Marine Services in Greenock. The second of Ferguson Marine's over-budget and delayed ferries has reached a 'key milestone', the shipyard has said. Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The MV Glen Rosa has now been moved to dry dock at Dales Marine Services in Greenock. The dry dock will allow the state-owned yard to carry out essential maintenance, repairs and inspections to the vessel. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Works planned include rudder and stabiliser inspections, welding work to the bow clam doors and painting repairs. The Glen Rosa, which will serve the Arran route, is expected to remain in dry dock until August when it will return to Ferguson Marine's shipyard in Port Glasgow. The publicly owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) is expected to be handed the ferry in the second quarter of next year following several delays. The ship, along with the now-delivered Glen Sannox, was meant to be delivered in 2018 and will now cost an estimated £460 million – up from the original price tag of £97 million for the two vessels. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Graeme Thomson, chief executive of Ferguson Marine, said: 'Entering dry dock is a significant event in the build lifecycle of a new vessel and we are pleased we have reached this key milestone. 'I'm delighted to be able to demonstrate the progress that has been made and want to restate our commitment to delivering MV Glen Rosa, which we are currently confident will happen to schedule.' Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of CMAL, said: 'This is an important milestone, and we welcome this further step towards vessel completion and delivery.' Kevin Paterson, chief executive at Dales Marine Services, said: 'We are proud to play a role in the ongoing development of the MV Glen Rosa. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our team of experienced engineers at the Greenock dry dock will work closely with Ferguson Marine to ensure that the maintenance and repair work is completed to the highest standard. 'It is a pleasure to contribute to the journey of a vessel that will play a vital role in Scotland's ferry network.' Last week, the new boss of Ferguson Marine has said the business will 'struggle' in the future if it is overlooked for a deal to replace an aging ferry. With the MV Lord of the Isles having sailed for the first time in 1989, the Scottish Government – throughoperator CalMac and procurement body Cmal – is looking for a replacement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The tendering process has not yet opened but Ferguson – which is also owned directly by the Scottish Government – is expected to bid for the contract. Appearing before the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster on Wednesday, Ferguson chief executive Graeme Thomson pushed for a direct award of the deal to the yard. 'I do support a direct award for the Lord of the Isles replacement,' he said. 'I am not aware of what might be any challenges or blockers to that, but I know the Scottish Government are considering how that would be sentenced.'
