CalMac accused of being months late over ferry charter proposal
30 October 2024
South Uist ferry campaigners have accused CalMac of stalling all year over a proposed
hire of Isle of Man based ship, MV Ben My Chree.
CalMac is understood to be seeking to utilise the vessel for all of November on the
Arran run, possibly extending into mid December depending on the outcome of MV Caledonian
Isles repairs.
South Uist Business Impact Group (SUBIG) say they urged CalMac back in February to
hire the vessel after 31-year-old MV Caledonian Isles was ruled out of action with
severe corrosion and potential structural integrity issues. No response was received
from the shipping company.
Nine months later and island communities up and down the west coast are reeling from
yet another financially dismal summer with ferry cuts and cancelled sailings damaging
many fragile local economies.
South Uist, Islay and Campbeltown are some of the locations hit by ferry chaos which
could have benefited by an earlier exploration of the Ben My Chree.
“Many are asking why the Scottish Government didn’t order a new ferry instead” of
directing millions into the repair of the aging Caledonian Isles said SUBIG.
South Uist continues to “bear the brunt” of the Scottish Government’s ferry fiasco,
suffering weeks of outages over the summer and currently enduring a reduced service.
With insufficient working ships in the CalMac fleet, the island is down to a skeleton
service, sharing a ‘borrowed’ ferry with the Isle of Barra, and enduring journeys
of up to seven and a half hours from the mainland, twice as long as usual. Its almost
quicker to fly across the Atlantic Ocean from Glasgow to New York highlight campaigners.
South Uist’s ferry, MV Lord of the Isles (Loti), is currently on loan to Islay while
MV Hebridean Isles covers the Stornoway relief service. The Loti is 35 years old,
ten years past its “sell-by date,” points out the SUBIG.
No other ship in CalMac’s fleet can squeeze into Mallaig, the mainland port which
services Lochboisdale. Funding uncertainty casts a shadow over promises for a replacement.
Local business owner, Rupert Marshall, said: “South Uist businesses only ask the
chance to compete on an equal footing with those in the rest of Scotland.
“South Uist has the capability of self-sufficiency but as with all parts of Scotland
it needs the ability to trade and travel without having one arm tied behind its back.”
MV Ben My Chree is constrained by her length and size for the majority of west coast
ports used by CalMac. Stornoway is one possibility but there is no requirement for
her there as MV Loch Seaforth is due back from drydock in a fortnight.
CalMac is being pressed to provide an update on the progress of repairs to the Caledonian
Isles. Meanwhile, its current focus on Arran is to release either the MV Isle of
Arran or the Alfred for redeployment.
Piers at Brodick and Troon will be checked out for mooring compatibility with the
Ben My Chree including due consideration for impacts of adverse weather and safe
overnight berthing. A seamless fit with both linkspans is very much desired.
Her owners, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, will impose a recall clause in any
charter agreement and may want her back on the run-up to Christmas.
She can take up to 191 cars - double the vehicle capacity of the Caledonian Isles
or the Alfred. The ship which regularly operates at 19 knots can accommodate 500
travellers per sailing. Passengers numbers may be increased if additional crew are
assigned.
CalMac interim chief executive Duncan Mackison said: “We are being proactive in identifying
options to add resilience and capacity to the network during what will continue to
be a challenging winter.
“This vessel is larger than those currently serving Arran and would add capacity
to that service whilst freeing up a vessel to move elsewhere.
“This is just a trial, and a full charter will be subject to agreement from multiple
parties.
“Should this be reached, we will review and publish a plan on wider vessel deployment.”