A major breakdown of the biggest ship in the Caledonian Macbrayne (Cal Mac) fleet has resulted in travel disruption for thousands of passengers between the Scottish mainland and west coast islands on the run-up to one of the busiest periods in the ferry calendar.
Up to four or five vessels could be potentially involved as rushed arrangements are being made to try and shuffle the Cal Mac fleet about after the MV Isle of Lewis was despatched to drydock for repairs.
All sailings out of Stornoway are cancelled today (Sat) because the ferry suffered a serious fault.
Repairs cannot be done in harbour as work is required around her propeller shaft, which is below the waterline.
The ship left Stornoway, at reduced speed, around lunchtime to a drydock in Greenock. It means logistical chaos as ships are swapped about the Cal Mac network for up to a week or so.
There was no way the work could wait until the ship’s scheduled annual refit at the end of January.
Cal Mac said the MV Hebrides will cancel her Sunday morning run out of Harris because she is being sent to cover the Stornoway to Ullapool route for Sunday anyway. The MV Hebrides is a smaller, slower boat and cannot take as many large vehicles as the Isle of Lewis.
Arrangements are being made for the MV Finlaggan, to come off her Islay run and replace the MV Hebrides on the Harris, North Uist and Skye triangular schedule.
Any backlog of freight vans and lorries will be cleared by the MV Clipper Ranger.
Hordes of passengers have booked tickets for the start of the October school holidays this coming week while large numbers are heading off to the Royal National Mod which opens in Paisley on Friday.
It also meant the newly formed Lewis and Harris Football Club was prevented from travelling to their first-ever match in the North Caledonian Cup competition. A coachload of fans was also booked onto the ferry. The game against Alness will be rescheduled.
Repairs are required around one of MV Isle of Lewis propeller shafts which means one engine is out of action. The ship cannot legally set to sea with passengers without both engines operational.
Divers w
ere sent down for an underwater inspection of broken ferry on Saturday morning and then the decision for drydock repairs was confirmed.
Despite the fanfare about the resilience of the new £42 million ferry which will take over the Stornoway route next year, the MV Loch Seaforth would also have been forced to stop sailing if a similar fault occurred.
The MV Hebrides is being sent to Stornoway
