MV Alfred leaving Western Isles area for repairs and latest deployment

CalMac has assigned its hired-in catamaran, MV Alfred, to the Arran route for her next period of resilience operations.

There she will release another vessel to test out a couple of different routes on the west coast network.

First, she will have to fix a broken thruster which is required for berthing manoeuvres.

The Alfred has spent much of the week in the Western Isles, carrying out berthing trials at Stornoway, Tarbert and Lochmaddy.

Today, CalMac managers weighed up capacity issues affecting pressure points on a number of island communities and decided to transfer her to the Ardrossan to Arran route. She is set to take up that service at the end of next week, Saturday 4 November, releasing MV Caledonian Isles for berthing trials on one or two ports in the network.

The Caledonian Isles is understood to be under consideration as temporary relief on the Mull-Oban route which is currently under pressure while its main vessel, MV Isle of Mull, is covering the Castlebay service.

The Caledonian Isles has never tested out the linkspans in Islay so a visit there is also a strong possibility.

MV Alfred departed Stornoway this (Friday) afternoon, on course to Harris.

She will berth overnight at Tarbert and steam to Troon on Saturday where a shore contractor will commence repairs to her thruster.

MV Alfred is expected to pick up Ardrossan - Arran sailings a week tomorrow, 4 November.

MV Hebridean Isles will continue to operate Stornoway-Ullapool freight service until 2 November when MV Arrow will arrive. The Arrow - chartered from the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company - is due to start the following day and remain until MV Loch Seaforth returns from her annual overhaul on the Mersey.

A CalMac spokeswoman said: “As a result of MV Alfred trials at Stornoway being unsuccessful for scheduled service due to fit on the linkspan, the vessel is unavailable for timetabled freight service on the Stornoway-Ullapool route.

“In addition, MV Alfred has reported an issue with her thruster which requires a repair to be carried out.

“MV Hebridean Isles deployment after 2 November has yet to be confirmed and will be announced as soon as possible.”

The Heb Isles is pencilled in support the under capacity Islay route following the end of her Stornoway stint and 10 November when she departs for annual dry-docking.

However, other pressures yet to arise on the network - such as drydock delays, breakdowns, and weather disruptions, may dictate a different deployment.

The 85-metre-long MV Alfred is on lease from Pentland Ferries at a cost of £1 million a month.

MV Alfred leaving Western Isles area for repairs and latest deployment

27 October 2023