Temporary Stornoway ferry departs for drydock repairs just days after arrival
25 July 2021
The freight ferry hired to provide extra sailings on the Stornoway service has left for repairs.
MV Arrow could be gone for about a week it is believed.
Cal Mac arranged the charter to boost capacity on the Ullapool route, by freeing up MV Loch Seaforth to operate extra passenger runs during the peak summer season.
The Arrow was to deliver the the evening freight sailing six days a week releasing MV Loch Seaforth to provide additional passenger sailings on Monday and Friday nights.
Supply of ferry space outstrips supply as physical distancing rules severely limits the number of travellers on each sailing.
But the Arrow is out of service after completing just five return sailings. A problem emerged on Saturday morning due to what’s believed to be a serious oil leak in her propulsion system following a fishing rope entanglement around a propeller.
Seatruck, mangers of the Danish-
It’s unclear when she will be back.
Her sailings are cancelled until further notice said Cal Mac.
The extra passenger sailings are scrapped meanwhile and MV Loch Seaforth has returned to carrying out the overnight freight service.
MV Arrow is a sister ship to the former MV Clipper Ranger which operated the freight link for Stornoway route before MV Loch Seaforth became the permanent ferry
A Scottish Government bid to charter the Clipper Ranger for the route in 2019 was rejected by Seatruck.