New delays have hit the four desperately needed CalMac ferries being built in Turkey.
Delivery of the first ship, MV Isle of Islay, should have taken place in October
but with ongoing hold-ups the vessel now risks missing the peak of a busy summer
season on Scotland’s west coast.
Knock-on issues cascading down the line are also slowing down completion of the other
three vessels with up to six-month gaps between each from the delivery of MV Isle
of Islay.
Under the revised schedule MV Loch Indaal’s handover is pushed back to the start
of winter while MV Lochmor and MV Claymore - earmarked for Lochmaddy and Tarbert
routes - will not be ready until well into 2026.
Handover of the £45 million Isle of Islay looks unlikely until around July at the earliest. Then a few weeks of sea and familiarisation trials are required before she carries passengers.
War in Ukraine impacting steel supplies, Houthi terrorist attacks on vessels heading for the Suez Canal through the Red Sea, and the devastating earthquake in Turkey all contribute to the delay.
A shortage of commissioning engineers to supervise the installation of machinery is also an issue.
Snow and cold weather in Turkey is also partly responsible as the chilly conditions
is holding up vessel that is currently utilising the dry dock the Isle of Islay is
waiting to enter for hull checks and anti-fouling painting.
In a letter to MSPs, Scottish Government-owned agency Caledonian Maritime Assets
Limited (CMAL) outlined the challenges facing the ferry building contract.
“There is very little that can be done regarding global geopolitical events,” stress CMAL.
It adds: “With regard to MV Loch Indaal, MV Lochmor and MV Claymore, we expect these
vessels to follow a delivery schedule of six-month intervals from the delivery of
MV Isle of Islay.
“The contract has anticipated intervals of four months, but it is prudent we take our current understanding of the situation into consideration.
“However, it is difficult to judge this exactly, as there are currently three other vessels being completed at Cemre for other operators, and their completion may release resource within the yard which would accelerate progress on our vessels.
“We fully appreciate this is not the news the island communities, or indeed anyone wants to hear.
“However, we endeavour to be as transparent as possible regarding what can be achieved, and this letter reflects our latest observations.
“We are focussed on ensuring each vessel is of the highest quality so that we can
have confidence in their ability to operate successfully on the network and be both
resilient and give the end users a high-quality experience.”
CalMac is presently struggling with a third of major vessels unavailable - either
undergoing repairs or suffering passenger carrying restrictions forcing a big shake-up
of the remaining fleet to maintain basic lifeline services.
Duncan Mackison, CalMac’s chief executive, told Hebrides News: “Everyone involved in MV Isle of Islay’s build is aware of how desperately she’s needed in the CalMac fleet.
“Any delay is disappointing news, but we’re supporting CMAL, the shipyard and other partners to ensure the vessel is delivered as quickly as she can be.”
Further delays revealed for four new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey
28 February 2025
