In 1974 the average life of a ferry was 13 years old. Eddie Howe makes damning Ryan Fraser Newcastle admission as Scotland star's 'commitment' questioned. "A tug has sunk in the Clyde off Greenock." Unbelievable ! It would be interesting to see Kerevan's obsession with the profit-motive applied, say, to the police, or our prisons, or the armed forces. He later told MSPs that the Auditor General had been asked to investigate. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's To qualify for concessionary SPT ferry fares, you must live permanently (or own, and pay council tax, in respect of a 2nd home) on one of the islands covered by the scheme or live on the . Highland Seabird, despite carrying 60,000 passengers in a season, proved utterly uneconomic. Of the 10 largest ferries, four are more than 30 years old and the MV Isle of Arran is 39. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. The group said on Thursday in a message to CalMac's managing director Robbie Drummond and Ms Gilruth: "Maybe the plan is that without visitors we wont need many supplies. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? MV Loch Seaforth, at 116m (381ft) in length the largest vessel in the fleet, operates on the Ullapool to Stornoway, Lewis crossing. CMAL may have broken its own rules by allowing Ferguson to go ahead with its bid despite being unable to provide evidence of a builders refund guarantee, a mandatory financial safeguard, Ferguson obtained a 424-page document from a design consultant setting out CalMac's technical requirements, while other bidders had to rely on a more limited 125-page specification. has a calmac ferry ever sunk. "We will be looking at the substance of the allegations raised around procurement by the programme before deciding whether further audit work is required," it said. A problem with the firefighting equipment on MV Lord of the Isles has forced CalMac to withdraw it from service for and estimated eight days from the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route. Two years later tenders went out for two new large ships - one for the Arran route and the other destined for the "Uig triangle", serving Skye, North Uist and Harris. The 1920 Saturday departure was removed during the winter 2016/2017 timetable to facilitate a 0820 sailing from Brodick on Sunday, where a crew safety drill has been a normal occurrence since October 2016. Announcements that Caledonian MacBrayne ferries have been withdrawn from service for repairs are becoming an increasingly common occurrence. ''It is a state-owned transport company that does not make a profit on any of its routes.'' . READ MORE: Scandal-hit Ferguson Marine faces being dissolved despite millions of taxpayer money being ploughed into it. Caledonian MacBrayne is not quite a monopoly. The head of Scotland's state-owned ferry network has admitted the service is getting worse. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. The rank outsider to become First Minister has only received the public backing of one serving politician, Joanna Cherry, amid struggles to get her campaign going. Western Ferries competes directly on the Clyde's Gourock-Dunoon service; a private operator runs an alternative Skye ferry, and other car ferries at Jura, Luing, and Corran are run by local authorities. The article. If you run your business the way Calmac operate ferries, you would go bust a long time ago, because the customers will say you don't are.". CalMac said told The Herald: "Our team is working hard to provide alternative solutions. A leaked dossier has suggested the process of awarding a 97m Scottish ferries contract may have been rigged. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The Caledonian MacBrayne vessel MV Isle of Mull leaves Oban, with the hills of the Mull in the background. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. She is a spare vessel during the winter months. [8] The new terminal has two ferry berths: the west side berth and the east side berth. The documents indicate that no other bidder was given a similar opportunity to revise its submission so significantly. CalMac, apparently, runs a ''lucrative monopoly'', threatened by ''up to a dozen rivals who are expected to bid for the state-owned company's network'', according to a ''leading maritime expert'', Professor Neil Kay of Strathclyde University. CMAL's argument is that it needs to build long-lifespan "quality" ships, interchangeable between routes and capable of withstanding often harsh conditions. And it insists it remains on the lookout for suitable second hand boats. There are presently ten vessels over 80 metres (260 feet) in length in the CalMac fleet: She is a double-ender ferry with passenger capacity for 195, and capacity for 40 cars, or 4 HGVs. misconfiguration and was unable to complete Nor does Kerevan tell us CalMac has been long forbidden freely to compete on the Dunoon route. Talent like Captains Gunn or Morrison of the Hebrides, or chief engineer MacLennan of the Caledonian Isles, is not readily found nor lightly bought. MVHebrides, Mark Daly investigates what went wrong at the Ferguson shipyard, and raises questions about the tender process that saw the contract awarded in 2015. "Why isn't there an automatic plan in place, so that when a ferry goes off there is another there and you do this and that. There is no standard over 60s ticket, but there are concessions available for islanders in certain areas. [5] The second, Hull 802, is as yet unnamed. [1] During the summer, MVIsle of Arran, replaced at Islay in 2011,[2] supplements the Ardrossan - Brodick service and sails to Campbeltown. Lochnevis has a surprisingly large vehicle ramp, which dominates her appearance. MVLochnevis is a highly specialised ship serving the Small Isles of Eigg, Canna, Rm and Muck from Mallaig. boeing 767 patriot express. MVClansman, "Completing the essential overhaul schedule and returning vessels to service is our priority, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.". MVCoruisk is a 65m (213ft) "sheltered water vessel", operating on the Mallaig to Armadale route in summer, and relieving on the Clyde in winter. "Our dedicated frontline staff will continue to work with local communities to understand and support their priorities. [1] The largest and newest, MVLoch Shira, is 54.27 by 13.90m (178ft 1in by 45ft 7in) and can carry 32 cars and 250 passengers. [12] Argyll Ferries purchased MVAli Cat and a former Irish boat renamed MVArgyll Flyer to serve the route. Bad weather prevented Caledonian Isles from berthing in Troon, reducing the service to passenger-only from Ardrossan. MVIsle of Lewis, Descubr lo que tu empresa podra llegar a alcanzar. CalMac's oldest is the Isle of Cumbrae which is 47-years old. Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide answers to many common questions about booking and travelling, including information around routes, vehicles, children, dogs, online bookings and refunds. has a calmac ferry ever sunk. Edward Mountain, who was convener of a Holyrood committee that looked into the ferries scandal two years ago, told the programme he had "real concerns" that MSPs "haven't been told the whole truth about what happened in this procurement process". Editors' Code of Practice. From May to September 2013, MVIsle of Arran could carry its full capacity throughout the week, doubling the service to Arran from Monday to Wednesday. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. MVChieftain is a passenger-only vessel leased from Clyde Marine to operate the Gourock to Kilcreggan service since June 2020. The Scottish Government's investment plan is hoping to bring the average age of the fleet to 15 years. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. The Aberdeen youth product is training with the under-21s after falling out-of-favour on Tyneside. The following year his new firm, Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL), won a 97m contract to build two dual fuel LNG vessels for state-owned ferry operator CalMac. We are lucky at The Herald. This will be closely monitored, with feedback being obtained directly from island communities and local resilience partnerships providing a more rounded assessment of impact than transport operators alone can provide.". When MVGlen Sannox enters service in 2023,[2][3][4] Caledonian Isles is expected to become the second vessel on the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry crossing. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. Now and again we're reminded. Passenger accommodation is down one or both sides of the ship. This happened on 4 January 2012, following storm damage to the linkspan at Ardrossan.[6]. This has been rejected, although leasing the ship as a temporary measure remains a possibility. In April 2015, MVIsle of Arran had problems with her prop shaft which delayed the introduction of her additional Arran summer sailings, leaving Caledonian Isles to carry all the traffic and run additional sailings at night. MV Hebrides has been withdrawn from service twice because of issues with its fire suppressant system. He said he was not aware of any interference by ministers or civil servants in the procurement process. The new offer will see teachers getting a 12.3% increase by April 2023 and it will rise to 14% by 2024. Humza Yousaf takes the lead as SNP members swing behind Nicola Sturgeon's man, The 'worst health secretary in the history of devolution' is just ahead of his rivals in the SNP leadership contest, although a third of Nat members still don't know who to vote for, Ian Blackford 'looking forward' to end of police probe into SNP's 'murky' finances as he dodges Peter Murrell question. CMAL confirmed that an in-person meeting for the purposes of clarification did take place at the shipyard on 4 June, but said it believed this was normal and appropriate. Next on the shopping list is a replacement for 33-year-old MV Lord of the Isles, which operates between Mallaig and South Uist - but that's at an early stage and a new ship could be several years away. During the period of the summer timetable there is an additional sailing on Friday evenings, leaving Ardrossan at 2030, returning from Brodick at 2140. CalMac warns of further disruption to ferry service due to lack of backup ferries, Scottish lags misuse 4.1million taxpayer-funded mobile phones more than 7,000 times in three years, More than 4,082 inmates have been caught out for using mobile phones paid for by the taxpayers to commit crimes while in prison, Iconic Glasgow bakery Mortons Rolls 'ceases all trading' after 58 years. More: Kerevan and his paper attack not a company, but a community. Jim McColl confirmed to BBC Disclosure that he first looked into buying Fergusons at least two months before it went bust. These vessels usually operate on the longer crossings, with high passenger numbers. The Herald on Sunday revealed that the ferry operator had been secretly hit with 3.5m in performance fines in a year by the Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland as concerns rise about the reliability of Scotlands ageing ferry fleet. [9], From 2002, the service to Dunoon was supplemented by passenger catamaran MVAli Cat, owned by Solent and Wightline Cruises and chartered by CalMac from Red Funnel Line. While few dispute the need for new ferries, there is far less consensus on what type of vessels should be purchased. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? MVCaledonian Isles has the highest passenger capacity and can carry 1000 people on the Ardrossan to Brodick, Arran crossing. She was removed from service and relieved by Isle of Arran, with Loch Riddon providing additional capacity on the Lochranza - Claonaig route alongside Catriona. Kerevan does not include in his report quotes from CalMac's managers or officials. The passenger accommodation is similar to that onboard the Mull ship. Dr Mills's appointment as chairman did attract fierce criticism - not least an unpleasant vendetta from the West Highland Free Press - but the commissioner for public appointments, who made full investigation, declared no impropriety had occurred. [citation needed] In February 2014, MVIsle of Arran once again relieved Caledonian Isles after she broke down. CalMac recruits from the breadth of the western seaboard. The delays have added to pressure on CalMac's old and increasingly unreliable fleet. More than seven years later those ships, Glen Sannox and the as yet un-named hull 802, are still under construction at the now-nationalised Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow. Duncan Hamilton, SNP list MSP for the Highlands and Islands, is quoted to dismiss Mr Sinclair's track-record. The Times reports an equally bleak picture across the CalMac fleet in terms of upkeep and new vessels. A key section of its bid was mostly cut-and-pasted from this longer document. One of the dilemmas facing Scotland's ferry network is that it needs to commit to new ships now that could be in service for decades - yet it is still unclear which future technology will win out. Last year the Scottish government promised 580m of investment in Scotland's ferry network over the next five years - about half of it for new ships - but some claim, given the scale of the problem, that's nowhere near enough. . CalMac and CMAL, another government agency which owns the ships and harbours, have a reputation for choosing a certain type of vessel - large, sophisticated mono-hulled ships with capacity for the crew to sleep on board. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. If the mezzanine decks are fully deployed there is insufficient height to accommodate lorries and other high vehicles other than at the bow and stern. Second-hand ferry deal to boost CalMac network, Plug-in and sail: Meet the electric ferry pioneers, Ferry deal collapses over CalMac use of catamaran, Arran ferry out of action following engine failure, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. They have red funnels with black caps that display the Lion Rampant badge with masts in buff. It said its board had voiced concerns to Transport Scotland about the contract award to Fergusons, particularly in relation to the lack of refund guarantees, which were well-documented. The truth is brutal. A procurement law expert told Disclosure claims of unequal treatment of bidders in tender processes can lead to breaches in EU law and potential legal action from unsuccessful bidders. The ferry operator said the Inner Hebrides' MV Clansman and Islay's MV Hebridean Isles are out of action due to technical problems and delays have delayed the return of Arran's MV Caledonian Isles from its annual overhaul as the ship has been in dry dock since 9 January. Editors' Code of Practice. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. After a month the Caithness linkspan was destroyed by gales; the affair finally cost islanders some (pounds) 7m. Of similar design, but larger than the Loch class, MVHallaig was launched in 2012 for the Raasay service. He said: "It is material that I take seriously, about which I have concerns, which raises fundamental issues for me about the fairness and the appropriateness of the tender process.". The most recent predecessor was the 1964 built hoist loading ferry.Launched on 27 March 1998 at Appledore Shipbuilders in North Devon, she entered service four months later. If Kerevan believes CalMac fares are extortionate, he should take a van to Shetland, or fly from Glasgow to Stornoway. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. It follows the Scottish Government's transport minister Jenny Gilruth warning it will be financially challenging" to fix Scotland's ferry shortage by the end of the decade. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. It's a ''nationalised dinosaur'' succeeding in only one thing - ''getting the taxpayer to fork . Caledonian Isles has also been relieved by MVIsle of Mull, MVLord of the Isles and MVHebridean Isles. Two new dual fuel ferries are being built by Ferguson Marine Engineering. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. contact the editor here. Hebrides - This ferry has been providing relief cover between Lochmaddy and Ullapool while work is being done to Skye's Uig pier. They vary in length from 30.2 to 54.27m (99ft 1in to 178ft 1in). Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the information presented by BBC Disclosure would be investigated further. ", Mr Drummond responded: "We are prioritising food deliveries and weve shipped everything the local haulier has asked for. MVLoch Frisa is a former Norled ferry bought by Caledonian MacBrayne in 2021. The company, based in Drumchapel, has reportedly ceased all trading with its annual results currently overdue by more than two months. Repairs were carried out on the MV Caledonian Isles after an engine failure, The Glen Sannox's construction at Ferguson's shipyard has been troubled, An impression of one of new ferries being built for the Islay route, Privately-run Pentland Ferries has successfully used catamarans to and from Orkney for years, In Denmark, fully-electric ferries are already sailing but only on relatively short routes, Islands like Iona are seeing visitor numbers pick up again, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he was concerned by the BBC's findings and would look into the matter further. Glen Sannox floated high in the water after it was launched in 2017 because so much equipment had yet to be fitted, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. In Denmark, fully-electric ferries are already sailing but only on relatively short routes. MVLoch Portain, MVLoch Buie and MVLoch Shira also have a lounge above the car deck. . why; as on last Wednesday, our attention was drawn to an astonishing onslaught on ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne. The ten key vessels are MV Isle of Arran, MV Hebridean Isles, MV Isle of Mull, MV Lord of the Isles, MV Caledonian Isles, MV Isle of Lewis, MV Clansman, MV Hebrides, MV Finlaggan, and MV Loch Seaforth. He said: "With hindsight, it put us in a very strong position, because we were responding to what CalMac were looking for, and not what CMAL had put out to the other yards. Yet it is false to say that ''not one of Caledonian MacBrayne's 29 vessels'' makes a profit. CalMac initially announced a provisional return date of 28th February, but this was later pushed back to 31st March. Even then, blundering officials had to remove the documents after they forgot to redact her bank details, Frogmore eviction 'leaked' by Palace as political tactic insider claims.

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