Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'OK' about leaving Frogmore Cottage following Buckingham Palace's eviction, The couple are said to have accepted that they were privileged to have a house in the US and the UK, Humza Yousaf's lawyer Aamer Anwar wades into same-sex marriage debate as statement defends missed vote, The human rights lawyer has released a statement from the family of Mohammad Asghar, who was placed on death row in Pakistan in January 2014 and whose case was discussed by the SNP leadership contender at a much-scrutinised meeting at Holyrood the following month, SNP blasted for 'dragging their heels' over dangerous cladding programme as they spend less than 1m of 97m funding pot. "A tug has sunk in the Clyde off Greenock." Unbelievable ! She has the capacity for 100 passengers. Documents obtained by BBC Disclosure indicate that successful bidder Ferguson Marine Engineering benefited from preferential treatment. The spokesman said an additional sailing was due to set off yesterday (Saturday) evening between Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Ullapool on the mainland to help move freight. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please This caused significant disruption to the Arran service, with all vehicle bookings cancelled and a significant reduction in capacity. "You would think they can just put another ferry on but then they say they can't, just suck it up. A SCOTS seafood firm could be forced to close with the loss of 100 jobs due to an unreliable and 'weather-shy' ferry service. It is now understood while the Scottish Government has come under increasing fire over a failure to deal with the ferries crisis, it is now considering setting up a compensation fund for islands using fines it has imposed on CalMac for underperformance. CalMac says its maintenance budget has risen by 67% over the past five years,. The last sailing from the old Brodick pier was the 0820 to Ardrossan on Tuesday 20 March 2018. Hopelessly Kerevan exposes himself, like Lord Darlington's cynic, as one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. 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. [5], Due to the demand for capacity, a second ferry has supplemented Caledonian Isles during the summer season since 2005. Islanders' anger at wider ferry disruption. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. "We understand how much our customers and communities we serve rely on ferry services, and how challenging this period is. The following month it was announced that Mr Hair was moving on. The MV Caledonian Isles, which is 29 years old, was out of service for nearly a fortnight in April with engine failure causing capacity problems for Arran, CalMac's busiest ferry route, just when businesses were hoping to see some kind of bounce-back after Covid. Highland Seabird, despite carrying 60,000 passengers in a season, proved utterly uneconomic. During the period of the summer timetable there is an additional sailing on Friday evenings, leaving Ardrossan at 2030, returning from Brodick at 2140. 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. [18] Her design allows her to make the crossing in reverse when sea conditions allow.[18]. [13], Caledonian Isles departed for annual overhaul in early January 2023. Most are symmetrical when viewed from the side, with no operational bow or stern. As for uncomfortable ships, we must assume Kerevan has never boarded any of the ''mini-liners'' CalMac have built since the late eighties - our own new Hebrides is a splendid example. A Transport Scotland spokesman said: CalMac forms part of the local resilience partnership. The documents indicate that no other bidder was given a similar opportunity to revise its submission so significantly. [12] Argyll Ferries purchased MVAli Cat and a former Irish boat renamed MVArgyll Flyer to serve the route. [16], MVArgyll Flyer (244 passengers) and the catamaran MVAli Cat (250 passengers) are passenger-only ferries used on the Gourock - Dunoon service. Something went wrong, please try again later. The fantasy of El Cheapo Highland shipping operations was blown, surely, by the debacle of Orkney Ferries in 1989. She was built in 2015 as Utne and operated for Norled for 6 years. A Norwegian ferry operator has taken delivery of a boat powered by liquid hydrogen - but this is still prototype technology. [7], Before heading to Birkenhead for her overhaul in January 2018, she called at Campbeltown to test the berth. GMB union convener John McMunagle said the concerns were raised at board meetings, where they highlighted that there were "managers everywhere" - but they could not get steelworkers. The BBC documentary, however, uncovered evidence of a number of irregularities: The Port Glasgow shipyard fell into administration in August 2014, but was bought a week before the independence referendum by Jim McColl, a businessman who sat on First Minister Alex Salmond's council of economic advisers. It said that while the Scottish Government must invest in the ferry fleet in the short and long term, it must compensate businesses who have suffered impact from the disruption and build confidence in the Outer Hebrides as a visitor destination "after the negative economic impact of this summer's ferry fiasco". She is a double-ender ferry with passenger capacity for 195, and capacity for 40 cars, or 4 HGVs. After transport minister Jenny Gilruth convened a resilience meeting with the local MP, MSP, councillors and other stakeholders Alasdair Allan the SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said the minister agreed to look at whether a compensation scheme can be created from financial performance penalties imposed on CalMac. These vessels usually operate on longer crossings, with high passenger numbers. 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. We're reminded of the stushie surrounding Dr Mills's 1999 appointment, and that Mr Sinclair used to run Ailsa Shipbuilding at Troon - ''main supplier of ferries for CalMac''; the company folded shortly after he assumed his Gourock post. Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: During this latest disruption, we have shipped all the food deliveries we have been asked to take. Others have already leapt upon Kerevan's vagueness. MVLoch Portain, MVLoch Buie and MVLoch Shira also have a lounge above the car deck. Sailings are met at Ardrossan Harbour by the ScotRail train service to Glasgow Central. [14] A second hybrid ferry, MVLochinvar, was launched in May 2013 for the Tarbert to Portavadie route. The historic oil recipe is based on what was used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the formula of which has been used for hundreds of years. MV Clansman has recently had problems recently with a bow thruster, used for manoeuvring. Mr Swinney told the Scottish Parliament that he welcomed this move, and that the government's permanent secretary had been in contact with the Auditor General to discuss the matter. 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. His 454-day tenure in the role cost the taxpayer almost 1.3m but BBC Disclosure has learned that it ended in more disillusionment for the workforce. The average age of the CalMac ferries is almost 24 years and many of the large boats are even older. This has been rejected, although leasing the ship as a temporary measure remains a possibility. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. MVIsle of Lewis, Long-delayed new CalMac ferries will take a further eight months to be completed by Ferguson Marine, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has told MSPs. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Even more troubling is what one can ascertain of the journalistic background. Of similar design, but larger than the Loch class, MVHallaig was launched in 2012 for the Raasay service. It's untrue that Ailsa of Troon supplied most CalMac ferries - of the present operational fleet, Ferguson's of Port Glasgow constructed seven; Lamont's, six, Richard Dunstan (Hessle) four, and Ailsa only three. A band of rain, sleet and snow is expected to move south during Monday followed by frequent snow and hail showers, Ken Bruce leaves BBC with veiled jibe after they ended his show early over concerns was free advertising for a rival, The 72-year-old Glaswegian left Radio to join Greatest Hits Radio in April after the Beeb told him to step down 17 days early, Teaching strikes held off as union on brink of striking pay deal. The same has happend some (or many) years ago in fog with a freighter connected with 2 It came as islanders complained to CalMac about food shelves being bare as vital supplies were not reaching shops and evidence of panic buying. With reports that some had taken to sleeping in cars because of the ferry meltdown, the North Uist Agricultural Show organisers circulated news on Tuesday that the Hosta Hall would be left open till 7pm for anyone who needs somewhere to shelter. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he was concerned by the BBC's findings and would look into the matter further. I have a baby who is now on cows milk but Im only able to do my shopping once a week due to having three kids on my own while my partner works. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. On Friday it emerged the government faces a 5million bill after losing a High Court case related to takeover of Ferguson's. Meanwhile, a contract to deliver MV Glen Sannox and a sister ferry in 2018 won't now be completed until 2023 with costs doubling to 200million. The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 units in operation and another 4 on order. We will continue to do our best to balance demand to capacity however, with no spare vessels and limited deployment options, capacity may be reduced on some routes and in some situations, we may need to prioritise essential bookings. Eddie Howe makes damning Ryan Fraser Newcastle admission as Scotland star's 'commitment' questioned. "CalMac need to sort this out because soon enough it will force people to want to leave the islands which is not what the islands are wanting.". 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. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. But in reality one bottle will not last a baby one week nor would it last a full family same with other foods. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. And he said it may be that the island will have to look at producing milk locally. He sent in senior staff to examine business opportunities but felt there were too many issues that needed "tidying up" and waited until it fell into administration. Juno and Jupiter were withdrawn from service in 2010, and by June 2011 Juno had been broken up at Rosneath,[8] meanwhile Jupiter was sold to breakers in Denmark for recycling in that month. As the third-largest vessel in the fleet, she brought new levels of capacity and passenger comfort to the routes. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. The Aberdeen youth product is training with the under-21s after falling out-of-favour on Tyneside. Read about our approach to external linking. [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. The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 units in operation and another 4 on order. MVIsle of Mull, Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The ferries, formerly operated by Argyll Ferries, were acquired when the company was incorporated into Caledonian MacBrayne in January 2019.[17]. "You cannot get more than one carton of milk in each shop. She is a spare vessel during the winter months. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. The CalMac ferry scandal - is it more than SNP incompetence?The problem with CalMac's ageing ferries - BBC News We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. The passenger accommodation is similar to that onboard the Mull ship. Bad weather prevented Caledonian Isles from berthing in Troon, reducing the service to passenger-only from Ardrossan. It means that Glen Sannox will now be five years late and will not see service till between March and May 2023 at the earliest, while Hull 802 is not due to set sail till between October and December 2023. 'For god's sake do something': Food rationing fury as islanders blame CalMac ferry cancellations. Caledonian Isles serves the Isle of Arran on the Ardrossan to Brodick route. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. .''. A leaked dossier has suggested the process of awarding a 97m Scottish ferries contract may have been rigged. Despite many false dawns, the workforce told the BBC there was now a growing optimism that the ferries would be completed next year, and that the modernised shipyard could restore its reputation. 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. Mark Daly investigates what went wrong at the Ferguson shipyard, and raises questions about the tender process that saw the contract awarded in 2015. Ministers are also currently considering Project Neptune - a review by consultants looking at the roles of Transport Scotland, CalMac and CMAL - to try to make the system work better. "Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited announces Scottish shipbuilder as preferred tenderer for two large ferries contract", "Shortage Of Workers And Covid Disruption Delay Ferguson Ferries By A Further 15 Weeks", "Public invited to help name CMAL's first LNG ferry", "New 12m CalMac hybrid ferry launched at Ferguson yard", "CalMac takes over the tiller at Argyll Ferries", "New ferry purchased for CalMac Scottish Island Services", Shipsofcalmac.uk: Unofficial list of the past and current Caledonian MacBrayne fleet, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caledonian_MacBrayne_fleet&oldid=1126830855, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 December 2022, at 12:53. She was built in 2017 by Malakoff Limited in Shetland. Comments have been closed on this article. 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. . [1] During the summer, MVIsle of Arran, replaced at Islay in 2011,[2] supplements the Ardrossan - Brodick service and sails to Campbeltown. More information about this error may be available [7], The former Clyde ferries, MVJupiter, MVJuno and MVSaturn had provided the Dunoon and Rothesay services for the best part of 35 years. Initially scheduled to return to service on 2nd February,[14] she experienced significant delays during overhaul due to additional steel work and engine repairs being required. The documentary learned that last November union representatives told Finance Secretary Kate Forbes they had lost confidence in the senior management team. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. If Kerevan believes CalMac fares are extortionate, he should take a van to Shetland, or fly from Glasgow to Stornoway. The deal to build two new CalMac ferries for Arran and the Hebrides has run into serious trouble. 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. Some island communities have suggested they would be better served by a greater number of smaller vessels, and that shore-based crews could boost their economies. We are lucky at The Herald. CalMac declined to give either an interview or a statement. On Friday, as MV Isle of Mull was brought in the North Uist Community Pressure Group tweeted that it was hopeful that vital food supplies would arrive. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. . Sign up to our daily newsletter here. But the project has been beset by problems and the yard has been nationalised after going back into administration. MVChieftain is a passenger-only vessel leased from Clyde Marine to operate the Gourock to Kilcreggan service since June 2020. [citation needed], On first coming into service, Caledonian Isles usually berthed overnight at Ardrossan in the summer and at Brodick in the winter timetable. Forward of the main entrance square is the cafeteria, with stairways leading up to the observation lounge and the outside deck. It's a ''nationalised dinosaur'' succeeding in only one thing - ''getting the taxpayer to fork . But the project has been. Ferry passengers petrified in 15-hour storm nightmare But yesterday nearly all the sailings on the affected routes remained wiped out despite the move, with just two sailings planned. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. 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. Mr Peteranna of the Lochboisdale Ferry Business Impact Group said restrictions on purchase of milk and bread were understandable if people were panic buying because of the ferry issues. "People aren't stupid, they know that there is not ferry and there is usually a daily lorry with fresh stuff. One, by ferry operator CalMac, found that a rival bid from a Polish shipyard best met its requirements, while an independent naval architect noted that FMEL's initial design was heavier and less efficient than the others. It was hoped that the ferry might be back in operation today after its loss led to major disruption with the shutdown for three days of two routes between Uig on Skye, Lochmaddy on North Uist and Tarbert on Harris. READ MORE: Scandal-hit Ferguson Marine faces being dissolved despite millions of taxpayer money being ploughed into it. This change also allowed it to reduce its price by nearly 10m, making it more competitive, CMAL assessors held a "confidential" meeting with Ferguson, the only bidder to receive an in-person meeting. Ministers under fire as cheap deal for new lifeline Scots ferry is sunk Read about our approach to external linking.
