CalMac ferries crisis: Major fleet reshuffle with Islay's brand-new ferry redeployed after just 8 days
Barra and Little Minch routes back to normal but Mull’s remains “significantly reduced”
CalMac has announced a significant rejig of its stretched fleet to restore most routes following a series of breakdowns but Islay will lose its brand new ferry to boost sailings to Barra.
The chartered catamaran Alfred will be redeployed from the Troon to Brodick route in Arran to stand in for Isle of Islay, which only entered service eight days ago.
CalMac said the changes, due to last eight days from Thursday to Friday April 17, would also leave Mull with a significantly reduced service until at least Monday.
Little Minch sailings between Skye, North Uist and Harris would resume, but direct services between the mainland and South Uist remain suspended.
Joe Reade, chair of the Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, which represents passengers, described the changes as “CalMac’s desperate ship-shuffling”.
The shake-up follows a nightmare start to the summer timetable for CalMac, which had up to ten ferries out of service, nearly one third of its fleet, because of repairs and scheduled annual maintenance.
It comes as First Minister John Swinney visited the Western Isles on Wednesday after pledging a £10 million resilience fund for businesses and organisers impacted by the ferries crisis should the SNP win next month’s Scottish election.
The fund was criticised as “too little, too late” by his political opponents.
That number of ferries off the water has now reduced to eight after fault-plagued Arran ferry Glen Sannox went back in service on the Troon-Brodick route on Wednesday afternoon and Alfred returned from its annual overhaul on Tuesday night.
CalMac said Alfred, whose catering is limited to vending machines and cannot take larger motorhomes or vehicles towing caravans, would operate the two-hour route between Kennacraig in Kintyre and Port Askaig in Islay from Monday along with existing vessel Finlaggan, which will run the service from Thursday afternoon until then.
It said Isle of Mull would continue to serve Coll, Tiree and Colonsay.
However, Mull would have a significantly reduced service because Coruisk would operate the main Oban-Craignure route alone until Loch Frisa returns from planned maintenance on Monday.
But the operator added: “Even with those two vessels, Mull’s service will remain below planned levels due to the smaller size of both in comparison to having [normal main ferry] Isle of Mull on the route.”
The Colonsay service will also be reduced.
CalMac has four major ferries out of service for repairs: Isle of Arran and Lord of the Isles for an indefinite period, while Hebrides’ annual maintenance continues until April 18 and steelwork repairs on Isle of Lewis are not expected to be completed until May 31.
In addition to Loch Frisa, the other smaller vessels out of action are Loch Portain, which is undergoing planned maintenance until May 12, Loch Linnhe, whose oil leak is expected to be fixed on Thursday, and Loch Bhrusda, whose engine repairs are due to be finished on Saturday.
CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said: “In the coming days, our priority is to ensure that, wherever possible, every community has a service and to provide as much certainty as we can as to what that service looks like.
“The plan we’ve put in place in redeploying Isle of Islay allows us to restore two key routes - Barra and the Little Minch - to normality from Thursday.
“We’ve set out plans through to next Friday, the day before Hebrides is scheduled to return from planned maintenance.
“Her return triggers a cascade of vessels that allows us to restore normal service levels to a number of island communities.
“Until then, we’re pushing hard to speed up repairs on unavailable vessels and I want to assure those who rely on us that we’re doing everything in our gift to improve service levels.”
Joe Reade, chair of the Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, which represents passengers, said: “CalMac’s desperate ship-shuffling continues and Mull is left with the two smallest vessels available to the major routes.
“CalMac is having to make zero-sum choices. Let’s be clear about this - the operator holds only minor blame.
“This is a failure of planning and procurement - both the responsibility of Cmal [Scottish government ferry-buying firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited] and government.
“It is islanders who end up paying the price for the repeated failures of an unaccountable, self-satisfied ferry establishment.”
The redeployment of Isle of Islay so soon after it entered service was met with dismay in Islay.
Jim Porteous, secretary of the island’s community council ferry committee, said: “Alfred does not have the flexibility of Isle of Islay and is less suitable for this service - albeit better than nothing.
“There's inconsistency and lack of clarity in communications, which is making it very difficult for those who wish to book.
“Add to that the fact that their booking system has been shut down while transfers are made, meaning that nobody can book now in any case. We are awaiting urgent clarification from CalMac.”
Bill Calderwood, secretary of the Arran Ferry Committee, said: “We understand the risk across the network and hope the repairs to Glen Sannox are long term.
“There is still uncertainty around the return to service on many routes, and until the affected vessels are delivered that uncertainty will linger.
“We hope the next phase allows a bit of confidence to build, with the ability to plan appointments, get supplies delivered and recover visitor numbers, building into summer.”
The First Minister arrived in Stornoway on Wednesday morning on the ferry from Ullapool.
He said: “I’m in the Western Isles to take part in the SNP election campaign and to set out the importance that I attach to the island communities in Scotland and to make sure their needs are serviced.
“One of those issues that’s been of significant has been the issue of ferry connections, and I’m conscious of the disruption that’s been experienced by some of our island communities as a consequence of the ferry issues.
“I want to make sure, first of all, that the action is in place to support island communities, to make sure they’ve got all the ferry connections that are required.
“But also that we recognise the disruption that’s been experienced.”
He apologised again to islanders for disruption they have faced.
Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay described the “ongoing ferries fiasco” as one of the SNP’s “most appalling failures”.
He said: “It is a totem of SNP incompetence of which [leader] John Swinney should be utterly ashamed.”
Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarway said: “I saw today that John Swinney is announcing this new resilience fund if he is re-elected as First Minister.
“Honestly, people on the islands will just be saying, ‘just fix the bl**** ferries’.”
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