CalMac directly awarded new ferry service contract



The contract to run Scotland's west coast ferry services in future has been directly awarded to the existing publicly-owned operator CalMac Ferries Ltd.

The Scottish government said the service would now be focused on a "public service model" instead of being run on a commercial basis.

The latest contract for the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service (CHFS) had been due to expire last September but was extended by a year.

Ministers had indicated that a direct award, without a competitive tender, was their preference, but they needed more time to ensure this could be done without a legal challenge.

No details of the contract's value or duration were given, but the previous eight-year contract for the heavily-subsidised ferry service was worth £975m. One estimate has suggested a subsidy of £3.7bn over 10 years would now be required.

CalMac is the UK's biggest ferry operator and has held the most recent contract to run the routes since 2016, serving 50 destinations.

But the firm has struggled in recent years to maintain services with an ageing and increasingly unreliable fleet which it leases from another government-owned firm. Since 2007, the ships and some of the harbours it relies on have been owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd or CMAL, in a division designed to comply with EU competition rules.

Delays in replacing the older vessels, in part due to the problems with two new dual-fuel ferries ordered a decade ago, have stretched the service almost to breaking point, with many vessels beyond their expected service life.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the direct award to CalMac signalled a new public service model rather than treating it as a commercial contract. She said this would lead to change that better served the needs of island communities, and she denied it would be seen as a reward for failure.

She told BBC Scotland News: "There are over 170,000 sailings. There have been cancellations, some for technical reasons, some for weather reasons, but the vast majority of CalMac's sailing are delivered very well in indeed. If you talk to islands the support for the frontline services of CalMac staff is very appreciative."

CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison welcomed the emphasis on treating the Clyde and Hebridean routes as a public service and promised improvements. He said: "During the extension period for the current contract, we recognised the need for change and are already driving change through the expansion of local teams, enhanced community engagement and improved responsiveness to local requirements.".

The Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service contract is offered as a single "bundle" which the government says has the advantages of protecting less profitable lifeline routes and delivering economies of scale. Critics of that choice have argued that unbundling certain routes and allowing competitive tender would encourage efficiencies.

The Northlink routes to Orkney and Shetland are currently operated by privately-owned Serco, with the government setting fares and service levels and paying the firm a subsidy to make up the difference between costs and revenue.

Hyslop said it was the government's intention to continue putting the Northern Isles services out to competitive tender.

Trade unions have backed the direct award of the west coast routes to the existing publicly-owned operator, with the RMT union calling for a "People's CalMac". The unions have, however, been critical of the government's approach to ferry procurement which has left CalMac with ageing vessels prone to breakdown.

The GMB union also contrasted the direct award to CalMac with the recent £160m small ferries contract that went to tender and was won by a Polish firm rather than the nationalised Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow.

GMB Scotland general secretary Louise Gilmour said the government should now merge CalMac and CMAL to encourage a more joined-up approach focused on supporting both ferry services and Scottish industry. "Our islands' need for reliable and modern ferries can drive a healthy and secure shipbuilding and maritime sector," she said. "It seems an obvious ambition with significant economic benefits and one that should not be beyond Scotland's capabilities to deliver."

The Scottish Conservatives said the direct award provided continuity but that CalMac would continue to struggle unless the government provided it with a resilient fleet. The party's transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said: "Islanders have been betrayed by the SNP time and time again, and any ferry provider is only as good as the fleet it has to work with."

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From the BBC:

Ferguson shipyard misses out on new CalMac ferry order



The nationalised Ferguson shipyard has missed out on a crucial order for seven small all-electric ferries for west coast operator Caledonian MacBrayne.

Ferries procurement agency CMAL has instead named a Polish firm, Remontowa, as preferred bidder for the small vessels replacement programme (SVRP).

Ferguson's, the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde, had vowed to bid "aggressively" for the contract and had made it onto a shortlist of six bidders.

A total of £175m has been allocated to build the new "loch class" vessels and complete harbour and shore power upgrades. The first ferries are due to join the CalMac fleet in 2027.

The contract was a key part of Ferguson Marine's five-year business plan following delays and cost overruns in the construction of two much larger ferries for CalMac.

The 50m (164ft) all-electric ferries are similar to ones it has delivered successfully in the past and could have given it a pipeline of repeatable work lasting several years.

The Port Glasgow shipyard is still pursuing alternative business opportunities, including defence sub-contracting work from BAE Systems and private sector work.

Scottish government-owned CMAL said the award to the Polish firm represented "best value" for the public purse. But Scottish Labour said the government had failed to stand up for key Scottish industries, while the Scottish Conservatives claimed SNP mismanagement could prove to be the "death knell" for Ferguson's.

The Ferguson bid for the SVRP is understood to have ranked well for quality but missed out due to the difficulties in matching overseas yards on cost.

Chief financial officer David Dishon said: "We are very proud of our bid and although we priced it competitively, we were up against extremely tough competition from yards outside the UK which benefit from significantly reduced operating costs and advanced capital investment programmes. The weighting for price will therefore place all UK yards at a disadvantage. However, we were pleased to see Ferguson Marine's bid rated so highly on quality."

Remontowa, based in Gdansk, has previously built the CalMac ferries MV Argyle, MV Bute and MV Finlaggan, and was runner up to Ferguson's when the contracts for MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa were awarded in 2015.


A concept design drawing of the new all-electric ferries.

CMAL chief executive Kevin Hobbs said the bids had been assessed against a range of technical and financial criteria, weighted 65% on quality and 35% on cost.  He said: "It is our responsibility to follow the Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland and appoint a yard capable of producing quality vessels which meet the needs of islanders, but that also deliver the best value for the public purse. We are confident in Remontowa's ability, and have worked with them before, most recently with the delivery of the MV Finlaggan in 2011."

There now follows a 10-day "standstill period" after which the contract will be signed.

The new ferries will operate on the Colintraive-Rhubodach (Bute); Lochaline-Fishnish (Mull); Tarbert (Loch Fyne)-Portavadie; Iona-Fionnphort (Mull); Sconser-Raasay; Tobermory-Kilchoan (Mull); and Tayinloan-Gigha routes.

Phase two of the programme will see the purchase of three more vessels which are capable of handling more challenging sea states, but that contract will go to tender separately.

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Glen Sannox ferry sailings to resume after crack repair

The new Glen Sannox ferry is expected to resume sailings on Sunday after repairs have been completed on a crack in the ship's hull.

The brand new vessel only began operating in January after being delivered almost seven years late and costing more than four times the original contract price.

CalMac confirmed the news after divers carried out a detailed assessment of the damage on Saturday.  The ferry had been operating for just over two months between Troon in South Ayrshire and Brodick in the Isle of Arran.

A CalMac spokesman said: "The dive inspection has identified a hairline crack on a weld seam on MV Glen Sannox's hull earlier today and we can confirm repairs are now underway at Brodick and expected to complete later today.  We anticipate MV Glen Sannox to resume timetabled service on Sunday 16 March and will confirm this evening."

It added the MV Alfred would operate an extra return sailing on Saturday to provide cover and said the "vast majority" of booked customers had been able to travel.

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Divers assess crack in hull of new Glen Sannox ferry



Divers are inspecting the new Glen Sannox following the discovery of a crack in the ship's hull.

The brand new vessel only began operating in January after being delivered almost seven years late and costing more than four times the original contract price.

All of the Glen Sannox's Saturday sailings have been cancelled while the MV Alfred will operate an additional service.

CalMac said it would provide an update on Sunday's sailings once a dive team had carried out a full assessment.

The ship had been operating for just over two months between Troon in South Ayrshire and Brodick in the Isle of Arran.

The vessel was removed from service on Friday after a crack was found on a "weld seam close to the waterline".

The ferry operator said reports that the boat had hit the harbour or that water was leaking into the car deck were "categorically untrue".  However, CalMac advised that a "very small amount of water" had entered part of the rear of the ship near the steering gear.

Additional sailings have also been added between Lochranza in Arran and Claonaig in the Kintyre peninsula.  The operator said all passengers should have a booking prior to arriving in Troon, adding that those who had not booked could not be guaranteed travel.

Divers from Shearwater Marine Services arrived at the port on Saturday morning.

A decision about Sunday's sailings will be taken later, the operator said in a statement on its website.  It added: "We apologise for the disruption, and our port teams and customer engagement centre will be working hard to contact affected customers."

The Glen Sannox has space for 127 cars and 852 passengers.

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The old age of the CalMac fleet can be compared with the old age of the GWR local / regional train fleet.

Scotland's ferries saga ship to finally set sail



The ship at the centre of Scotland's long-running ferries saga is scheduled to make its first passenger voyage before dawn on Monday.

MV Glen Sannox is due to leave Troon harbour in South Ayrshire, bound for the Isle of Arran, on its first sailing at 06:30.

But a yellow alert, external, issued by Caledonian MacBrayne on Sunday, said it may be subject to delay or cancellation due to high winds.

The ship - which was meant to be delivered almost seven years ago - completed a return test sailing on Sunday and is the first new large vessel to join the UK's largest ferry fleet in nearly a decade.

With a capacity for 127 cars and 852 passengers, Glen Sannox will help relieve pressures on the state-owned operator which has struggled in recent years to maintain services with ageing and increasingly unreliable vessels.

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Thanks for posting that, Chris. I had ... wondered ... whether I should but thought I was probably the only one interested.  RONG! .. 

I wonder that they have enough ships left in the fleet - sort of TOC on water limitations, frugality and late delivery of complex new vehicles.   New Glen Sannox ... when?

The long-delayed ship at the centre of Scotland's ferries saga has been handed over by the Ferguson shipyard, exactly seven years after it was launched.

MV Glen Sannox, destined for CalMac's Arran route, is the first new large vessel for the west coast ferry fleet in nearly a decade.

The ferry operator will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in January.

From the BBC:

Islanders bid a fond farewell to MV Hebridean Isles



One of Scotland's oldest lifeline ferries has been retired after nearly 40 years of service.

With two blasts of its horn, MV Hebridean Isles bade farewell as it left the quay at Stornoway for a final time on Sunday, bound for Glasgow before it goes to the breakers.

For islanders, whose lives are so interwoven with the sea, the ships of Britain's biggest ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne are more than just large lumps of steel and aluminium.

"Heb Isles" leaves behind a ship-shaped hole in the hearts of many former passengers and seafarers who have come to regard it as a trusty old friend.

The ship was given the name of the islands it was destined to serve on a sunny day in July 1985 at the long-gone Cochrane shipyard at Selby, North Yorkshire.

It was a first on two counts - the "lady sponsor" the Duchess of Kent was the first member of the Royal Family to name a CalMac vessel.  And it was the ferry operator's first vessel built outside of Scotland.  Two pipers were sent down to play the Skye Boat Song at the launch ceremony.

Margaret Thatcher was in No 10, Sister Sledge was Number One in the charts - and health and safety rules were somewhat more relaxed than today.  Shipyard workers hammered away the last supporting "shores" and wedges, then ducked and dashed for cover as the huge vessel slid above their heads in a spectacular sideways launch into the River Ouse.

The ship had cost £5.5m - and after a few months of fitting out, it made its maiden voyage off Scotland's west coast in December.  For 15 years it was deployed on the "Uig Triangle" - between Skye, North Uist and Harris - before moving to the Islay crossing, but it has served most of Scotland's sea routes in its time.

Aside from the scheduled sailings, the crew would voluntarily give up their time to put on special "booze cruises" to raise money for island charities.  The first, in 1992, saw a country and western band perform on the car deck, as thousands of pounds were raised to help purchase a breast cancer scanner for the Western Isles.


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Another of Nicola's legacies............

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-60860642

Ferry operator CalMac has warned the next two years will be "challenging" for residents of Scotland's islands due to the age of its fleet.

Chief executive Robbie Drummond also apologised to residents of Arran for recent disruption to services.

Mr Drummond said a shortage of spare vessels was also driving disruption.

A third of CalMac's ferries are more than 30 years old, and almost half the largest ships are beyond their expected service life.

Issues with three ferries have resulted in disruption across the company's west coast network.