Displaying items by tag: Arran route

23rd February 2024

Operator CalMac Sees Firth of Clyde Ferry Sidelined as £5m Repairs for Over Seven Months Is Due to 'Rust'

CalMac which is a Scottish Government-owned ferry operator, has been landed with a £5m repair bill as one of its oldest ferries built in 1993 has been side-lined until at least July due to rust.

The west coast ferry operator, which has the biggest domestic fleet in the UK, has warned of disruption across the Clyde and Hebrides network as a result of steelwork issues with the 31-year-old MV Caledonian Isles. The 5,531 gross tonnes ferry which serves on Firth of Clyde route of Ardrossan-Arran is one of the busiest of the network and is due to be replaced, in the meantime the route is operated by the even older Isle of Arran built in 1984.

The route's main ferry Caledonian Isles has been out of action since going for an overhaul at the start of January as Afloat previously identified to the Clyde dry-dock of Dales Marine Services in Greenock. (The ferry was subsequently tracked this month to Merseyside, at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead where the works continue).

In response to the situation, The Isle of Arran Ferry Committee said it was pushing for contingency plans over the latest problem to hit CalMac's ageing fleet.

Commenting on the development concerning MV Caledonian Isles, The Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency said it "is deeply regrettable" and expected CalMac to come forward with details of the changes to timetables as soon as possible, to allow ferry users to plan ahead and keep disruption to a minimum.

The ferry was sidelined for over three months with further steelwork and engine difficulties this time last year with repair work then estimated at £1m. It had been due to leave the yard after an overhaul before issues with the engines, steelwork and bearings were noted by engineers.

For more on the steelworks, TheHeraldScotland has the story.

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Scottish Ferry Back in Action Early on Arran Route After Engine Issue

CalMac services on the Firth of Clyde route to and from Arran have resumed after engineers mended the MV Caledonian Isles with the ferry operating earlier than expected. Above the ferry on CalMac's busiest route when bound for Brodick having departed Ardrossan in Ayrshire, noting the wind-farm on the mainland coast.

On the Firth of Clyde, the main ferry crossing to the Isle of Arran (Afloat can confirm has returned) to service on Friday after repairs were completed early.

As STV News reported, the MV Caledonian Isles developed a fault in its port engine and hit a harbour wall on Sunday, April 17.

The stricken ferry was expected to resume on May 3, but operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) has announced that the service will return on Friday.

A smaller ferry, MV Isle of Arran, operated the Caledonian Isles’ timetable while the vessel was out of action.

In a statement on its website, CalMac said: “We would very much like to thank our customers for your patience, your response to the situation and for the support shown.

“A disruption of this nature is challenging for you and the communities we serve – this fact is always at the forefront of our minds throughout the period.”

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About the 29er Skiff Dinghy

The 29er is a one-design double-handed, single trapeze skiff for youth sailors.

There is an active class in Ireland, just one of the 38-countries from across all continents now racing the high-performance skiff.

The 29er is one of the latest dinghy classes to arrive in Ireland and has a 50/50 split between boys and girls.

The class like to describe the boat as "The most popular skiff for sailors who want to go fast!".

Derived from the Olympic class 49er class and designed by Julian Bethwaite the 29er was first produced in 1998.

Two sailors sail the 29er, one on trapeze.

The 6.25-metre high rig features a fractional asymmetrical spinnaker; a self-tacking jib decreases the workload of the crew, making manoeuvres more efficient and freeing the crew to take the mainsheet upwind and on two-sail reaches.

The 15.00 m2 spinnaker rigging set-up challenges crews to be fit and coordinated, and manoeuvres in the boat require athleticism due to its lack of inherent stability and the high speed with which the fully battened mainsail and jib power up.

The 74kg weight hull is constructed of fibreglass-reinforced polyester in a foam sandwich layout.

The fully battened mainsail and jib are made from a transparent Mylar laminate with orange or red Dacron trimming, while the spinnaker is manufactured from ripstop Nylon.

The mast is in three parts - an aluminium bottom and middle section, with a polyester-fibreglass composite tip to increase mast bend and decrease both overall weights, and the capsizing moment a heavy mast tip can generate. Foils are aluminium or fibreglass.

About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):

ILCA 4: sail of 4.70m2

ILCA 6: sail of 5.76 m2

ILCA 7: sail of 7.06 m2