By Hugh Boag
Ferry passengers expressed further concern this week after the weekend fiasco which left passengers stranded on each side of the Firth of Clyde.
A fault to the emergency generator on board the MV Caledonian Isles halted all sailings to and from the island from lunchtime on Saturday, leaving islanders stranded on the mainland and visitors unable to leave Arran.
To compound the issue, torrential rain caused train cancellations and road closures across Scotland leaving many passengers stranded at Ardrossan unable to leave. The ferry did not resume service until Sunday.
And they were further angered when CalMac posted that the Cloanaig to Lochranza service was running when the authorities were warning not to travel in Aygyll and Bute because of landslides to major routes, including the Rest and Be Thankful.
However, the weekend apart, with the Arran service now operating with one vessel and the winter timetable starting on October 23, there is concern this is the third technical issue to affect the MV Caledonian Isles since the start of September.
Then there was a fault with the main starboard engine, followed by a fault with the hydraulic system last week. Other disruption has been caused by a fault with the navigation aids at Ardrossan habour and the MV Alfred, which provided relief over the summer months, had to leave early due to a gearbox problem.
A potential extension to MV Alfred’s charter beyond January was also being considered to assist with the current vessel shortage issues. Plans have been mooted to deploy the MV Alfred at some point to release existing vessels to test out docking different harbours, including the MV Caledonian Isles, but nothing has been confirmed.
The Alfred is presently still awaiting repair at Ayr.
A CalMac spokeswoman said: “MV Caledonian Isles experienced a problem with the control unit for the emergency generator on Saturday, which led to sailings being cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience this caused to our customers.
“Engineers repaired the control unit on Saturday evening, so Sunday sailings were able to go ahead as timetabled.”
Meanwhile, there was better news on the MV Hebridean Isles which has been out of service for nine months. It was seen in Brodick Bay on Wednesday undergoing sea trials.
The MV Hebridean Isles in Brodick Bay on Wednesday. 01_B41hebridean01_23_isles_calmac