CalMac has announced berthing trials with MV Isle of Lewis -
As previously revealed by Hebrides News, if successful, MV Isle of Lewis will be
removed from the Castlebay -
Regular Skye triangle ship, MV Hebrides, would be sent to the Clyde under this proposal where she would be the main vessel for Arran during the lengthy outage of their ship, MV Caledonian Isles.
Options for three scenarios have been drawn up to tackle the serious dilemma of operating without the MV Caledonian Isles. Her time out of service means vessels will have to be moved around the network this summer warns CalMac.
Today (Tuesday), the shipping company revealed a ferry reshuffle plan which leaves the Hebrides and Isle of Lewis on their current sea links.
But a sting in the tail in CalMac’s announcement may result in a shake-
► Reduced ferry service mooted for CalMac’s Skye triangle service
► Fears Barra will lose MV Isle of Lewis as CalMac ‘reshapes’ fleet deployment this summer
► CalMac braced for summer chaos as major ship remains out of action for £5 million repairs
A fresh review would take place if the MV Isle of Lewis was deemed suitable for harbours at Lochmaddy, Tarbert, and Uig.
At the moment it is unclear if there will be a safe depth of water at all states of the tide at the piers for her to operate a full series of weekly summer sailings. CalMac may consider operating a tidal timetable to avoid arrival and departure movements during low water periods. If too problematic, the proposal would be ditched.
CalMac said: “A possible option which could allow for improved capacity on multiple routes is currently being explored.
“On completion of overhaul, berthing trials with MV Isle of Lewis will be carried out on the Little Minch route.
“If successful, MV Hebrides and MV Alfred will serve Arran, with MV Isle of Lewis serving Little Minch and a further review of any vessel cascade changes will be published.”
MV Isle of Lewis should have departed dry dock by now under her initial annual maintenance programme. However, she is still in Aberdeen though has exited the dry dock unit and is berthed at a nearby pier for final works and inspections.
On her homeward voyage -
One of CalMac’s older vessels, the 31-
Consequences of her absence not only removes one major vessel from an already depleted
and aging fleet, throwing up a massive problem over how to deliver her very busy
Ardrossan -
CalMac stressed: “We have limited deployment options, and the fleet is stretched to the limit, the loss of the vessel for this length of time at this time of year will affect the wider network.”
CalMac is addressing the problem by making tough choices in finalising decisions over which ships will be removed from island communities to serve elsewhere as the busy Easter and summer period approaches.
Robbie Drummond, chief executive of CalMac, said: “Losing one of the larger vessels
in our network during peak season has had a knock-
“Given our fleet was already stretched to the absolute limit, and without any spare vessels available, it is inevitable the loss of one of our larger vessels during peak season will cause some disruption across the wider network.
“But our team has been working hard to evaluate what we can do for our summer timetable to minimise that disruption. Any decisions on vessel deployment have not been taken lightly.
“We are looking forward to welcoming a total of six major and 10 small vessels into the fleet over the next five years. However, we face a difficult period as we wait in anticipation for them to be fully operational on the network. In the meantime, we will continue to work in partnership with local stakeholders and communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for all who rely on our services.”
CalMac proposes transferring Barra ferry MV Isle of Lewis onto Skye triangle route
5 March 2024
