Ferry receives special dispensation

Ferry passengers have been spared further travel chaos on the Skye triangle route after the MV Hebrides received special permission to continue to go to sea.

Cal Mac said the MV Hebrides’ “operating licence” has been temporarily extended in what is believed to indicate her passenger safety certificate has run out as it is longer than 12 months since the last drydock survey was undertaken.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has permitted an urgent dispensation when the vessel missed her original refit arrangements in March.

Now a second legal exemption has been issued, allowing the vessel to continue the Lochmaddy and Tarbert service.

Otherwise, Cal Mac would be down by two major vessels during the busy summer season.

MV Hebrides was due to depart for her delayed refit this week but relief vessel, MV Clansman, is not available after sustaining serious damage to her propeller and prop shaft. The twisted sections were only discovered when the Clansman was taken out of the water last month.

Her propulsion system was shipped to Denmark for specialist repairs which are taking far longer than expected due to “complications.”

She now due to leave for her overhaul in three weeks.

The depleted fleet forces Cal Mac to reshuffle its ships for the third time in as many weeks.

The cancellation of the Mallaig - Lochboisdale service continues as the MV Lord of the Isles is covering Tiree instead of their usual vessel, MV Hebridean Isles, which is barred from the route following an incident during berthing. The MV Hebridean Isles has been placed to South Uist where she is running a longer daily journey to Oban.

MV Loch Fyne will run on the Mallaig - Armadale route until Tuesday when she will be supplemented by MV Loch Bhrusda.

Islay and Arran will suffer a number of cancelled under a reduced service.

Cal Mac’s managing director, Robbie Drummond, said: ‘We are facing a highly regrettable situation that we need to manage as best we can with the vessels we have.

“Our first priority is to continue to provide lifeline service to island communities.

“The overrun of our annual vessel dry dock schedule into the summer season is regrettable and we realise that this set of circumstance is going to impact adversely on some communities which we apologise for.

“However, under the circumstances, the timetable arrangements we have now put in place for the period of disruption are the best options we have available.”

“Out of time” ferry receives special exemption to continue sailings

19 April 2018