New £42 million ferry to be launched after delays 24/2/14
The new Stornoway ferry is due to be launched at the end of next month -
Hebrides News previously revealed that delays set in when strong winds ripped off part of the roof of the ship building hall at the Flensburger shipyard in Germany.
Work on two ships ahead in the queue slowed down and the knock-
Hopes to catch-
March 14 was penciled as a new date but that too has been deferred.
Now, a party of dignitaries will travel from Scotland to see her slide into the water for the first time at a special event on 21 March.
Then the race is on to fit out and equip the ship which is now due to be handed over and delivered in July instead of the original date of June, said owners, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).
After legal surveys and sea trials, the 116 metre long, £42 million vessel is to enter service between Stornoway and Ullapool on an unconfirmed date later this year. This was meant to be in the summer but may be pushed back towards the autumn.
Her keel was only laid three weeks ago and her hull is rapidly taking shape with huge prefabricated steel sections for her lower decks being welded together.
Decks 5,6 and 7 for the ship are being manufactured at a shipyard in Gdansk and are being shipped into Germany for final assembly.
The new 116 metre Roll On Roll Off vehicle passenger ferry will be owned by the Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) which will lease it to Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).
The new ferry will be capable of operating 24 hours a day with a capacity for up to 700 passengers, and 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles. She should be 10% faster than the present MV Isle of Lewis.
CMAL is the Scottish Government company which owns the ships providing ferry services to the Western Isles. Under European rules the vessels are charted to the best operator which successfully bids to run the service.