Ferry breakdown causes knock-on problems 10/3/13
A major breakdown of the Stornoway ferry has created disruptions on other island
routes.
The MV Clansman has been sent up to cover for the MV Isle of Lewis which is out of
action for several days despite recently returning from a £700,000 refit in drydock
in Leith, ironically ordered to reduce mechanical faults.
Caledonian Macbrayne faced a huge headache to facilitate a “complex reshuffle” of
its fleet to swap ships around.
For this week, the smaller MV Lord of the Isles has been taken off her Islay route
to replace the Clansman, which fortunately has just returned from her own two week
refit in Greenock, on the very exposed voyage between Oban to Barra and South Uist.
The Clansman was running about an hour late of the Ullapool route on Saturday though
she easily coped in docking in Stornoway despite a strong easterly wind trying to
push her off the berth.
Bad weather and rough seas has delayed the Lord of the Isles to Castlebay tonight
(Sun).
It also means cancelled and replacement sailings to Islay this week by the MV Hebridean
Isles.
A serious fault with her starboard propulsion unit caused the cancellation of MV
Isle of Lewis’s the two return voyages to Ullapool on Friday.
A few weeks ago the vessel had her problematic starboard main engine completely stripped
down and rebuilt with new parts in drydock in Leith.
Stornoway supermarkets ran out of some fresh produce due to delayed freight lorries.
A CalMac spokesman said: “We are doing everything we can to bring the MV Isle of
Lewis back into service as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience
caused."