The first of two massively delayed newbuild passenger car ferries for CalMac, the Glen Sannox, will be taken out of service almost as soon as it enters operations, so to enable a mandatory overhaul.
The development came as it emerged that sea trials to push the large duel-fuel ferry to its limits prior to delivery to CalMac have been delayed by a fortnight. The shipyard Ferguson Marine, however, said its planned completion by the end of this month remained unchanged.
Originally Glen Sannox, as the lead ship, was due to enter service in 2018, and so six years later and four times over budget, the newbuild is expected to start operating on the main route to Arran by December. This will be some two months after separate CalMac sea and crew familiarisation trials.
However, CalMac, which is owned by the Scottish Government, has decided to also schedule the ferry’s MoT-style annual maintenance in December. The scheduling is to best fit in with similar work on the rest of its west coast fleet of 33 ferries to more than 50 ports on the isles and across lochs.
The two-week refit of Glen Sannox is required to permit the 116m ferry to operate for a year, and delaying it into 2025 is seen as being more disruptive. The work will involve an underwater inspection of the hull, which is required by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Much more from The Scotsman on the Clydeside built newbuild and the second ship named the Glen Rosa which too was meant to be completed six years ago.
