Deficient steelwork to extend downtime for vital CalMac Ferry Caledonian Isles
Vessel Caledonian Isles has now been out of action for almost a year (Source: By Mn28 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)
CalMac ferry Caledonian Isles, originally scheduled to return from a long stint at Ferguson Marine Shipyard at the end of this month, will now have its stay extended by several months after critical deficiencies were discovered in the steelwork.
The vessel operates on critical routes connecting the Isle of Arran with mainland Scotland.
The need for further repairs was discovered at Greenock drydock, after an inspection revealed deformed steelwork in two areas, necessitating “significant steel replacement”. The additional works deemed necessary include replacement of both stern tube bearings, which will either require sending off to Norway for repair, or for new ones to be delivered. This cannot be completed until mid-December, at the earliest, extending Caledonian Isles’ already long ten-month downtime phase.
Uncertainty over the availability of drydocking slots, as well as the full eventual scope of work, means it is possible that Caledonian Isles will not return to service until late March, assuming a “worst-case scenario,” a CalMac spokesperson told The Scotsman.
“The planned scope of work we’d identified for dry dock is progressing well, but the discovery of these latest issues has eliminated any chance of a return to service in the short term,” said CalMac interim chief executive Duncan Mackison. “We are in no doubt about the current challenges facing the network and the people who rely on it. We anticipated a challenging winter and that is exactly what we’re seeing play out.”
