Originally expected to enter service in 2018, [1] construction delays led to her launch being pushed back to November 2017, with the ship then expected to begin operation in late 2018 or early 2019.[10] After further delays, handover was expected between March and May 2023 - five years late.[11][12] On 16 March 2023, it was reported that further delays had pushed the vessel's entry into service to Autumn 2023;[13] in August 2023, a further delay to the start of the summer 2024 timetable was announced.[14] A further delay was announced on 19 April 2024 due to complications with the vessel's LNG powerplants, with the vessel now due to be delivered by 31 July 2024, however Ferguson Marine expect no further increase in cost. [15]
History
See also Ferry fiasco for the political controversies surrounding the construction of these units.
The State-owned enterpriseCalMac, originally Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, was formed in 1973 as a vessel owner and operator providing most of the ferry services to the Firth of Clyde and the Hebridean islands off the west coast of Scotland. In 2006, its roles were split to satisfy EU competition rules. As Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) it continued to own the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet and order new ships, while CalMac Ferries Ltd (CalMac) was created as a separate company which successfully bid in open competitive tender for the contract to operate the services. Many of CalMac's ferries had been built by Ferguson Shipbuilders, which five years earlier had employed 300 people, but it had struggled to compete and CalMac orders were won by the Remontowa shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland.[16][17] In 2011 Fergusons successfully bid for two small ships for CMAL, funded by the Scottish Government's Low Emissions Hybrid Ferries project.[18][16]
The Scottish Government's Ferries Plan, which its executive agency Transport Scotland published in December 2012,[19] included indicative proposals for two new vessels.[20] International emissions regulations tightened, and cleaner liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel was adopted by ferry operators in Northern Europe,[21] particularly Norway. The Danish island of Samsø invited tenders for the first in the EU, and in June 2013 Remontowa was awarded the contract for this dual-fuel ferry, to be delivered in October 2014.[2][22] David MacBrayne Ltd bid to operate a ferry connecting Gotland in Sweden, with detailed proposals drawn up by CalMac, but in May 2014 this bid was reported unsuccessful.[23]
To prepare the Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan (VRDP), Transport Scotland held tripartite monthly meetings with CMAL and CalMac, starting in October 2013. By agreement, CalMac led development of programmes for the major vessels.[24] In early July 2014 the Scottish Government, using CalMac's initial analytical work, authorised the procurement of two new major ferries, aiming to name the preferred bidder in nine months. CMAL's head of vessels said then that this timetable was a "hugely challenging". It left CalMac only three weeks to produce its Specification of Technical and Operational Requirements. They quickly adapted work done for the Gotland ferry bid, but made some errors such as including irrelevant description of passenger cabins. The exceptionally large and detailed specification now had to be made more concise for inclusion in CMAL's tender documents.[16][20]
Ferguson Shipbuilders had been struggling to get orders. It suffered cash flow problems, and could not arrange financial bonds when clients required these to guarantee performance on major contracts. The workforce was reduced to 77, then on 15 August 2014, a month before the Scottish independence referendum, the yard went bankrupt and the administrators KPMG paid off about 70 workers.[25][26] The First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond of the SNP, personally intervened and persuaded businessman Jim McColl, one of his Council of Economic Advisers, to buy out the shipyard.[27] Its assets and business were taken over by McColl's Clyde Blowers Capital,[28] which had earlier been deterred by the yard's debts, and which now formed Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL) as its new subsidiary. On 30 September Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that FMEL had been given the order for a third hybrid ferry. No financial bond was required.[16][26]
Glen Sannox is to be the first of two Scottish ferries capable of operating on either marine gas oil or LNG, with benefits of a marked reduction in carbon dioxide, sulphur and nitrous oxide emissions.[1] Her name was chosen from a shortlist by public ballot and recalls an earlier Arran ferry.[29]
The first steel was cut on 7 April 2016 and Glen Sannox was launched on 21 November 2017 by the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon,[30][31] It has been reported that the vessel's bulbous bow was not fit for purpose at the time of the launch, and only fitted to be able to claim "milestone payments" from the Scottish Government.[32] The bridge windows were painted on,[31] and the funnels were not operational, but only for show for the launch.[32]
In August 2018, new Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Matheson said it had been confirmed that the ship was to be delivered in June 2019, followed by two months of crew familiarisation and sea trials.[33] Further dispute over the contract overrun led to the shipyard going into administration and being nationalised by the Scottish Government.[34][35]
A report produced after nationalisation indicated that Glen Sannox should be handed over to Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) in the last quarter of 2021 and that completing the two ferries was likely to increase the total cost to over £207million.[36] In April 2020, Ferguson Marine contracted with International Contract Engineering, a marine design consultant, to revise the design and outfitting of Glen Sannox in advance of her eventual delivery.[37]
MV Glen Sannox back at Ferguson Marine after drydock work in 2020
On 10 August 2020, tugs moved Glen Sannox to the Garvel dry dock in Greenock for remedial work including replacement of the bulbous bow, paintwork repair and removal of marine growth.[38] After additional work, the ship returned to the Fergusons shipyard in Port Glasgow on 9 September 2020.[39]
In October 2022, it was announced that Glen Sannox would initially operate only on marine gas oil, as vacuum sensors required for the LNG system were not available.[40]
Further delays to both ferries and increasing costs of £250million, subsequently rising to £340million by September 2022, have resulted in controversy surrounding the contract and the lack of transparency in the decision-making process.[41][42] The Scottish Government announced that key documents relating to the decision-making process had gone missing.[43]
MV Glen Sannox in Garvel drydock in March 2023
In September 2023, a failed safety audit meant that MV Glen Sannox was further delayed: among other issues, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) insisted on the installation of additional staircases as a condition of approving a safety audit. The work meant that planned sea trials of the Glen Sannox were delayed until the first quarter of 2024, raising doubts over whether the ship will be available for the start of the 2024 summer season.[44] Meeting MCA safety regulations ultimately meant that the passenger capacity of both ferries had to be cut from a planned 1,000 to 852.[4] The ship began manufacturer's sea trials on 13 February 2024.[6]
Service
Glen Sannox is being built for the Ardrossan to Brodick crossing. She was originally intended to serve as a running mate to MVCaledonian Isles on the Ardrossan–Brodick and the Ardrossan–Campbeltown crossings.[7][8] In May 2023, it was announced that Glen Sannox's sister vessel, MVGlen Rosa, would also serve the Arran route.[45] However, the two new Arran ferries will initially be operating between Troon and Brodick for the first two or three years of their career, due to the planned upgrade works for Ardrossan harbour.[46]
Related Research Articles
Brodick is the main village on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It is halfway along the east coast of the island, in Brodick Bay below Goat Fell, the tallest mountain on Arran. The name is derived from the Norse "breda-vick" meaning "Broad Bay".
Caledonian MacBrayne, in short form CalMac, is the trade name of CalMac Ferries Ltd, the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries to the west coast of Scotland, serving ports on the mainland and 22 of the major islands. It is a subsidiary of holding company David MacBrayne, which is owned by the Scottish Government.
MV Caledonian Isles, usually referred to locally as the Caley Isles, is one of the largest ships operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which runs ferries to the Hebridean and Clyde Islands of Scotland. Caledonian Isles serves the Isle of Arran on the Ardrossan to Brodick route. As it is one of CalMac's busiest routes, Caledonian Isles has the largest passenger capacity in the fleet, and can carry up to 1000 passengers and 110 cars, with a crossing time of 55 minutes. She is used extensively by day-trippers to the Isle of Arran during the summer.
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 ferries in operation, 2 on charter and another 6 on order. The company provides lifeline services to 23 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes in the Firth of Clyde.
Ferguson Marine Limited is a shipbuilding company whose yard, located in Port Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, was established in 1903. It is the last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde and is currently the only builder of merchant ships on the river. For some years the company's mainstay has been Roll-on/roll-off ferries, primarily for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), including a series of innovative hybrid diesel-electric/battery-powered vessels. Beset with difficulties since 2018 over their latest two CalMac ferries, Fergusons' largest ever vessel, the shipyard was nationalised in December 2019. It is now classified as an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.
MV Lord of the Isles is one of the larger Caledonian MacBrayne vessels and operates from Mallaig on the west of Scotland. Built in Port Glasgow, she is the most-travelled vessel in the CalMac fleet.
MV Hebrides is a ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne from Uig to Lochmaddy and Tarbert, the main settlements of North Uist and Harris respectively.
MV Hebridean Isles is a ro-ro vehicle ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the west coast of Scotland. She was the first MacBrayne vessel to be ordered and built for them outside Scotland and the first to be launched sideways. With bow, stern and side ramps, Hebridean Isles is suitable for all the routes served by the large fleet units. After 15 years crossing the Little Minch on the Uig triangle, she now serves Islay and Colonsay.
MV Isle of Arran is a drive-through ferry operated on the west coast of Scotland by Caledonian MacBrayne. Entering service in 1984, she served on the Arran route for nine years before being moved to Kennacraig. She returned to her original route in 2012, supplementing MV Caledonian Isles in summer and becoming a relief vessel in winter. In 2013, she started a new pilot route from Ardrossan to Campbeltown, which became a permanent fixture in 2015. As of 2023, she is one of the oldest vessels in the fleet, having been in service for 40 years; upon arriving into Oban in the West Highlands, celebrations were mounted ashore to mark the 40th anniversary of her launch and service on 2 December 2023.
MV Orion is a ro-ro passenger and vehicle ferry. Saturn was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland between 1978 and 2011, for the first decade of her career on the Rothesay crossing. Later, she also saw service on the Dunoon and Brodick crossings, as well as on short cruises around the Clyde.
MV Glen Sannox was a Clyde car ferry launched in 1957. Built for the Arran service, she spent her first 14 years there. Thereafter, she had a versatile career on the west coast of Scotland, lasting over 32 years, including providing cruises between 1977 and 1982. In 1989, she was sold for service on the Red Sea. She ran aground south of Jeddah and lay in a sunken condition from 2000.
MV Loch Tarbert is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ro-ro car ferry, built in 1992 and currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. She has spent most of her career on the seasonal Claonaig – Lochranza crossing.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited owns the ferries, ports, harbours and infrastructure for the ferry services serving the west coast of Scotland, the Firth of Clyde and the Northern Isles.
MV Catriona is a pioneering diesel electric hybrid passenger and vehicle roll-on, roll-off ferry built for Caledonian MacBrayne for the Claonaig–Lochranza crossing. She is the third hybrid ferry commissioned and owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets, one of three such ferries in the world to incorporate a low-carbon hybrid system of diesel electric and lithium ion battery power. The ferries are sea-going and are nearly 46 metres (150 ft) long, accommodating 150 passengers, 23 cars or two HGVs.
MV Glen Rosa is a Scottish dual-fuel car and passenger ferry currently under construction at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow on the River Clyde. She is expected to enter service with Caledonian MacBrayne on the Ardrossan to Brodick route, serving the Isle of Arran. Known as Hull 802 during construction, the vessel was initially expected to enter service in 2019, however it has been the subject of an ongoing political scandal known as the "ferry fiasco" owing to increased costs and lengthy delays to her construction, which as of September 2023 have pushed its in-service date back to 2025.
The Ferry Fiasco is a name given to a controversy relating to the delays and increasing costs of two ferries under construction, MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa, in Scotland. The ferries are being built by Ferguson Marine Ltd, for the state-owned ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne under direction of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), Transport Scotland, and the Scottish Government. Originally intended to come into service in 2018 and 2019 respectively, both ferries have been delayed by over five years, and costs have more than trebled to £360 million.
MV Alfred is a catamaran ferry owned by Pentland Ferries, currently chartered to Caledonian MacBrayne for their west coast service.
MV Loch Indaal is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry being constructed for use by Caledonian MacBrayne on routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the second of four ferries being built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, and is expected to be delivered in 2024 for service on routes linking Islay with Kennacraig on the mainland. She is named for the sea loch of Loch Indaal, which lies on the west coast of Islay. The loch is well known as the inspiration for the folk song "The Lights of Lochindaal" by Iain Simpson.
MV Claymore is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry currently under construction for use on Caledonian MacBrayne routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the third of four ferries being built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, and is expected to be delivered in June 2025 for service on the "Uig Triangle" routes linking Tarbert in Harris and Lochmaddy in North Uist with Uig in Skye.
MV Lochmor is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry currently under construction for use on Caledonian MacBrayne routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the fourth of four ferries being built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, and is expected to be delivered in October 2025 for service on the "Uig Triangle" routes linking Tarbert in Harris and Lochmaddy in North Uist with Uig in Skye.
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