More Problems for CalMac as Turkish Yard Delays Ferry Delivery

Scottish ferry operator Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CalMac) is facing further operating challenges with news that the Turkish yard building the first of four new ferries is further delaying delivery. The company is years behind schedule on a planned fleet modernization which has led to repeated calls for overhauling the management of the UK's largest ferry operator which is owned by the Scottish Ministries.

Just days after announcing the impending retirement of MV Hebridean Isles in mid-November after almost four decades of operation, delivery of the ferry that is scheduled to replace her on the route to Islay, a small island in the Hebrides, is now facing delays. CalMac has revealed that delivery of MV Isle of Islay, which is the first of four new vessels being built in Turkey by Cemre shipyard, has been delayed from an anticipated mid-October to the end of the year.

In an update to the Scottish parliament, the ferry operator that has been grappling with delays in the building of six new vessels that form part of efforts to modernize its fleet attributed delays in the delivery of Isle of Islay to disruptions in the global supply chains. This has in effect impacted the supply and delivery of materials and equipment.

CalMac highlighted that the Turkish yard is facing challenges due to the disruptions in the Red Sea, forcing equipment to be routed around the Horn of Africa adding weeks to journey times. The war in Ukraine has also affected the supply of steel while the devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey caused a serious loss of manpower.

“External challenges have impacted the delivery date for MV Isle of Islay, which will move the delivery date from the previously advised date of mid-October 2024 towards the end of 2024, still within the contractual delivery period,” said Kevin Hobbs, CMAL CEO in a letter to the Scottish parliament. He added that CMAL expects to know the realistic dates of delivery of the ferry during the commissioning phase and outfitting phase.

Delays in the delivery of Isle of Islay is the latest challenge to hit CalMac in its fleet modernization program. Two new ferries, the Glen Rosa and her sister vessel Glen Sannox, being built by troubled shipbuilder Ferguson Marine, are six years behind schedule and have seen exorbitant overruns in costs. Work on the Isle of Islay and a sister ship began in 2022 after planning dating back to 2018. 

The delays for the Isle of Islay and likely her sister ship due in early 2025 come just days after CalMac announced the impending retirement of Hebridean Isle (nicknamed Heb IUsles), which is one of the oldest in its fleet and has served west coast communities since 1985. The company said last week, it plans to retire the old vessel in mid-November. Two other ferries are currently out of service, one due to delays in repairs and another due to an engine fire. Currently, only eight out of its 10 main ferries are in operation. The company operates a fleet of over 30 ferries on a total of 29 routes. 

Cemre shipyard is building both the Isle of Islay and the MV Loch Indaal, both of which will serve the Islay route. The ferries are about 312 feet (95 meters) long and will have a capacity for a maximum of 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. They are expected to increase the vehicle and freight capacity on the route by almost 40 percent.

CalMac had been hoping to put the troubled modernization program to rest after years of criticism. The first of the two ferries from Furgeson is due in September and the first Turkish-built ferry they expected shortly after. Cemre is also scheduled to deliver the last two ferries, the MV Claymore and MV Lochmor, in June and October 2025. These will serve communities in Harris and North Uist.