New Arran ferry Glen Sannox out of service on account of cracked hull

The brand new Glen Sannox ferry has been faraway from service due to a crack within the ship’s hull, in response to the ferry operator CalMac.

The model new vessel solely started working in January after being delivered nearly seven years late and costing greater than 4 occasions the unique contract worth.

The ship had been working since January between Troon in South Ayrshire and Brodick within the Isle of Arran.

The 13:00 and 17:20 departures from Brodick had been cancelled as was the 15:10 from Troon as a result of fault.

The boat is now tied up at Brodick.

CalMac mentioned reviews that the ferry had hit the harbour or that water was leaking into the automotive deck had been “categorically unfaithful”.

Nevertheless, the ferry operator suggested {that a} “very small quantity of water” had entered a part of the rear of the ship close to the steering gear.

A press release from the ferry operator mentioned: “MV Glen Sannox has been faraway from service on account of a crack on a weld seam on the vessel’s hull which is near the waterline.

“This requires the help of a dive staff to evaluate, and the earliest this could possibly be organized for is Saturday morning. A 3rd-party staff will attend tomorrow to hold out a full evaluation.

“Following this, we can present extra info on the problem and, if required, repairs and repair influence.

“It does imply all MV Glen Sannox sailings on Saturday 15 March have been cancelled.”

They added: “We apologise for the disruption, and our port groups and buyer engagement centre will probably be working arduous to contact affected prospects.”

The Glen Sannox has area for 127 automobiles and 852 passengers.

CalMac has mentioned one other ferry, the MV Alfred, will make an additional journey to take a few of the passengers who had been booked onto the cancelled sailings.

A number of the MV Alfred’s crusing occasions have been amended to accommodate the additional crossing.

The operator mentioned all passengers ought to have a reserving previous to arriving in Troon, including that those that had not booked couldn’t be assured journey.

Sailings on Saturday have additionally been cancelled.

A choice about Sunday’s sailings will probably be taken on Saturday, the operator mentioned in an announcement on its web site.

A shuttle service will function between Lochranza in Arran and Claonaig within the Kintyre peninsula.

The order for Glen Sannox and one other ship had been positioned with the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow almost a decade in the past.

However disputes over the design and claims for further prices noticed the shipyard fall into administration, after which be nationalised in 2019.

The ships have ended up costing greater than 4 occasions the £97m contract worth.

A Scottish authorities company owns the ferries, resulting in criticism of the SNP from opposition events.

Scottish Conservative transport spokeswoman Sue Webber MSP mentioned: “This information will come as a hammer blow for ferry passengers, who’ve been betrayed at each flip by this incompetent SNP authorities.

“After ready almost seven years for this massively overbudget vessel, island communities will probably be dismayed that it is damaged down inside weeks of its launch.

“The SNP’s failure to supply a viable ferry community has left passengers stranded as soon as once more.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie MSP mentioned: “This has been a unending nightmare for this SNP commissioned ferry contract.

“Islanders, employees and taxpayers have needed to undergo from this shambles.”

It is barely two months since Glen Sannox entered service, writes BBC Scotland’s transport correspondent David Henderson.

The vessel appears to have carried out effectively in that point, dealing with winter circumstances on the Firth of Clyde.

However as we speak’s drawback will probably be embarrassing for CalMac – and of concern to them.

Embarrassing, as a result of it would not look good for any new ferry to apparently spring a leak, nevertheless small.

And it is of concern as a result of for a lot of the final decade, Glen Sannox was tied up alongside the pier on the Ferguson shipyard, going nowhere, and open to the weather.

CalMac managers might now be questioning – what would possibly which have achieved to the ferry?