Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has announced that construction of two new dual fuel ferries – one of which is destined for the Uig-Lochmaddy-Tarbert triangle route – is approaching a new project milestone as the first vessel, currently known as Hull 801, nears the 75 per cent steelwork fabrication stage. 

Hull 802 is following closely behind, currently at 60 per cent steelwork fabrication.

The 102 metre vessels will be capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil (MGO), reducing emissions to help meet Scottish Government reduction targets across transport.  They are being designed to provide a fully flexible, year-round service for Arran and the Skye triangle routes.

Last month, the dual fuel engines that will power the vessels were delivered to Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited’s shipyard in Port Glasgow, where the ships are being built.  The 147m³ LNG tanks supplied by Wartsila – a stand out feature of the new vessels, measuring 20.4 metres in length and 4 metres in diameter – are nearing completion and are expected to be delivered to the shipyard in June 2017.  Work is also underway on the aluminium superstructure that will form the accommodation block of the ships.

The new ships will be highly manoeuvrable, with Twist Flow Costa Bulb Flap Rudders, three 620 kW bow thrusters and a 480 kW stern thruster.  An innovative stern ramp will slide transversely, allowing the ships to operate on several routes across the service network.

CMAL, which owns ferries, ports and harbours across the west coast of Scotland, has published a series of project photos of the hulls, engines and fuel tanks, as well as artist impressions to visualise what the ships will look like when complete.

Jim Anderson, Director of Vessels at Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), said: “It is an impressive sight to see the two vessels being built side by side and the stage of fabrication now allows us to see the vessel form taking shape on the slipway at the shipyard.  Hull 801 is approaching the 75 per cent fabrication stage, with Hull 802 following closely behind.  The yard is now moving into the main equipment installation stage of the vessels.

“The LNG fuel tanks are hugely impressive and their planned delivery reminds us of the scale of the project we are delivering.  The design and build of these dual fuel vessels is a highly complex technical project, the first of its kind in Scotland – and indeed the UK.  They represent CMAL’s commitment to exploring new technologies for ferries, as well as a wider commitment to innovation in Scotland and consideration for the environmental impact of transport.”

Liam Campbell, Managing Director at Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd said: “We are now entering a stage of the build on the vessels that will see much of the equipment being delivered and allow us to further advance the outfitting of the vessels both on the slipway and in the module hall.  These vessels, although complex, allow the yard invaluable experience in LNG vessels and, mixed with the experience we have gained in previous CMAL builds with hybrid propulsion vessels, puts us in a great position to serve the industry with state of the art vessels.”

 The new vessels are earmarked for the Arran and Skye triangle routes, although the final decision on routes is subject to review by CalMac Ferries Ltd, CMAL and Transport Scotland.  The first ferry is expected to enter service in the second half of 2018, with the second vessel following a few months later.

As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, two of CalMac’s trainees from Uist have told of their experiences as part of the company’s apprenticeship courses.

Megan MacDonald from Drimsdale on South Uist and Kathleen MacDonald from Knockintorran on North Uist (pictured) both gained hard-fought places in different disciplines.

As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, the pair attended a meeting with CalMac’s managing director Martin Dorchester and Stuart McMillan MSP at the company’s headquarters in Gourock, to tell more about their experiences as part of the schemes.

Having recently completed her apprenticeship in engineering, 20-year-old Megan is now employed full-time as a motorman, otherwise known as engine watch rating, on board MV Hebridean Isles, which usually serves the Kennacraig to Islay route alongside MV Finlaggan. She has been with CalMac for two years.

Her engineering story began when she was 12-years-old and helping out on Saturday’s at Hebridean Coaches’ garage near her home on South Uist. She progressed in the space of five years to working full-time with them.

“I left because working at sea was what I wanted to do,” said Megan, a former pupil of both Iochdar School and Sgoil Lionacleit.

“I hadn’t heard much about the apprenticeships before I got the job, I was aware of it but it wasn’t a big thing back then, it’s definitely taken off now though.

“It was actually my dad looking for work for my sister that found the motorman apprenticeships, I just applied to see what would happen, fully expecting to not even get an interview. I really enjoyed everything about it and getting paid to learn about something you want to do is a real bonus.

“I’d say if you want to work at sea then locally you won’t get a better job than with CalMac. I mean, I enjoy it because I enjoy my job – I get on well with the people I work with which helps a lot when you effectively live with them for a couple of weeks. But because all the vessels are reasonably local, the two-weeks-on-two-off rota is ideal, although sometimes I’d rather be on board for longer; sometimes you’re just settling in and it’s time to go home again, but I won’t complain about that. I can have a career without having to leave home or move to the city or mainland.

“Things come up every day though so I’ve still got a lot more to learn. Hopefully, once I’ve accrued enough sea time, I’ll be able to go back to college and try and get an engineer’s ticket – I think that’s pretty much what I’m aiming for, but at the moment I’m just enjoying my job.”

When she’s not busy on board helping to keep the fleet running, Megan is most likely to be found helping on her parents’ croft or playing about with engineering stuff.

“In my time off, I’m probably messing about with things in the shed or cleaning my car! I spend an embarrassing amount of time on my car. I also enjoy going to the gym and playing football and also going to football games. I’m a big Inverness supporter.”

And, while Megan is now embarking full-time on what she hopes will be a long and rewarding career with CalMac, Kathleen is just beginning her particular adventure.

She is one of the brand new hospitality with maritime enhancements apprentices – coincidentally along with Megan’s sister Katie – and is excited to be the first to do the new course.

In addition to everything that a hospitality apprentice would learn, the maritime version also includes all the basic seamanship qualifications which are earned by those participating in both the deck and engineering courses.

Kathleen, who now lives in Yoker in Glasgow, spent some time working at the SEC in Glasgow, before returning home to work at the Stepping Stone restaurant in Balivanich, where she had also worked for five years previously, fitting it around school and college holidays. While at City of Glasgow College she  completed an HND in advertising and public relations and had also begun a degree in HR and marketing at Strathclyde University.

“Leaving university early was a big step,” said 21-year-old Kathleen, a former pupil of Paible School and also Sgoil Lionacleit.

“I think what attracted me to the apprenticeship was the fact that it was college-based and on-the-job training. I wanted to push myself and I was determined to make something of myself.

“I didn’t really have anything lined up once I left university, so when I saw these apprenticeships I thought ‘that would be a great position’ and, if I’m honest, applying is probably the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Talking about her experiences as a CalMac apprentice so far, Kathleen continued: “A brilliant part of the apprenticeship has been meeting so many great people – be it lecturers at college of the crews on the boats. I thoroughly enjoyed my first hands-on experience on MV Clansman and I couldn’t have done it without the crew who were absolutely fantastic. I can’t thank them enough for everything they taught me.

“The only think that took a bit of getting used to was living and working in the same place. Oh, and also getting over the seasickness!”

When Kathleen successfully completes her course, she will leave with an SCQF Level 5 in Hospitality, SQA Level 2 Maritime Studies and Elementary Food Hygience Level 2. Part of the maritime element of the course has already seen her and her fellow apprentices learning about firefighting, first aid and personal sea survival techniques.

Kathleen hopes that her apprenticeship will lead to a full-time career with CalMac and said: “It has been a fantastic journey so far and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.”

In the meantime, when studying and shifts allow, she spends a lot of time with family – her brother and sister also live in Glasgow and she spends a lot of time with her two young nieces.

“I also try to go home as often as I can to catch up with family and friends. Food really interests me, too, so, if I’m not making a mess in the kitchen at home, I’ll be out for dinner. And I really enjoy reading – if it’s a really good book, I can finish it in a couple of days!”

Scottish Apprenticeship Week celebrates and highlights achievements and opportunities for young people around the country, as well as recognising employers who enable the training and the benefits such commitment makes to the economy in the short and longer term.

Since 2013, 40 apprentices have been part of CalMac apprenticeships – 85 per cent of those who have qualified have been employed by the company. The schemes have grown significantly in popularity and, in 2016, for the 2016-2017 intake, around 1,200 young people applied for just 30 available positions. The Merchant Navy Training Board – which recognises training programmes for professional mariners – has named CalMac as one of the top five companies in the UK for maritime apprenticeship numbers.

It has been a year of firsts for the company:

• CalMac brings all elements of its apprenticeship training to Scotland for the first time

• The company introduces a new course – MA in hospitality with maritime enhancements – the first of its kind in the UK

• For the first time, CalMac has been named by the Merchant Navy Training Board as one of the top five companies in the UK for maritime apprenticeship numbers

“It has been a real landmark year for our apprentices,” said CalMac managing director Martin Dorchester. “I am extremely proud of the young people who have come up through our apprenticeship training; they are a genuinely strong addition to our teams across the network and have been welcomed by our crews.

“Training young people is both rewarding and makes perfect business sense. I cannot praise our apprentices and the company’s learning and development staff enough for the commitment and progress they have made.

“Bringing the classroom element of the courses to Scotland for the first time has been a long-held goal of ours and I’m delighted the partnership with City of Glasgow College has successfully brought this to fruition. The addition of our third apprenticeship and the development of the content for that course, has also benefitted from this close relationship.”

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A new supermodel has made her way to Lochmaddy. She comes dressed in black, white with a hint of red, and intends to stick around for a while.

However, this particular model is unlikely ever to cut a dash on the catwalks of London, Paris or Milan as she prefers the quieter west coast life.

She is also not likely to go out and about much within the community – local people, on the other hand, will be more than welcome to go and visit her in her new home.

For the model in question is a scale version of CalMac’s much-loved MV Hebrides, the familiar vessel that serves the Uig-Lochmaddy-Tarbert triangle.

She previously made her home in Gourock at the company’s HQ, but a change of scene called and she has made a new life in the port office at Lochmaddy.

Some of the first islanders to pop along and take some inspiration from her and her real-life, much bigger sister were pupils from Balivanich Primary School’s art class. While some of the students decided to paint and draw the actual MV Hebrides as she made one of her regular calls at the North Uist port, others opted to make the new indoor model their muse.

The model is quite large at more than a metre long and nearly half a metre in height and has taken pride of place on loan among the many CalMac artefacts already on show as part of an exhibition mounted by port assistant John MacDonald.

John is delighted with the new addition to the port.

He said: “It’s absolutely great to see the model here in Lochmaddy right beside the pier where her much bigger sister calls in.

“We’re really proud to have her here and I’m sure that loads of people from the island, as well as visitors coming through the port, will enjoy seeing her. It was fun to have the children from Balivanich here painting her – they were amazed by the model and really enjoyed the opportunity.

“The paintings they did were all fantastic and we really look forward to being able to put one of them up in the offices here.”

John’s exhibition at Lochmaddy port, which show cases his extensive collection of CalMac artefacts, has been changing and growing for about two years and has become a very popular feature for both locals and tourists alike.

Steel fabrication for two new 102-metre ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Network – one of which is set to run on the Uig-Lochmaddy-Tarbert triangle route – is approaching the halfway point.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has been given a progress report on the project during a visit to Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) on the Clyde.

Currently known as Hull 801 and Hull 802, the first steel was cut for the new vessels in February.

Each ferry is designed to carry 127 cars or 16 heavy goods vehicles (or a combination of both) and up to 1000 passengers. They will be capable of operating across a range of drafts and speeds to meet the requirements of the current operator, CalMac, to service a wide range of ports and routes.

The ferries will be ‘dual-fuel’ vessels so they can operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine diesel. LNG is significantly cleaner, emits less carbon and has been adopted by ferry operators in Northern Europe in response to tighter sulphur emissions regulations.

Each vessel will enter into service following berthing trials, sea trials and crew training, usually 2-3 months after delivery.

CMAL is set to launch a competition in early 2017 to invite communities to help name the new vessels.

Mr Yousaf said: “It’s been fantastic to visit the yard in person and see the work being carried on these new ferries from close quarters. Not only have I seen real progress on this important project, but I’ve also been able to witness the fantastic skills and expertise of the workforce in action here on the Clyde.

“The new vessels will be welcome additions to the Clyde and Hebrides Ferries Network. Their dual-fuel systems mean they will be able to use cleaner fuel, whilst also future-proofing them for the advent of tighter emissions regulations.

“It’s no secret the current ferry fleet is being pushed to its full potential in order to provide the increased level of services that communities are looking for. So these new ferries will help CalMac continue to provide safe and reliable services for the communities that depend on these vital links.

“It is also very encouraging to see the Ferguson Shipyard thriving. The Scottish Government is committed to creating vital jobs to boost local economies and the award of this contract helped Ferguson Marine safeguard its workforce, as well as take on more staff and apprentices.

“I look forward to seeing these new ferries take their place in the West Coast ferry fleet.”

Jim McColl OBE, Chairman of shipyard owners Clyde Blowers Capital, said: “It is a matter of great pride for everyone at Ferguson Marine that we are on schedule for the halfway stage of steel fabrication for these two innovative vessels. What makes it remarkable, is that we are doing so at the same time as continuing to totally transform the shipyard. Already, our new assembly shed has altered the Port Glasgow skyline, but it’s only one part of sweeping changes.

“While all of this is going on, we continue to develop our design and build skills, always with an eye on leading the market, wherever the opportunity exists.

“The two dual fuel ferries we are building for CMAL are the first of their kind in the UK and follow on from the battery hybrid ferry, MV Catriona, which went into service in September. Her sister ship, MV Hallaig, was the world’s first hybrid ferry, built by Fergusons in 2011.

“We enjoy a great partnership with CMAL. It is quite unique to have a customer who is always asking you to push the boundaries. It means we are working together to bring back the glory days to the lower Clyde and help build long term confidence in the future of wider Inverclyde.”

Erik Østergaard, Chair of CMAL, said: “The two dual-fuelled ferries will be a welcome addition to our fleet. Not only will they provide a fully flexible, year-round service for the island communities, they will do it with cleaner, more sustainable fuel technology.  The vessels will be capable of running on marine gas oil, as well as liquefied natural gas, which is lower in emissions.  LNG is used successfully in marine transport in Northern Europe and CMAL is committed to leading the way in Scotland with innovative and sustainable ferry design.”

 

 

MV Hebrides – which was involved in an incident on North Uist on Sunday – successfully sailed from Lochmaddy harbour shortly after 3pm today.

She will now undertake the passage from the Western Isles to the Clyde under her own power and will enter dry dock in Greenock at the weekend.

Her move frees up the linkspan at Lochmaddy and later today MV Clansman will be the first vessel to dock at the port since Sunday when she berths at 6pm.

She will be closely followed by MV Isle of Lewis at 7.10pm. Both ships will help to ease the backlog of traffic, particularly freight. MV Isle of Lewis will also drop off and embark lifeline loads for Barra which, due to some sustained adverse weather, has had sailings cancelled this week.

Tomorrow, with MV Clansman completing her move north to Tarbert on Harris and MV Lord of the Isles transferring to Oban, the full Tarbert, Uig and Lochmaddy triangle service will resume as normal. In addition to the full triangle timetable, there will be an additional Lochmaddy to Uig return sailing, leaving Lochmaddy at 2005 and arriving Uig 2150, before departing 2210 and arriving back at North Uist at 2355. MV Clansman’s usual routes to Coll, Tiree and Colonsay will be covered by MV Lord of the Isles.

These contingencies will remain in place for at least a week. Passengers are advised to check CalMac’s website at www.calmac.co.uk and the company’s social media channels regularly for updates.

Researchers from Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen will host a photo exhibition at Benbecula Airport from 4th to 8th October 2016 in order to gather opinion on the social and cultural importance of the airport to the local community.

 Photos from the exhibition, which will feature both historical and more recent images of Benbecula Airport, will be used to invite participants to share their memories and stories of the airport with Aberdeen Business School researchers Dr Graeme Baxter and Lyndsay Bloice.

Benbecula Airport, which currently operates passenger flights to Glasgow and Stornoway, has a long military history. A Royal Air Force base was established there in World War Two and in the 1950s – during the Cold War – the airfield became the control centre for Hebrides Range.

 The event is part of a larger research project with European funding on the importance of small airports.

SPARA 2020 (Smart Peripheral and Remote Airports) brings together partners from Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Australia in order to deliver increased innovation within the public service provision of airports.

Lyndsay Bloice said: “We are looking at the social and cultural importance of small, remote airports to their local communities and will be studying small airports across Northern Europe, in Scotland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.

“We’re looking forward to hosting the exhibition and hearing from the local community about their memories of Benbecula Airport and their thoughts on the part the airport plays in their everyday lives.”

The exhibition at Benbecula is one in a series of similar events. Previous exhibitions, held in Kirkwall Airport in Orkney, Donegal Airport in Ireland, Sundsvall Timrå Airport in Sweden, and on the Isle of Skye, have drawn hundreds of participants who have shared their memories and thoughts on current services.

For more information about the research, or to register interest in being interviewed, please contact Lyndsay Bloice (01224 263 991) or Dr Graeme Baxter (01224 263 889).

Photograph: Benbecula Airport pictured during the Second World War (© Crown Copyright: IWM)

If weather conditions allow, MV Hebrides will move from Lochmaddy tomorrow (Thursday 29th September) and begin her journey to Greenock where she will enter dry dock at the end of the week.

Poor  conditions over the last two days have caused disruptions all over the CalMac network, including sailings between Castlebay and Oban.

In order to overcome the backlog of freight and passengers and to maintain CalMac’s lifeline commitments in Barra, MV Isle of Lewis will sail north to Uig on Skye on Thursday, where she will disembark Barra traffic, before making a return journey to Lochmaddy. This should clear the majority of the Uist freight backlog which has accumulated and will ease the strain at both sides of the Minch. MV Isle of Lewis, on return to Uig, will then embark traffic for the Isle of Barra, before making her way back south to Castlebay.

In the meantime – also on Thursday – MV Clansman is to transfer to the Skye/North Uist/Harris triangular service and will pick up the regular three-way timetable on Friday (30th September) returning the route to normal.

MV Lord of the Isles, which has delivered an emergency interim service to keep Uist connected to the mainland, despite adverse weather conditions, will transfer to Oban tomorrow (Thursday 29th September) to take up MV Clansman’s routes to Coll, Tiree and Colonsay on Friday.

This does mean that there will be a temporary loss of MV Lord of the Isles on the dedicated Lochboisdale to Mallaig route, as well as a decrease in capacity on the run from Mallaig to Armadale, Isle of Skye. However, the latter service will continue to operate, although it will be affected by some tidal restrictions.

“It is hoped that these contingencies, which will be in place for at least a week,  will provide a robust and sustainable service until MV Hebrides is available to return to her usual place within the network,” said CalMac’s Operations Director Drew Collier.

“We know that there will be some people who are disappointed with our choices, but we believe there is an overwhelming majority who will welcome these as sensible, considered and fitting decisions. The capacity afforded by MV Clansman, MV Hebrides’ sister ship, should keep Uist’s traffic on an even keel, particularly as we are past the peak season, despite the temporary loss of the Lochboisdale service.

“For Coll, Tiree and Colonsay, MV Lord of the Isles is an already familiar vessel, having served these routes well for many years. Our crews and port staff have worked tirelessly with us on these contingencies and are as much a part of the choices, based on their exceptional knowledge of the network and our communities. We offer genuine thanks to both them and all our passengers who have been so patient. Full details of these timetabling changes can be found on our website and customers are advised to check carefully and regularly.”

All updates can be found at www.calmac.co.uk and on the company’s social media channels.

MV Hebrides – which was involved in an incident at Lochmaddy Harbour at the weekend due to a mechanical failure – is to head to dry dock in Greenock for repairs.

MV Hebrides ferry sustained damage to the starboard propeller shaft after chains from Lochmaddy Marina’s pontoon became entangled during the incident.

Diving inspections indicate that there has been some low-level hull damage amounting to non-serious bumps and abrasions, which could be expected from contact with the seabed – the hull is intact and there is no water ingress.

Weather permitting, it is hoped MV Hebrides will shortly begin the journey to Greenock under her own power. However, forecasts have warned of severe gales. For safety considerations, the journey will be done in stages and it is planned that she will enter dry dock at Greenock at the end of the week.

Assuming MV Hebrides has been able to begin her journey as planned, MV Lord of the Isles will reposition to Uig on Skye (see timetable for Thursday below).

Sailings for Friday and Saturday will be confirmed in due course. Please check the CalMac website at www.calmac.co.uk for updates.

Passengers who would normally travel from Tarbert, Harris to Uig are being kindly requested to use the Stornoway to Ullapool route. The overnight freight service on MV Loch Seaforth on the Stornoway to Ullapool route is also being made available to all customers.

Due to forecast bad weather tomorrow (Wednesday 28th September), MV Lord of the Isles will make only a single return journey departing Lochboisdale at 0630, arriving Mallaig 1000, before departing again for South Uist at 1015, arriving at 1345.

As per above provisos, MV Lord of the Isles‘s Thursday timetable is as follows:

Depart Lochboisdale 1100
Arrive Uig 1415

Depart Uig 1445
Arrive Lochmaddy 1640

Depart Lochmaddy 1710
Arrive Uig 1905

Depart Uig 1930
Arrive Lochmaddy 2125

An additional sailing on the Sound of Harris run will continue until Saturday 1st October, leaving Berneray at 0945 and Leverburgh at 1055.

Details of Friday and Saturday timetables, as well as any further contingencies and timetabling from Sunday onwards will be made available in further updates in due course.

“We are aware that our customers are experiencing significant inconvenience during this time and we apologise for this,” said Drew Collier, CalMac’s Operations Director.

“Our priority is to safely move Hebrides to Greenock for repairs at the earliest available weather window and to ensure that our passengers are well-informed about the contingencies we have put in place and able to plan with a degree of certainty. The weather, however, is a variable beyond our control and there may be further amendments.

“We have been consulting with hauliers to see whether the movement of non-urgent loads can be delayed, allowing us to increase other vehicle capacity and we appreciate their help in this. We understand the situation is frustrating and also that our plans will impact other areas of the network. Please be assured, though, that these plans are being pulled together with all factors being taken into consideration.”

The company continues to advise passengers to regularly check for the latest details and timetable updates on the CalMac website at www.calmac.co.uk and also to seek updates on its social media channels.

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With winds forecast to gust up to 60 knots over the next two days, ferry operator CalMac has issued its first weather warning of the season.

Widespread disruption is forecast to services up and down the west coast as high winds are likely to place restrictions on sailings.

‘There is a high likelihood that services will experience weather related disruption across the Clyde and Hebrides routes this week with the worst of the weather due to hit Tuesday and Wednesday. People should look at the forecast carefully before travelling and check their arrangements if they plan to travel with us,” said CalMac’s operations director, Drew Collier.

“Our website and our social media feeds have the very latest information on what is running and when. We may well amend timetables to work round the worst of the weather to keep routes running, so I would urge people to double check with us before setting off on their journey.’

Latest information available at www.calmac.co.uk and @calmac_updates on twitter.