CalMac ferries South Uist - Barra - Oban

[adamedwards]

The South Uist - Barra - Oban service is showing on the app as requiring a change of ferry at Castlebay, Barra, between the Lord of the Isles and Hebridean Isles ships. Can anyone tell me what is causing this?

 

[richard1976]

Because MV Loch Alainn, the ferry that crosses the sound of Barra usally is out of service, and with no spare loch class vessel able to make the crossing. Mv lord of the isles is is operating Castlebay to Lochboisdale instead

 

[adamedwards]

Any news on the new big ferries and what cascade that creates as I'm wondering which ship then is taken out of the fleet?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I found the following document last week:
Transport Scotland: Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan.

Which sort of answers your question. It is long, technical in parts, but includes some interesting stuff.

Although titled 'Annual Report 2016', it is actually updated to 31 January 2018

13. Progress updates on the major items identified in the 2014 Annual Report are as follows:-


a) The construction of 2 new 102 metre vessels - one for initial deployment on the Ardrossan to Brodick route and one for initial deployment on the Uig ‘triangle’ – continues with the first vessel, the MV Glen Sannox, due to be handed over to CFL in winter 2018-19;

100. <snip>..... The revised pattern of vessel deployment on Oban ‘long-haul’ services, enabled by the full use of MV Isle of Lewis on services to Barra, combined with the change in mainland port for Lochboisdale services, is expected to address the short-term challenges on these two routes. The addition of the two new 102 metre vessels to the fleet will further address some of the challenging areas notably the Uig ‘triangle’ and Ardrossan-Brodick as well as enabling the deployment of the MV Hebrides to Oban-Craignure and releasing the MV Coruisk for deployment back to Mallaig-Armadale. <snip>

102. No major vessel disposals, life-extensions or modifications to increase capacity have been confirmed, however, these areas remain under review and will be concluded prior to the introduction of the two new major vessels.

11.1.3 Oban-Craignure


155. CFL plan to deploy the MV Hebrides as the primary summer-season vessel on the route once the second of the new vessels under construction ("vessel 802") is delivered and deployed to the Uig-Tarbert-Lochmaddy services. An assessment of the foot passenger access to the vessels will be required at both Oban and Craignure.

156. Following the deployment of vessel 802, the second vessel on the Oban-Craignure route will be either the MV Isle of Mull or the MV Isle of Arran. Through AFIG, the NSG is working with ABC on what works may be required to accommodate each of these vessels overnight at Craignure. In either case, in combination with the MV Hebrides this will provide a significant uplift in capacity and address current pressures until at least 2022 (accepting that there will always be peak days and popular sailings when it may not be possible to travel with a vehicle). This will also release the MV Coruisk.

 

[adamedwards]

Thank you for this.

 

[adamedwards]

Just seen via the CalMac app all manner of disruption Inc assuming from Brodick to Port Ellen and the Lochboisdale service going to Oban leaving Mallaig short of a ship to Skye. Has a big ship got major problems?