Quote Originally Posted by BCram View Post
I think you are right in believing that the problems with ferries to Islay is going escalate, and that will bring some changes to the way these matters are being handled by the SNP and Greens. For example could it be shown that the engines which were chosen and seem to be problematical, were chosen as a result of Green MSP involvement in the procurement process? There might be some value for the SNP and Calmac in properly apportioning the responsibility for this decision to the MSP Greens.

you get flak on here because you only worry about and talk about Islay but the Isle of Arran has possibly a greater profile and perhaps all the island communities need to work together to try to bring about a change in attitude and support for island communities. you would think that levelling up funding could easily be justified and a coordinated campaign might shake things up and break the cosy cycle of poor performance and underinvestment.
I have mentioned the Isle of Arran in a subsequent post.
You are possibly not aware that the two new ferries currently being built in Turkey do not fit any of the piers on the Kennacraig to Islay route plus the pier at Colonsay where the 99 metre long MV Clansman can safely dock. The two new ferries which are too wide, too long and their draught is too deep to dock at Kennacraig, Port Askaig and Port Ellen.
Their draught is also too deep to dock at Colonsay pier.
Work costing £16.4 million (2021) prices will have to be carried out at the piers before the new ferries which are due to come into service in late 2024 can sail on these routes.
Worse than that the design for these new Islay ferries is to become the standard for all new large car ferries sailing on the Clyde and Hebridean ferry routes.
It will be interesting to see how many piers have to be altered at a considerable expense to allow new large car ferries to dock at them.
Most people are asking why CMAL did not instruct that the design for the new Islay ferries ensured that they fitted the current piers.
However that seems too obvious for the Scottish Government owned CMAL bosses who have been promoted to their level of incompetence.