The planned return to service of a CalMac ferry after 18 months of repairs has been delayed by a last-minute technical hitch.
MV Caledonian Isles has been unable to carry passengers since January 2024 due to a series of faults that have cost nearly £11m to fix.
The 32-year-old ship had been due to resume sailings from Ardrossan to Arran on Friday morning but sea trials revealed a new problem with the ship’s gearbox.
CalMac said it would now be Tuesday at the earliest before Caledonian Isles could return but sailings from Troon would still be available in the meantime.
MV Caledonian Isles was initially taken out of service in January last year after routine annual maintenance revealed serious steel corrosion.
Months of major repair work took place in dry dock at Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, requiring removal of the ship’s engines.
Upon the ship’s return to Scotland in September, a gearbox and propeller fault were detected, and further investigation at Dale’s Marine in Greenock revealed the rear of the ship was twisted.
A spokesperson for CalMac said the latest gearbox fault was believed to be relatively minor and the crew were working to address it, but further sea trials would be required before the ship returns to service.
“Whilst this will be disappointing news, a two-vessel service from Troon will remain in place for now to ensure Arran has a reliable service with appropriate capacity,” they said.
“We carry out sea trials to identify and address issues and that is what we’ve done here.
“It’s been a long road to get to this point with MV Caledonian Isles and, in the context of where we’ve been, we are still confident we will see her carrying passengers between Ardrossan and Brodick imminently.”
Services from Troon, about 15 miles further south on the Ayrshire coast, will be provided by the new ferry MV Glen Sannox and the chartered catamaran Alfred.
