The Skye triangle ferry has been cancelled today after reports of an issue with the boat’s steering system.
CalMac confirmed in a statement all sailings on this route will be cancelled today for more discussions to be undertaken with the manufacturer.
The Skye triangle runs between Uig on Skye to Tarbert, Harris and Lochmaddy in the Uists.
A spokeswoman said: “”Following a dive inspection carried on MV Hebrides’ port rudder, further discussions are required with the manufacturer and relevant authorities before the vessel can return to service.
“As a result of this all sailings on this route are cancelled today,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, a further update from CallMac is promised at 7.30pm.
It comes after a summer of technical faults with the route.
A CalMac spokeswoman said: “MV Hebrides is currently withdrawn from service and divers are on site to investigate whether the vessel has picked up an object in their port rudder.
“We will update passengers about the situation as soon as possible.”
MV Hebrides was due to be replaced
MV Hebrides has served Harris since it was built in 2000 by Ferguson Marine, the same shipyard that is now the centre of the Scottish ferries scandal.
Two ships are currently still uncompleted at the now government-owned shipyard, five years late and £150 million over budget.
One of the ships was meant to already be operating the Skye triangle route.
Known as “Hull 802”, the ship is still under construction at Port Glasgow. Its delivery was delayed once again in September, now due for the first quarter of 2024.
Ferry source of long-running issues for Harris
Issues on the 20-year-old MV Hebrides ferry have been a common occurrence for Harris this year:
- In May, the ferry was removed from service a collision with Lochmaddy pier.
- In June, sailings were cancelled after a burst pipe in the fire protection system.
- In July, the boat was evacuated amidst a bomb scare.
- In August, the ferry was withdrawn due to a recurring issue with its firefighting system.
At the end of the gruelling summer, businesses warned they “don’t see how we can recover”.
Island communities face ‘complete lack of resilience’
Harris Development chairman Kenny MacLeod has been a spokesman for the community.
He said: “Loch Seaforth is in Liverpool, Hebridean Isles is on her way to Aberdeen so there is very little scope for moving vessels around to cover if the Hebrides has to go away for repairs.
“The Stornoway-Ullapool service has been impacted a fair bit with weather cancellations but having the Uig-Tarbert service provides a back-up for this.
“Once Uig closes in January even that will be gone.
“This again highlights the vulnerable position our island communities are in due to a complete lack of resilience or spare capacity in the ferry fleet.”
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