Extract from Newsletter No. 76, October 2007.

On Thursday 1^st March HEBRIDEAN ISLES began her day with the 0700 sailing from Kennacraig, the 1800 Port Ellen sailing having been cancelled the previous day. Because of heavy traffic during the day she ran late, the 1530 sailing from Port Ellen getting away at 1605. Gales on Sunday 4^th kept her stormbound at Kennacraig all day and delayed the first sailing from the mainland next day until 0740, the return from Port Ellen being at 1055. She set off again at 1415 but was forced to turn back to Kennacraig because of the worsening weather. There she remained until 0730 next morning, Tuesday 6^th, leaving Port Ellen on the return at 1030.The 1300 sailing from Kennacraig was delayed in leaving until 1345 and returned at 1650. She sailed again on an unscheduled crossing at 2000; this sailing had been scheduled for 1800 but was delayed by weather and heavy traffic.

 

She sailed on the inward crossing from Port Ellen next morning at 0600 and followed this with the regular timetabled sailings somewhat delayed. She left Kennacraig at 0845 and 1425 and Port Ellen at 1130 and 1720 then finished her day with the regular 1800 sailing again delayed until 2000. Next morning the 0415 from Port Ellen was delayed in leaving until 0545 and was followed by departures from Kennacraig at 0835 and 1415 and Port Ellen again at 1130 and around 1710.

 

On Friday 16^th the 1800 sailing was delayed in leaving Kennacraig until 1835 by a combination of weather and traffic. This sailing was cancelled on Monday 19^th because of the weather. Next day she thus began with the 0700 ex Kennacraig but included an additional round trip to Port Ellen in her schedule because of traffic requirements: this additional crossing departed Port Ellen at 2120 on the inward passage.

 

The Summer timetable was introduced on Friday 30^th but, as the pier works at Port Askaig still had not been completed, she continued to serve Port Ellen only. Over the first weekend of the timetable the situation was further complicated because the planned much earlier introduction of the two vessel Summer schedule had to be postponed because of the unavailability of ISLE OF ARRAN caused by delays to the completion of her annual overhaul. Thus HEBRIDEAN ISLES had to soldier on herself dealing with the heavy traffic offering. On Friday 30^th she sailed from Kennacraig at 0700, 1300 and 1800 with returns from Port Ellen at 0945 and 1530. The same timetable operated on Saturday 31^st and Monday 2^nd April with the addition of an inward sailing from Port Ellen at 0415. On Sunday 1^st April she began with a sailing from Port Ellen at 0945 then sailed from Kennacraig at 1300 and 1800 with a return inward sailing from Port Ellen at 1530.

 

ISLE OF ARRAN joined her on Tuesday 3^rd April and from this day a full two-ship service was in operation. HEBRIDEAN ISLES now sailed, on Tuesdays and Fridays, from Port Ellen at 0700 and 1800 and from Kennacraig at 0945. On Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays her sailings from Kennacraig were at 0700, 1300 and 1800 with return departures from Port Ellen at 0945 and 1530. Sundays saw her sailing at 0945 and 1530 ex Port Ellen and 1300 ex Kennacraig. With the closure of Port Askaig it was not feasible to provide the traditional Wednesday through sailing from Kennacraig to Oban and this was replaced with a 0745 sailing from Kennacraig to Port Ellen where she berthed between 1005 and 1025. She then carried out the unusual outing of a direct sailing along the east coast of Islay direct to Colonsay where she berthed at 1305. She remained there until 1720 then retraced her steps via Port Ellen (2000:2020) to Kennacraig, arriving back at 2240. A link was also provided to Colonsay from Oban on Wednesday afternoons by LORD OF THE ISLES.

 

One problem caused by the enforced transfer to Port Ellen was tight turnaround times at the Islay port where only 10 minutes was allowed to transfer passengers and vehicles on the 1300 sailing from Kennacraig. At busy times this led to some inevitable late running.  Thus, on Monday 9^th the 1530 departure was delayed until 1600 with a knock-on delay in the departure of the 1800 return from Kennacraig to 1835. On Monday 30^th the 1800 departure was delayed by 30 minutes. On Saturday 14^th both vessels were particularly busy with the conveyance of livestock floats.

 

During May she was delayed on the 1800 on Monday 7^th, Thursday 24^th and Saturday 26^th. On Saturday 5^th she responded to a Mayday call while on the 1300 crossing from Kennacraig; this however only delayed her by 15 minutes. She was delayed again by traffic on Saturday 2^nd June and left on her last run at 1835.

 

During her off duty period at Port Ellen on Friday 8^th June she sailed up to Port Askaig to carry out berthing trials at the new linkspan, arriving at 1415.

These proved to be successful and calls were reintroduced at Port Askaig on Monday 11^th. This allowed her to take up her normal Summer schedule which was as the year before. The one change, forced on the Company, was that on Mondays she diverted on the 1800 sailing to Port Ellen as continuing work precluded spending the night alongside at Port Askaig. Another problem was that EILEAN DHIURA berthed overnight at the Kennacraig berth as opposed to her own Jura berth.

 

On Saturday 14^th July she was forced out of service at 1205 by bow ramp problems. After unloading she moved round to the old berth and moored bow out for examination. This revealed that a ramp hinge pin had sheared causing the ramp to lie at an angle. As repairs could not then be carried out the ramp was locked out of use and she returned to service as a stern loader only the following day. She ran late however, the 1300 sailing only getting away at 1510. On the return journey she left Port Askaig at 1755. Just as she returned to service on Sunday 15^th ISLE OF ARRAN broke down and this meant HEBRIDEAN ISLES had to operate the 1800 Kennacraig to Port Ellen in her stead This finally got away at 2015 and she reached Port Ellen at 2235.

 

On Monday 16^th both vessels were the “wrong way round”with HEBRIDEAN ISLES taking the 0700 inward sailing from Port Ellen and the return sailing to Port Ellen from Kennacraig at 0945. After unloading she left Port Ellen at 1315 and sailed light to Port Askaig to return to her roster with the 1530 inward sailing.

 

As July progressed the traffic built up and she began to run late. Thus, on Thursday 19^th the 1800 Port Ellen sailing was delayed until 1850. On Saturday 21^st the 0945 departure from Port Ellen was delayed until 1005 and this was followed by departures from Kennacraig at 1325 and 1855 and from Port Askaig at 1605. On Saturday 28^th the 1800 sailing was delayed until 1840.

 

Because of her stern loading only situation delays could not be avoided in August because of the need to reverse vehicles combined with high traffic levels. Sterling work by her crew kept these delayed to a minimum but the 1800 departure from Kennacraig on Mondays and Saturdays during the month was delayed on average by 30 minutes. Two further complications arose on Saturday 4^th and Monday 27^th August. On the former date operational problems delayed the 1800 departure until 1935 while on the latter traffic was delayed in getting to Kennacraig because of a road closure due to an accident.

 

It was announced late in August that she was to be taken out of service from Friday 7^th until Tuesday 11^th for the necessary repairs to be undertaken.

 

During the coming Winter she will be joined by ISLE OF ARRAN in providing a much enhanced service to Islay to cope with increased traffic.