Caledonian MacBrayne has started the 90-day consultation process with employees about the establishment of an offshore subsidiary company to which they will be transferred.

Two Companies are proposed. One will be called Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing Ltd located outwith the UK for all seagoing employees. The second will be called Caledonian MacBrayne HR (UK) Ltd and will be based in the building at Gourock This Company will be concerned with human resources, fleet operations and payroll employees.

CalMac states that this arrangement is almost standard practice within the shipping industry.

Employees will be covered by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) also known as TUPE. The current occupational pension entitlement will not change.

 

Caledonian MacBrayne is going to have competition in the form of air travel between Oban, Coll and Colonsay.

£6 million will be spent on a new hub at Oban Airport and new airfields at Coll and Colonsay.

The new air service will link into the existing services from Glasgow to Tiree allowing further links with Highland and national services.

 

ISLE OF CUMBRAE is lying at Fairlie having been replaced by LOCH TARBERT on the Tarbert – Portavadie – Lochranza winter service.

 

Highland Region ferry CORRAN is at Ardmaleish for overhaul.

 

The Tayinloan – Gigha service was suspended today (07/11) at 1240 due to adverse weather conditions. Gale force winds are expected to lash the Highlands and Islands overnight bringing further disruptions to ferry services.

 

07/11/05. 

 

 

The Management and Staff of Caledonian MacBrayne faced a challenging period of time between Monday 7^th and Saturday12th as a result of weather disruptions and breakdowns.

ISLE OF LEWIS sheltered overnight at Ullapool on Monday 7^th instead of Stornoway.

The passenger gangway at Craignure was damaged overnight by the strong winds. Foot passengers embarked and disembarked by using the car ramp. At the time of writing it is not known if the damage has been repaired.

On Wednesday 9^th the 1000 ex Oban – Craignure and return were cancelled due to technical problems. At 1045 EIGG sailed to Craignure with a van, a car and twenty passengers in place of ISLE OF MULL. In the afternoon IOM sailed to Colonsay only to return a short while later presumably with the same fault.

More mechanical trouble on Thursday, this time with ISLE OF LEWIS. Her 1030 sailing from Ullapool and the 1345 return were cancelled. HEBRIDES operated a special timetable between Uig and Tarbert to accommodate the extra traffic.

Stormy weather returned with a vengeance on Friday 11^th.

The following services were cancelled:

 Kennacraig – Port Askaig / Port Ellen (next sailing 0700 Saturday 12th to Port Ellen weather permitting),

0930 Oban – Barra / Lochboisdale (next sailing 1500 Sunday13th), 1000 Oban – Colonsay (next sailing 1430 Saturday weather permitting), 1600 / 1700 & 2130 Oban – Craignure – Oban (next sailing 0600 Saturday weather permitting),

1245 / 1500 Lochmaddy – Uig – Lochmaddy (next sailing 0730 Saturday weather permitting), 1355 / 1505 Berneray – Leverburgh – Berneray (next sailing 0830 Saturday weather permitting), all sailings across the Sound of Barra, between Mallaig, Armadale and the Small Isles and finally between Fionnphort and Iona.

 

LOCH RIDDON is on the Tarbert – Lochranza / Portavadie run in place of LOCH TARBERT which is reported to be laid up at Roseneath. LOCH LINNHE is on the Iona run allowing LOCH BUIE away for overhaul at Ardmaleish. She is due to be slipped either Monday or Tuesday 14^th / 15^th once CORRAN has departed. ISLE OF CUMBRAE is at Colintraive in place of LOCH DUNVEGAN, which has gone to the Garvel for her overhaul.

HEBRIDEAN ISLES departed from Kennacraig at 0630 on Saturday for Aberdeen for her overhaul. She is then due to go to Scrabster where she will remain until 9^th February. This is Heb Isles third visit to Aberdeen, the last time being in September 2002 after she had been at Rothesay for the Cowal Games. ISLE OF ARRAN will deputise on the Islay run.

RAASEY is on the Tobermory – Kilchoan run, BRUERNISH is lying spare at Oban.

LORD OF THE ISLES left the Clyde on Saturday 2130. ISLE OF MULL is due away in the near future.

Many thanks to Iain McPherson and Robin Love for the information.

 

Donald “ Donnie” Ramsay is retiring, as Port Manager for Islay, after forty-seven years service to the island.

Donald, who became known as “Mr MacBraynes”, started with David MacBrayne in 1959 at the age of fifteen. He left school with the intention of joining the police but the Port Manager at the time asked his father if he would like to work for David MacBrayne. After four years in the Islay office he went to Oban and worked on many ships including the COLUMBA, now known as HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS, and the CLANSMAN on her maiden voyage to Mallaig. He was appointed Port Manager for Islay in 1985. During this time he became well known to fishermen and yachtsmen. Donald was popular and always fair to his staff. His retirement leaves a gap on the West Coast, which will be hard to fill.

 

Oban’s War and Peace Museum has moved from the familiar white building on the North Pier to the ground floor of the Oban Times building on Corran Esplanade.

Around thirty volunteers helped with the flitting to the new home, which is expected to open early in 2006.

 

The last cruise of the season on board HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS was cancelled due to an engine fault.

The ship remained at the North Pier, Oban, with forty-four guests on board. They were warned that there may be a problem but turned up anyway. A party was held on board while arrangements were made to get them home again.

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS sailed eventually to Lowestoft where she goes for winter maintenance. Her engines will be repaired as part of the overhaul programme.

 

Caledonian MacBrayne has changed the way in which disabled drivers qualify for their discount scheme.

The DLA 404 document, which drivers required as proof to show that they were disabled, has been discontinued by the DVLA and the Motability charity.

All vehicles will now be issued with a tax disc, which shows that the driver is disabled.

CalMac bookings will still be taken in the usual way but tickets will not be issued until staff at the port of departure inspects the tax disc. Disabled cards should also be carried at the time of travel.

Failure to produce the correct documentation will result in the full fare being charged.

 

This writer is amused by a letter published in this week’s Oban Times (Thursday 10^th) in which a resident of Port Appin enters the debate about the possibility of a new ferry service to the north end of Lismore.

The correspondent quite rightly expresses concern over road access to and car parking at Port Appin in the event of the ferry service going ahead.

He or she spoils an otherwise sensible letter, in the last paragraph, by asking why the Mull ferry can’t call at the south end of Lismore to pick up vehicles as and when required.

The answer is probably because of the vast expense required to build the infrastructure involved in berthing a ferry which is only going to pick up a car and the odd tractor now and again.

In addition the residents of Mull are not going to be chuffed at the thought of their ferry service being extended by twenty minutes because a Lismore farmer is getting his hay delivered.

The debate over the Lismore ferry service obviously remains open.

 

In a report from twenty-five years ago The Oban Times Those Were The Days Column tells us that Caledonian MacBrayne has changed the manner in which coaches are charged to board the ferries.

Coaches were charged by length but, following the de-licensing of coach tours, this is no longer applicable.

The Column also reports on the new ferry service from Tayinloan to Gigha. Similar ferries are to be introduced between Port Askaig and Feolin, and between Oban and Lismore.

 

12/11/05.

 

 

HEBRIDEAN ISLES arrived at Aberdeen at 1830 on Sunday 13^th. ISLE OF MULL has been berthing at the Lighthouse Pier in Oban due to the present lack of space at the Railway Pier. She heads off for overhaul on Monday 28^th.  BRUERNISH and EIGG have been tying up at the North Pier. A support barge has been occupying the Lismore berth. Drilling for the new linkspan is under way at the Railway Pier. The Coll linkspan is closed for repairs. LORD OF THE ISLES has been on the Coll and Tiree route, using her hoist at the former Pier to load and unload vehicles. CLANSMAN has been on the Outer Isles run. She is now on the Stornoway route deputising for the ISLE OF LEWIS, which is out of service for repairs. Both vessels were alongside at Ullapool yesterday (15/10) between 1630 and 1715. They were together again overnight at Stornoway between 2030 and 0630 this morning.

The 1800 sailing from Uig to Lochmaddy was cancelled on Monday 14^th. HEBRIDES departed Uig at 1935 for Tarbert where she arrived at 1935. All bookings were transferred to the 0940 on Tuesday 15^th.

LOCH NEVIS cancelled her call at Muck on 14^th. She made an additional call at the island on Tuesday.

LOCH BUIE was slipped at Ardmaleish yesterday.

Many thanks to Iain McPherson and Hamish Stewart for the information.

 

An inquiry is being held into conditions onboard MUIRNEAG and the circumstances, which turned a routine three-hour voyage into a sixteen-hour trial for everybody on the ship.

She departed Ullapool at 1000 on Friday 11^th and finally arrived at Stornoway on Saturday at 0330.

A passenger was airlifted from the ship after receiving a head wound. Another passenger claimed that a crewman assaulted him. This claim was later withdrawn and resolved with a handshake.

MUIRNEAG is chartered by Caledonian MacBrayne from Harrisons (Clyde) and is used as a freight ferry. She has a certificate for twelve passengers.

The ship ran into heavy weather ¾ of the way across the Minch forcing her to stop and ride out the storm. Weather conditions were very poor. Vehicles were damaged as cargo shifted on the freight deck. It is understood that cars and trucks were not lashed down.

Bad weather was forecast but the storm came in sooner and faster then expected.

Caledonian MacBrayne are co-operating with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with all enquiries into the above incident.

The storm, which hit MUIRNEAG, received wide coverage in the media, most of it exaggerated and hysterical and, in this writer’s opinion, totally unwarranted. While they may have been worried, the passengers quoted in the press clearly took the opportunity to have a go at Caledonian MacBrayne. The press then relished the chance to get their stories into print.

This writer, however, does admit to being surprised at hearing the reports of containers, trucks and cars not being lashed down given that bad weather was on the way. 

 

The HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS ex COLUMBA is being chartered by Her Majesty The Queen to celebrate her 80^th birthday next year.

The ship will take Her Majesty on a cruise around the islands probably towards the end of the summer season.

COLUMBA entered service for David MacBrayne, Ltd in the summer of 1964 on the route between Oban, Craignure and Lochaline.

A party of Club Members visited the ship at Oban on Saturday 6^th March 2004 to celebrate her 40^th anniversary.

 

The Scottish Executive has received ten expressions of interest in the Gourock – Dunoon ferry route and seven in Caledonian MacBrayne’s other routes.

The seven, which are emerging as serious contenders, are probably common to both lists.

They are believed to be CalMac, the present operator, Western Ferries, Red Funnel, The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Irish Continental, Serco Denholm and V Ships.

The contract for the Gourock – Dunoon service is expected to start in spring 2007 while the contract for the remaining routes would start in the autumn of the same year.

 

16/11/05.

 

 

The former British Waterways icebreaking tug, SCOTT II, is presently lying derelict at Ardyne. She was stripped of her deckhouse at Ardmaleish where work was being carried out on her. Work stopped for unknown reasons. She was then towed across to Ardyne and seemingly abandoned. This writer has memories of her at Corpach and Banavie on the Caledonian Canal.

Does anyone know how and when she arrived on the Clyde and what the future holds for her?

Many thanks to John Newth and Ian Somerville for the information.

 

18/11/05.

 

 

CLANSMAN has returned from Stornoway. LORD OF THE ISLES has been berthing at Tobermory while ISLE OF MULL was berthing at the Oban Lighthouse Pier. She is now at Birkenhead for overhaul and LOTI is on the Craignure run. ISLE OF CUMBRAE is at Lochaline deputising for LOCH FYNE, which is down in the Garvel for her overhaul.

 

Strong winds and heavy seas took their toll on ferry services again between Thursday 24^th and Saturday 26^th. Among the sailings affected were:

Kennacraig – Port Ellen and Port Askaig, Oban – Colonsay, Oban – Castlebay – Lochboisdale, Berneray – Leverburgh, Sconser – Raasey and Ullapool – Stornoway.

ISLE OF LEWIS carried out one return sailing yesterday (26/11). She departed from Stornoway at 1000, arrived at Ullapool at 1245 and left again as soon as she was ready to sail. IOL broke the Sabbath (is this a first) by carrying out an extra sailing today. She departed From Stornoway at 0715 and arrived at Ullapool at 1030.

Check the report on the Club Meeting on Friday 25^th for further comments about Sunday sailings.

 

The upgrading of Bruichladdich Pier on Islay is well under way. The pier is being reconstructed to allow double-hull tankers access to berthing facilities.

The work is expected to be complete for Christmas this year.

 

Club Members went home well satisfied on the evening of Friday 25^th after listening to the, not only entertaining but also, strong views of Captain Sandy Ferguson.

In a talk entitled “ From Burma to Barra”, he told the assembly of his time with Paddy Henderson and J &J Denholm. Returning home after a year away from his family, Sandy was disturbed to find that his two-year old son did not recognise him. He vowed there and then to find work closer to his family.

Sandy applied for a job with Western Ferries. The only problem was they were looking for a Chief Engineer. At the end of the interview he was asked for his Certificates. At this point Sandy had to own up and admit that he was not an Engineer, but had Certificates for Captain and First Mate. He got a job.

Sandy worked for Western Ferries until they pulled out of the Islay route.

He joined Caledonian MacBrayne in 1973 and became the first Captain of the PIONEER. Sandy went on to serve on various ships, praising some and criticising others.

He described the differences in the bow visor lifting mechanisms between IONA and SOUND OF JURA and also the differences in the engines of the two ships. He told the audience how the engines of GLEN SANNOX were designed for variable pitch propellers but did not have those propellers fitted.

On the subject of Sunday sailings he could not understand why CalMac did not sail on Sunday when passengers were being flown out of Stornoway Airport on Sunday. If CalMac provided Sunday sailings he reckoned they could cancel the charter of MUIRNEAG. He also questioned why CalMac were paying for the charter of ALI CAT when a Streaker was lying idle at Roseneath.

The subject of tendering for new ships inevitably came up. Sandy told the audience that CalMac would not know if they got value for money on BUTE for many years. The ship may look good but will it last as long as the Streakers? How good is the quality of the steel used in her construction? He also felt that she was given the wrong type of propulsion units.

CalMac received a quote of £750,000 for the construction of CALEDONIAN ISLES from an Egyptian shipyard. That would have delighted Ross Finnie.

Sandy was promoted to Marine Superintendent, a position that no longer exists, much to his regret. This was to be his last position before parting company with Caledonian MacBrayne in 1996.After over an hour of talking and answering questions, Sandy closed his lecture.

Gordon Law gave the vote of thanks.

Robin Love reported that the Newsletter is at the printers and should be ready for the next Meeting. He also reported that the limited edition Calendars are sold out.

Ian McCrorie and Hamish Stewart gave an update on shipping activities.

Club President Duncan Wilson is looking for an excellent turnout of Members at the Joint Meeting with the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, which takes place on Friday December 16^th.

 

27/11/05.

 

 

ISLE OF ARRAN carried out all sailings from Kennacraig to Port Askaig and Port Ellen today (28/11). HEBRIDEAN ISLES has arrived back at Kennacraig and will take up the service at 0700 tomorrow. ISLE OF ARRAN is reported to be heading for Fairlie in the very near future.

LOCH BUIE has moved to the Inner Berth at Rothesay for final fitting out before returning to Iona.

Many thanks to Iain McPherson for the information.

 

28/11/05.

 

 

LOCH BUIE departed from Rothesay today (30/11) at 1040 for trials. She will leave the Clyde for Iona tomorrow, weather permitting. On arrival at Iona LOCH LINNHE will sail to Sconser to allow LOCH STRIVEN to go to Ardmaleish for overhaul.

Many thanks to Iain McPherson for his updates.

 

Duncan Wilson 30^th November 2005.