The long-delayed Scottish ferry Glen Sannox had another setback in March, when a failed weld seam put the ship out of commission for two days – and resolving the matter fully could take even longer. The ferry just entered operations after six years of construction delays.
The five-inch crack in Glen Sannox’s hull had relatively minor effects on operations, and it was quickly repaired with welding. The cause, however, may be associated with a previously undiscovered source of vibration. The brand new ferry has a vibration problem that “only occurs near where the crack appeared,” operator CalMac told The Scotsman.
“Further investigation into the root cause of the vibration is underway and CalMac, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal) and Ferguson Marine are working together,” a CalMac spokesperson told the outlet.
It is just one of the post-delivery issues affecting Glen Sannox. In April, an unspecified control issue took out all but one of Glen Sannox’s passenger elevators. The sole remaining elevator must be operated by a crewmember manually, reducing throughput during loading and unloading. CalMac has hired in contractors to address the problem.
The Scottish government is currently negotiating with Peel Ports to buy and nationalize Ardrossan Harbor, on the east side of the Firth of Clyde, with plans to revamp the facilities to serve Glen Sannox and sister ship Glen Rosa. The Sannox currently sails out of Troon, making for a longer transit than she would if she were operating out of Androssan. The port sale could proceed by next summer.
“There is a requirement to agree heads of terms . . . before any change of ownership could be confirmed, following a fair and negotiated settlement, and due diligence undertaken by Cmal,” Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said last week.
More delays for Glen Rosa
Sister ship Glen Rosa is nearly seven years overdue and four times overbudget, and the official schedule from Ferguson Marine suggests that she will finally be ready by September. However, Scottish MPs have complained that they have not received a timely update from Ferguson on construction progress and final cost, and rumors in the Scottish press suggest that the ferry’s delivery could now be delayed again – until early 2026.
The government-owned shipyard says that it is committed to providing the Scottish Parliament with an update in due course. Ferguson is on its third chief executive in little more than a year, and the latest – former Babcock executive Graeme Thompson – took up his post just last week.
