The MV Caledonian Isles (Image: Newsquest)
By Professor John Robertson, International Ferries Correspondent
In the Herald today:
Scotland’s ferry policy is “manifestly dysfunctional” and must be overhauled, an expert has said. In a submission to a Transport Scotland consultation on its Island Connectivity plan, Roy Pedersen criticised the current process of “the state procuring large, inefficient ships! which he says “will increase the already high financial cost to the Scottish taxpayer”.
Pederson’s report is 36 pages long but judging by the above claims, he has missed any international comparisons of the kind any rigorous research would require. Academics call it a ‘review of literature’ without which no research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
If he had looked at other ferry providers, globally, he’d know that for real dysfunction, Cook Straits ferries in New Zealand and Washington State Ferries in the USA, are on every count, from cost, reliability, safety and the waste of taxpayer funds to reward executives and shareholders, far, far inferior to Calmac.
Less dramatically, he’d know that BC Ferries in Canada are far more expensive and less reliable due to staff shortages, than CalMac.
Closer to home, he’s know that the islanders of the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands are in despair of any decent service to get them to hospital.
Back to drama but perhaps less comparable, he’d know that in Greece, smaller islands get no service at all in Winter, that Summer travel is deeply stressful and that they have, on one occasion pushed a latecomer to his death!
Two more things quickly.
First, ‘large inefficient ships?’ They’re large to take the large demand. Imagine the islander fuss if the Arran ferry was half the size and where’s his evidence that they’re inefficient? not, judging by their 95.4% reliability compared with far lower levels in the US and Canada.
Second, ‘high financial cost to the taxpayer?’ That goes to keep the costs to vulnerable communities, down. Pedersen later suggests allowing other firms to bids for ‘unbundled’ routes. Privately owned companies bid for the busiest shortest routes, push prices prices up, pay shareholders and executives, and the taxpayer is left to subsidise or abandon the longer less busy routes. Mind you, there would be one major benefit for Pedersen. He’d get on a board or two.
My evidence?
Easy to find for an ‘expert’. https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=ferr
‘ferr’ so you catch ‘ferry’ and ‘ferries’
If you want to find something more specific, try ‘Gree’ or ‘Canada’ etc.
I’m not doing it for an expert.
Finally, this expert? Me. I’ve done more than 100 investigations in the last few years and published the results here, on ferry providers from Alaska to New Zealand. In all modesty, I know a bit now.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Your headline says ‘Scotland’s ferry services are manifestly functional’ says expert, but the story quotes someone saying they are ‘dysfunctional’
Scotland’s ferry policy is “manifestly dysfunctional” and must be overhauled, an expert has said. In a submission to a Transport Scotland consultation on its Island Connectivity plan, Roy Pedersen criticised the current process of “the state procuring large, inefficient ships! which he says “will increase the already high financial cost to the Scottish taxpayer”.
Any chance of telling us which story is correct? (or more accurate proof reading?) I’m on your side, but found this slightly confusing!
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I took it as a bit of sarcasm…a play on words, is that not obvious? The article here by John is to actually tell us the facts, though we all know how much the BritNat state deploys propaganda on a daily basis to attempt to discredit the SNP, BritEngNats are experts at it.
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I’m correct.
For the evidence read the reposts at https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=ferr
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I wonder where the line “the state procuring large, inefficient ships” comes from?
Oh, would it be his research was to some degree be based on Martin Williams fanatical crusade against Cal Mac, Fergusons, it’s workforce anything remotely connected to the SNP?
As Prof. John Robertson has highlighted, just what is Roy Pederson’s findings compared against? The operation of the Waverley or The Vital Spark perhaps?
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They are not botherd about the facts at all, it’s all about propagandising and they know it works on many people else they would not deploy such dirty tactics to attempt to undermine and discredit the SNP government in Scotland. The SNP are a MASSIVE threat to the English/British elite who will not give up what they see as they divine right to continue to take Scotland’s massive revenues and resources as gratis thank you very much, though they demand Scotland bends the knee and says yes sir thank you sir, while the bullying BritNats kick kick kick Scotland into submission.
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I agree with everything you say, BUT, it is the Scottish people who are a threat to the Westminster colonialists (not all English people are against Scotland)also I would say that the small majority of Scotlands own people are threat to themselves………..wake ‘em up……it’s time to be our own nation!!! If not for us then for our kids!!!
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From Jody Harrison I see https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24261019.scotlands-ferries-policy-manifestly-dysfunctional-says-expert/ presumably to give Martin Williams’ hyperbole a rest….
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Roy Pedersen worked for highlands and islands development board he is a britnat who decided to write books using the little information he picked when working for them, here is a quote about one of his books
” This book is full of inaccurate accounts regarding catamarans and the terms and conditions of the work force who work a 12 hour day 7 days week, he is also critical of Ferry company who have won the title of best ferry company award for the past 4 years. It also unfairly attacks the workforce’s highly respected trade union leader. Roy Petersen should stick to writing fiction this book is a testament to that. He should leave his political dogma out of his writings.” Mr Pedersen also wrote a book criticising Scottish government ferry service as a competitor or Western Ferries who he says could not compete with CalMac , Mr Pedersen was an SNP councillor for a while but it didnt help his aims , Lord Robertson was a director of Western Ferries when he wrote the book .Mr Pederson also wrote another critical book about CalMac saying it competed unfairly with a privately run ferry Pentland Ferries to Orkney but here we see what happens when private company ferries run the service ,taken today from their website
Managing Director of Pentland Ferries, Helen Inkster, said: “We can confirm that after some unanticipated delays, the work on the MV Pentalina is now complete. The vessel has met class and MCA approval, and is now en route back to Orkney.
“To allow time for transit and the crew to have sufficient rest, we plan to recommence service on Tuesday 13 June. We regret the delays for our customers but are pleased that the service between St Margaret’s Hope and Gills Bay will soon be reinstated.
“We thank our customers for their patience, and our crews and shoreside teams for their unfailing dedication and determination to get the vessel back into service as soon as possible.”
you see reliability is uncertain when anything is privatised because profit comes first .Mr Pedersen oh dear , i wonder why .
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Mr Pedersen wrote books about private ferry services years ago but Western ferries Argyle went out of business and Western ferries Clyde provides one 15 minute service dunoon to gourock clearly just like pentland ferries not a company that could cover the whole of scotland .The Pentland ferries crossing to Orkney is on this boat Pentalina , check out this story from 12 years ago .
Pentland Ferries’ managing director, Andrew Banks, speaks candidly to PST about the trials and tribulations of operating its new catamaran, Pentalina
It is fair to say that things have not been smooth sailing for Pentland Ferries of late. FBMA Marine, the Philippines-based builder of the company’s recent delivery, Pentalina, ceased operation in 2009, causing the Scottish owner several problems.
Andrew Banks, Pentland Ferries’ managing director, told PST, “We thought we had 12 months’ warranty on Pentalina but the closure of FBMA left us without a warranty on anything. This played into the hands of all equipment suppliers, because they were able to tell us to sort out with the shipyard any issues we had. They knew the yard had ceased trading but therefore any problems were nothing to do with them.”
Mr Banks highlights particular concerns regarding the hull coating. “The paint has been poor,” he said. “It started to peel off and when a representative came to examine it, he said the steel was at fault, not the paint. Our response was: ‘But your inspectors supervised the paint application. Surely if there was a problem with the steel, they should not have allowed the paint to be applied?’”
Pentland Ferries has now contracted International Paint to deliver new hull coatings. “International said that the whole hull has to be stripped back to the bare metal, shot blasted, and new paint re-applied,” commented Mr Banks. This process is due to take place during Pentalina’s next annual docking in January 2011.
This was not the only teething trouble the 70m catamaran had. “We had quite a few problems with the bow thrusters when the vessel first arrived home last year,” said Mr Banks. “We had to strengthen the bedplates to which the pumps were fixed.” The bedplates were manufactured at the FBMA yard but Pentland Ferries has now had to bring in another company to modify this equipment.
The running of the four installed main engines has not been without incident either. According to Mr Banks, “We have had black smoke problems, and there have been difficulties with the electrics on the engines, too. The manufacturer claims that the warranty has expired as well!”
Pentland Ferries sold its previous vessels, Claymore and Pentalina B, to make way for the new catamaran on its route between Gills Bay and the Orkney Islands’ St Margaret’s Hope. Despite its initial challenges, Mr Banks was in favour of the original concept of the vessel on this route. “A medium speed (17 knots) catamaran is very fuel efficient. I think it should be the way forward for all ferries – they should be either catamarans or trimarans, depending on their routes.”
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having been on catamarans many times i can tell you that you do not want to be on one in rough seas they are not as stable as a conventional ship , too much movement too low to the sea level for the passenger experience.
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