Professor John Robertson OBA

The Scotsman today has – CalMac hit by ‘challenging’ year from increased severe weather and ageing fleet.

The ‘ageing fleet‘ line is a well-worn suggestion that the SNP in government has not funded enough new ferry-building. It’s rubbish.

The best comparisons are with Washington State Ferries and BC Ferries, on the North-West coast of North America. They each serve one big city as does CalMac – Seattle, Vancouver and Glasgow – and a large island archipelago of 30 to 50 destinations with 20 to 40 vessels. CalMac has the biggest fleet and largest set of destinations because it is better funded to serve even tiny island populations, which the other two do not. CalMac also operates in the most northerly and stormy latitudes of the three.

The facts that are strangers to the Scotsman:

Based on 2023 data, so add two:

1. In terms of age, interesting in the light of media headlines here, Scotland’s ferries are the newest with an average of 22 years, with Australian ferries at 24, Norwegian at 26 and the Canadian ferries at 35! https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/strategic-framework-of-options-for-the-chfs-network-project-neptune/benchmarking/
2. 7 former and pretty elderly CalMac ferries are still running in one of the most affluent countries in Europe, Ireland. MV Eigg (1974) Clare Island Ferries MV Kilbrannan (1972) as above, renamed MV Clew Bay Queen, MVs Rhum, Canna, Coll & Morvern, (1974/1975) Arranmore Ferries. MVs Kyleakin & Kyle of Lochalsh (1970), Carrigloe crossing, County Cork. Source: You can find them all on wikipedia.
3. In British Columbia, Canada: The 47 year-old replacement ferry, the MV Queen of Alberni, is also ‘in the shop’ experiencing mechanical problems with its main engine, forcing several sailings to be cancelled: https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2747831
4. In Greece: MV Orion (formerly MV Saturn, Scottish Gaelic: Satharn, and MV Orcadia) is a ro-ro passenger and vehicle ferry. Saturn was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland between 1978 and 2011, for the first decade of her career on the Rothesay crossing. In 2021 she was sold to Creta Cargo Lines, Greece, renamed Orion, and towed to Perama for conversion to increase freight capacity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Orcadia

On breakdowns:

1. CalMac is operating at 95.4% average reliability with currently more than 500 sailings and not one destination with no sailings: https://www.calmac.co.uk/calmac-performance-data-browser
2. In Canada last week, three ferries breakdown in quick succession but no one blames the government: https://biv.com/article/2023/08/resilience-put-test-bc-ferries-tries-cope-high-traffic-staff-shortages-vessel
3. In Canada in July, BC Ferries cancel 1 163 sailings due to staff shortages https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2023/07/13/BC-Ferries-Cancelling-Sailings-Jobs/. CalMac pays the Living Wage: https://www.calmac.co.uk/article/5037/Caledonian-MacBrayne-named-as-the-Living-Wage-Foundations-Scottish-Champion-2016

Other factors:

1. Turkey ferry building: 25 deaths in the last 11 months at Tuzla, on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-shipbuilding-eu-idUKL2424720320080710
2. Turkey ferry building: According to TIB DER, around 100 workers have died on shipyards since 1985, fifty alone since 2001: https://m.bianet.org/kurdi/health/104852-how-many-more-shipyard-deaths
3. Subsidy per passenger: In Scotland, it averages £29.80 per passenger journey. In Canada (BC), it is only just over half at £16.36 and in Australia, only just over one-tenth at £3.86. https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/strategic-framework-of-options-for-the-chfs-network-project-neptune/benchmarking/