00:00I'm Alistair Dalton, the Scotsman's Transport Correspondent at the Dales Marine Yard in
00:28Greenock beside CalMac's biggest Clyde Ferry, the Caledonian Isles, which has been out of
00:34service since January for major steelwork repairs.
00:39Now the 31-year-old ferry should have been back in service more than two months ago,
00:45but within hours of it due to return to CalMac's busiest route to Arran, significant further
00:52repairs were found to be needed to do with steelwork that has been bent out of shape
00:58and needs replacing.
01:01We've gone on board to speak to the people in charge of this further major repair that
01:07could either take, at best, until December, but could keep this ferry out of service until
01:14March.
01:15So the vessel's been out of service since January of this year.
01:19It was due in for a planned overhaul period of two to three weeks, which has been extended
01:28multiple times following the discovery and work to resolve some significant structural
01:35steelwork issues found in the double bottom area of the vessel, which is a sort of honeycomb
01:41structure making up the backbone of the vessel.
01:44So the vessel completed repairs back in August, transited from the Mersey to the Clyde, including
01:50trials and tests on route, was very close to restarting passenger service within 12
01:56to 14 hours.
01:57The vessel was at Ardrossan ready to start the next morning.
02:00Some proactive engineering the evening before uncovered signs of a significant issue in
02:06one of the vessel's gearboxes, which necessitated further investigation.
02:12The vessel was removed from the plan for reinstatements, and where we've got to since
02:16then is that issue we're now finding looks to be a symptom of a wider issue around structural
02:25deformation in the aft part of the vessel.
02:29This manifests itself both in the gearbox issue but also in issues with stern tube bearings.
02:35That's the point at which the main propeller shaft exits the hull towards the propeller
02:39in the aft part of the vessel.
02:41We're talking about really fine tolerances here, so fine tolerances within a finely engineered
02:46gearbox and a finely engineered stern tube bearing at the other end.
02:52What we suspect is that structural deformation in the middle of that arrangement, so the
02:56aft part of the vessel, and it's probably a bit like taking a shoebox and twisting it
03:02and seeing that the alignment of each end of that shoebox is now no longer plumb or
03:08square.
03:10What I would add is that prior to departure from the Mersey, following the long period
03:14of repairs, the correct and the proper alignment works were done under our supervision and
03:20the supervision of the equipment manufacturer to the satisfaction of all parties.
03:26It looks like the source of the deformation and the deformation itself appears to have
03:30been sustained or at least worsened between that departure and the gearbox issue in our
03:39draw soon that served as the first proper symptom.
03:43We've clearly got a lot of work to do in diagnosing what the root of this is.
03:48We're seeing the symptoms, we're battling the results of those symptoms and the need
03:54to ultimately resolve our gearbox issues and stern tube issues.
03:59We're now well into the repairs themselves of the steel structure, but what's absolutely
04:05crucial here is that we understand the source of this deformation.
04:09The source of the stresses that led to this deformation so that when the vessel does go
04:13back into service, we can have absolute confidence for our customers that she's going to achieve
04:19a satisfactory level of resilience.
04:22It's a dynamic picture at the moment to say the least.
04:25We have a number of moving parts from spares availability through to service support availability
04:33through to dry dock availability.
04:36Our ship repair colleagues and support here at Dales have been accommodating in the past.
04:42We're currently working with them closely to understand what dock availability looks
04:47like for the short to medium term, but the long and the short of it is possibly within
04:53the next six to eight weeks and worst case as publicised, possibly the duration of the
05:00winter timetable period.
05:02We are of course working to worst case.
05:05Recent experience with this vessel and with other vessels tells us that these issues are
05:09often never as straightforward, not as straightforward as they first appear to be and can grow in
05:16scope.
05:17So it's probably sensible in practical, technical terms to plan for the worst, but at the same
05:21time put our resources into accelerating that timeframe as soon as we possibly can.
05:28It is a very dynamic situation.
05:30We are progressing the things we can progress today to the fullest possible degree, but
05:35the biggest unknown is the root cause of what we're dealing with.
05:39We can't fully identify the full scope of work until we understand that.
05:44We don't have all the information.
05:45We don't fully understand as yet the root cause of the deformation that we're seeing.
05:54What I mean by that, we've had this vessel out of the water for the last 11 months and
05:59I am fairly confident that at least indirectly, if not directly, that is a strong link to
06:08the issues that we're seeing.
06:10We are committed to learning from this.
06:13This is a new situation for all of us.
06:18This is new ground for all of the technical expertise, both internally and externally
06:23to some degree as well.
06:25We will know more about this vessel and vessels of this vintage in general when we get to
06:32the end of it and how that might or may not relate to the rest of our fleet.
06:36Arran Islanders are really depending on an end to this and an improvement to the service.
06:43They absolutely are and understandably so.
06:48We feel there, we feel and hear their frustration acutely.
06:52We are doing everything we possibly can.
06:55We're standing here on board today.
06:58You've seen the work going on.
06:59You've seen the repair work, the stuff we can get on with, being gotten on with.
07:03We are working around the clock to do those things in preparation for the other things
07:08becoming clearer to set ourselves up for returning this vessel to service as soon as we possibly
07:14can.
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