CalMac to Conclude Catamaran Lease
CalMac's lease of the catamaran MV Alfred from Orkney's Pentland Ferries, costing £1 million per month, is set to end this weekend. The vessel has been serving the Arran route on the west coast under contract for almost three years.
The two other ferries that typically operate on the Arran route have been undergoing maintenance during this period. Upon lease expiration on Saturday, MV Alfred will depart CalMac's service to undergo its annual refit.
Since May 2023, the MV Alfred has been providing a single-vessel Brodick service from Troon. This charter arrangement has supplied CalMac with essential additional capacity, although it has extended far beyond the initially anticipated duration.
The charter cost, which includes crewing and fuel expenses, now exceeds twice the £14 million that Pentland Ferries paid for the ship's construction at a Vietnamese shipyard in 2019.
Pentland Ferries confirmed that the current charter agreement concludes on 28 February.
"The vessel will then be out of service for its scheduled annual overhaul period to the end of March,"
"A further update will follow."
It remains unconfirmed whether the vessel will return to Orkney after the refit.
Fleet Updates and Route Operations
A CalMac spokesperson stated:
"MV Glen Sannox will be back on Friday 6 March on the Troon-Brodick route.
MV Caledonian Isles is currently running the Ardrossan-Brodick route."
MV Alfred has served as a critical interim solution for CalMac amid challenges related to fleet shortages and aging vessels. The ferry has demonstrated reliability and durability, earning appreciation from many within CalMac who will regret its departure.
However, MV Alfred's twin-hull design differs significantly from typical CalMac ferries. It is lower and lighter than other vessels in the fleet and lacks an onboard restaurant.
Proponents argue that this ferry design offers advantages such as lower construction costs, reduced water resistance leading to fuel efficiency, and easier maintenance. Some suggest that more vessels in the CalMac fleet should adopt a similar design.
Despite MV Alfred's operational success, the ferry agency CMAL appears hesitant to endorse this design for future fleet additions.
Financial Implications for Pentland Ferries and CalMac
For Pentland Ferries, the owners of MV Alfred, the past few years have been financially beneficial. The vessel was built for under £15 million, and nearly three years of chartering to CalMac at £1 million per month is estimated to have generated approximately £35 million in revenue.
This expenditure by CalMac could have funded the purchase of more than two similar vessels. Nonetheless, this cost reflects the price paid to address gaps in CalMac's ferry fleet.
