MV Glen Rosa

MV Glen Rosa fitting out at Newark Quay, August 2024
History
NameGlen Rosa
NamesakeGlen Rosa on the Isle of Arran
OwnerCaledonian Maritime Assets Limited
OperatorCaledonian MacBrayne
Port of registryGlasgow
RouteArdrossan - Brodick
Ordered16 October 2015
BuilderFerguson Marine, Port Glasgow, Scotland
Cost£97 million original contract for two ferries; £380 million as of June 2024, and £45 million loan written off.[1]
Yard number802
Laid down16 June 2016
Launched9 April 2024
Christenedby Beth Atkinson
CompletedMay 2025 (expected)
IdentificationIMO number: 9794525
StatusUnder construction
General characteristics
Tonnage1,273 DWT[2]
Length102.4 m (335 ft 11 in)[2]
Beam17 m (55 ft 9 in)[2]
Draught3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)[2]
Installed power2 × Wärtsilä 34DF diesels.[3]
Propulsion
Speed14.5 kn (26.85 km/h)[2]
Capacity
  • 1,000 passengers, 127 cars or 16 HGVs (planned)[4]
    • 852 passengers (actual)[5]
Glen Sannox on slipway, two sections of Hull 802 (Glen Rosa) to the right, as of June 2017
December 2021, Hull 802 on slipway with bulbous bow in place, hull section being added

MV Glen Rosa (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Ruasaidh) is a car and passenger ferry, the second of two major vessels constructed at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow for the Scottish Government asset company CMAL to lease to its ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne. Originally planned for Uig based services, it will serve Arran. Both ships are to be dual-fuel, capable of operating on either marine gas oil, or LNG which offers a marked reduction in sulphur, nitrous oxide and carbon emissions.[6][7] The ship's name was chosen from a shortlist by public ballot on 30 August 2023.[8]

Of the six shipyards biding for fixed price contracts to design and build the two ships, Ferguson Marine (FMEL), owned by Jim McColl, was the only Scottish bidder. During negotiations, the government named FMEL as preferred tenderer,[9] though it had just told CMAL that it could not provide the contractually required bank-backed guarantee. FMEL had already discussed this with Scottish Government ministers, who now decided the government would take on the risks, and the contracts were awarded on 16 October 2015.[10][11]

The ships were to be delivered by July 2018, but FMEL began construction before providing drawings and plans for approval, with increasing delays when work had to be redone. In July 2017, FMEL denied responsibly and claimed additional costs, CMAL dismissed the claims. The dispute escalated with further delays. FMEL went into administration,[10][11] and in December 2019 the shipyard was nationalised as Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd.,[12] but increasing costs and further lengthy delays became a continuing political scandal,[13][14][15] the "ferry fiasco".[16][17]

The sister ship, Glen Sannox, had been substantially incomplete when launched on 21 November 2017 and moved to the shipyard's Newark Quay, freeing the slipway for the two sections of Hull 802 (Glen Rosa) to be brought together.

  1. ^ "Ferry delivery faces short delay but latest costs on track". BBC News. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Presentation to Arran Ferry Committee Meeting" (PPT). CMAL. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Propulsion Package for Dual-fuel Ferries Awarded to Wartsila". CMAL. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  4. ^ "First Minister Launches UK's First LNG Ferry". CMAL. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  5. ^ Williams, Martin (3 October 2023). "Scots fiasco ferries have to be cut in size for safety reasons". The Herald.
  6. ^ "Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan 2014 report (VRDP)". Transport Scotland. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Competition Launched to Name Dual Fuel Ferry". Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL). 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Delayed CalMac ferry named Glen Rosa after public vote". BBC News. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited- announces Scottish shipbuilder as preferred tenderer for two large ferries contract". CMAL. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b Watson, Calum (23 March 2022). "Ferguson ferries deal awarded without financial safeguards". BBC News. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  11. ^ a b "New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides, Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802". Audit Scotland. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Ferguson Marine shipyard taken into public ownership". BBC News Online. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Costs double on delayed CalMac ferry contract". BBC News. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Ferguson Marine update". Scottish Government. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Completion of CalMac ferries delayed six months". BBC News. 25 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Ferguson shipyard bosses blamed for ferries fiasco". BBC News. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Further delay and up to £24m in 'understated' costs to late CalMac ferries". STV News. 29 September 2023.