New CalMac ferry makes maiden voyage one day earlier than scheduled

Troon: The Glen Sannox ferry has finally made its debut, and guess what? It did so a day earlier than planned! The crew welcomed passengers aboard early Monday morning, and it was a big moment for CalMac.

This ferry has had quite the journey. Originally set to launch in 2018, it faced a ton of delays and issues at the Ferguson Marine shipyard. But after some last-minute fixes, it’s now ready to roll.

There’s still a bit of work to do, though. Part of the anchor system needs replacing, but that’s expected to arrive in early February. And there are still questions about its sister ship, the Glen Rosa, which might face more delays.

Ferguson Marine is looking into what went wrong and will share a new completion date soon. They’re aiming for a handover in September, but we’ll see how that goes.

Despite the bumps along the way, the first voyages of Glen Sannox are a big deal for getting these ferries into service. The cost has skyrocketed, now expected to be over three times the original £97 million price tag.

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During its test run, the Glen Sannox carried 154 foot passengers, 53 cars, and two commercial vehicles. Duncan Mackison, CalMac’s chief executive, said the test run was a great chance to make sure everything was working smoothly before the official launch.

But not everyone is thrilled. Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie called it “Scotland’s most haunted ship” due to all the delays and issues. He said islanders will need to see it in action before they believe it’s really happening.

After all the waiting and problems, it’s clear that island communities are feeling neglected. Let’s hope things get better from here!