THE new Glen Sannox ferry being built at Ferguson’s shipyard will be launched two months later than planned.

The Tele recently reported how September 21 was the scheduled date for the vessel to enter the River Clyde for the first time.

Now it has emerged that the ferry will not be ready until November 21.

It is understood that the extra time is to allow for more extensive fitting-out of the vessel.

A formal announcement is not expected until next week but it has been reported that Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, may attend to launch the vessel.

John Morgan of Ferguson Marine today refused to comment on the launch when invited by the Telegraph, and officials at Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) did not respond to our request for a comment.

Glen Sannox is the first of two CalMac dual fuel vessels being supplied by Ferguson’s in a contract worth £97 million.

It was placed by Port Glasgow-based CMAL, which owns the vessels and piers used by the ferry company.

The 102-metre ships will be the first in the UK to use environmentally-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil.

Glen Sannox will ply the Ardrossan to Arran route for CalMac and she is expected to enter service in the second half of next year.

Her sister ship being built at the yard will go on the Skye ‘triangle’ route a few months later.

An 88-tonne LNG tank for Glen Sannox was delivered to the yard last month after an eight week journey from Shanghai through the Suez Canel to the Clyde.

The unloading operation involved 20 specialised personnel and equipment to raise the tank off the barge at the quayside using a 750-tonne heavy lift crane.

The bow of Glen Sannox was lifted into place earlier this week.

It was lowered by a specialist crane on Monday, pictured, and then welded on.