'Lots of lessons learned' from building of Glen Sannox

Duncan Mackison said there was a “big sigh of relief” as the vessel formally entered service.

The Glen Sannox completed its first scheduled passenger voyage on Monday, leaving Troon just after 6.50am and arriving in Brodick at around 8.15am.

The ship, along with its sister vessel the Glen Rosa, are years late and have cost more than £400 million – four times the original estimate.

READ MORE: Glen Sannox finally enters service on Arran route - more than seven years after launch

The hull of the Glen Sannox was launched from Ferguson Marine's yard in Port Glasgow in November 2017 and was handed over to CalMac almost exactly seven years later.

But after completing the first voyage on Sunday, CalMac said it had overcome some last-minute snags on the vessel.

However, part of the anchor system requires a replacement which is expected to arrive in early February.

Appearing on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Mackison was asked if lessons from the building of the Glen Sannox could be learned to help bring the Glen Rosa into service quicker.

Almost exactly seven years passed between the Glen Sannox's hull being launched and the ferry being handed over to CalMac. (Image: PA) “We’d certainly like to do that,” he said. “And there have been lots of lessons learned, not just about the construction of the vessels and how best to do that, but also bringing them into service and how they operate when they are in service.

“So we are optimistic that will add some value to this process.”

Several of CalMac's ferry services were cancelled on Monday due to the weather, but the Glen Sannox was still able to formally enter service.

Mr Mackison said that was because it was a “modern” and “resilient vessel”.

Asked what it meant for Arran residents, he said: “I think for the people that live on Arran it really means two things.

READ MORE: Ferguson Marine's focus back on Glen Rosa after progress slows to complete sister ship (December 2024)

“It means a modern, large vessel with a lot of capacity.

“And secondly, perhaps more importantly, it means a more resilient vessel, a vessel which is able to sail in more challenging conditions.”

The CalMac chief added that the Glen Sannox’s dual fuel system were both working well, describing the system as “reliable, flexible and easy to operate”.

Passengers onboard the journey also welcomed the arrival of the vessel.

Angus, who was travelling to Arran to climb Goat Fell with his colleagues, told the PA news agency: “We’re here for our work team building exercise, so we’re planning on climbing Goat Fell and getting the ferry back later.

Passengers board MV Glen Sannox for the vessel's first official sailing on Monday morning. (Image: Charlie Gilmour) “It’s a cracking big boat with great facilities. The staff have been very pleasant and the beers are very cold.”

Nicky and Kenny, who own a property on the island, celebrated the voyage over a bottle of champagne.

Kenny said: “We’ve got a place on the island and it’s the first sailing of the Glen Sannox, so we just wanted to be a part of the occasion and celebrate that.”

Nicky added: “I think it’s really lovely. We’re really impressed as the weather was quite bad this morning.

“We were expecting the ferry to be off, and the fact that it’s made it, maybe is a good indication of what it’s going to mean to the the island, that it’s going to be able to go in poorer conditions.”

READ MORE: Thirteen years on, we look back at the twists and turns of the Glen Sannox saga

There are still questions about whether its sister ship, the 3,000-tonne Glen Rosa, will face further delays to its handover to the government agency which owns the vessels.

The state-owned shipyard, Ferguson Marine, is conducting a “lessons-learned exercise” and is set to provide an estimated completion date.

Officials have previously said they are targeting a handover in September.

Scotland's transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “The initial entry into service of the MV Glen Sannox from Troon is very welcome news.

“This will support the people and economy of Arran, as well as enhancing resilience on the wider ferry network due to cascade of other vessels.

Scotland's media was out in force to record the Glen Sannox's first sailing on Monday. (Image: Charlie Gilmour) “As with any new vessel, the first few months of service will allow crew and passengers to fully experience the facilities and performance while CalMac continue to monitor systems, making changes and fixing any issues where required.

“The longer term plans for deployment of MV Glen Rosa and additional improvements to port facilities will also benefit communities in Ayrshire as well as Arran, and I look forward to updates on progress over the next few months.”