List Arrivals, Sailings and Events
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News EventWednesday, June 18, 2025 @ 2130 |
JAVA (1960s Oil Tanker) |
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Does anyone remember the Danish Tankers JAVA and DANGULF MAERSK in 1960 / 1970s ??? |
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By e-mail 18 June 2025 From WD (Saltcoats) Does anyone remember the Danish Tankers JAVA and DANGULF MAERSK in 1960 / 1970s. They came from Stanlow to the Shell Mex at Ardrossan, Ayrshire. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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News EventThursday, June 19, 2025 @ 1728 |
CALEDONIAN ISLES (1993- Passenger and vehicle ferry 308 feet 94m long of Caledonian MacBrayne, Gourock) |
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Indefinite delay to return of Arran's troubled main ferry CALEDONIAN ISLES |
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From BBC Scotland Online News 19 June 2025Return of Arran's main ferry delayed indefinitely
Christopher Brindle
MV Caledonian Isles will return to dry dock for inspection and repairs Ferry operator CalMac has said it is "impossible to say" how long a ferry serving Arran will remain out of action due to a pressure issue. MV Caledonian Isles has been unable to carry passengers since January 2024 due to a series of faults that have cost nearly £11m to fix. The 32-year-old ship had been due to resume sailings from Ardrossan to Arran last week but sea trials revealed a problem with the ship's gearbox. The operator said the ship would return to dry dock in the next week to resolve a pressure issue with the vessel's propulsion system. CalMac said it was unable to confirm a return to service date until an inspection takes place, but sailings from Troon would still be available in the meantime with a two-vessel service of MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred.
MV Caledonian Isles was initially taken out of service in January last year after routine annual maintenance revealed serious steel corrosion. The ship underwent months of major repair work in dry dock at Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, which required removal of the ship's engines. After the ship returned to Scotland in September, a gearbox and propeller fault were detected. Further investigation at Dale's Marine in Greenock revealed the rear of the ship was twisted. It had been due to return to the Arran route by the end of April, but this was repeatedly pushed back and the ship was expected to return to service last week. Ferry service updateThe state-owned operator's chief executive officer Duncan Mackison said: "Everyone at CalMac is disappointed that MV Caledonian Isles isn't ready to carry passengers yet, and I know that disappointment will be shared by communities across our network and by those who travel to and from Arran regularly." He said the inspection of the vessel would take a few days and until then, it was "impossible" to determine how long repairs might take. Mr Mackison added: "But there is a range of possible scenarios going from the issue being resolved in a few days to it taking significantly longer. "To give communities and customers certainty, we're removing MV Caledonian Isles from deployment plans for now and will provide a detailed update on any service impact early next week." Campaigners gathered outside the Scottish Parliament building and urged the government to save Ardrossan Harbour When it returns to service, MV Caledonian Isles will run from Ardrossan, the only ferry in the vicinity able to do so since the long-awaited MV Glen Sannox and its yet-to-be-delivered sister ship are too big to dock at the port. Currently, passengers heading to Arran have to board the replacement ferries at Troon. The Scottish government is investigating potentially buying the port at Ardrossan to make the necessary changes to allow both newer vessels to berth there, but talks are reported to have stalled.
The latest delay to the return of the MV Caledonian Isles will cause a lot of frustration and disappointment on both sides of the Firth of Clyde. It means a further delay to the resumption of sailings between Ardrossan – the historic berth for the service - and Brodick. Campaigners on Arran point out that the crossing from Ardrossan is shorter than the replacement crossing from Troon. The terminal in Ardrossan is next to a railway station so the onward journey is easier for foot passengers. There is also concern over what the loss of the Arran service means to the local economy in Ardrossan. The Scottish government insists it wants the Ardrossan to Arran service to stay. It is looking at options such as taking Ardrossan Harbour into public ownership so it can be upgraded to handle the Glen Sannox and the other new ferry due to come into service on the Arran route, the Glen Rosa. But that is a longer-term issue. In the short term, there is the matter of how quickly sailings from Ardrossan to Arran will resume. The return of the Caledonian Isles has been put back a number of times already and it is impossible to say whether the latest delay will be significant or not. But each delay adds to the fear of some campaigners that Troon will become the permanent home of the Arran service by stealth. |
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News EventThursday, June 19, 2025 @ 1830 |
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Scottish Government reviewing Caledonian MacBrayne's West Coast ferry fares |
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From BBC Scotland Online News 19 June 2025Ferry fares under review but 'no decision' on RET
Getty Images
The Scottish government is reviewing west coast ferry fares, but insisted that no decisions have been made on the future of cheaper rates. It invests about £25m every year to reduce the cost of fares on CalMac crossings under a scheme called road equivalent tariff (RET). RET applies to both islanders and visitors, and is available on Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) - including the Western Isles, and Arran-Ardrossan-Campbeltown. Asked if it could be scrapped for non-islanders, Connectivity Minister Jim Fairlie told BBC Naidheachdan that all options had to be "on the table and then ruled out one by one". He said fares were being looked at as part of a wider review of the resilience of CalMac's fleet. Mr Fairlie added: "We are going to look at everything. There are no decisions made on anything at this stage." What is RET?RET is a distance-based fares structure and was introduced by the SNP on a trial basis in 2008 on routes to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree. It was rolled out across the remaining CHFS routes by 2015. On the Stornoway-Ullapool route, RET means a single fare for a foot passenger costs £12.30 and £66.75 for cars. Without the scheme, they would cost £25.75 and £128.70, according to Transport Scotland. It said single fares on the Oban-Tiree route without RET would cost £22.60 for foot passengers and £135.60 for cars. Under RET, they are £13.70 and £74.75. 'Supporting islanders'Mr Fairlie said the review would look at how more revenue could be raised to improve the resilience of CalMac's fleet. He said: "I think people are wise enough to understand that governments have to look at every possible option." Mr Fairlie said the Scottish government was committed to supporting island communities. Transport Scotland said that, under the Islands Connectivity Plan, it was working towards implementing islander and non-islander fares across CHFS and Northern Isles networks. A spokesperson said: "No final decisions have been taken on the detail of this and there will be engagement with stakeholders in due course." |
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News EventSaturday, July 19, 2025 @ 0600 |
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Aberdeen (City in north-east Scotland, UK) will host the Tall Ships Races 19 - 22 July 2025 |
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Aberdeen to be 'party city' during Tall Ships RacesSail Training International
The Tall Ships event will be held in July Aberdeen will be turned into a "party city" when it hosts the Tall Ships Races later this year, according to the event's organisers. They have unveiled the full programme for the spectacle which will be held from Saturday 19 July to Tuesday 22 July. Dozens of vessels from around the world will take part, and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to enjoy the four-day event. The organisers say they expect it to be the biggest tourist event in Scotland this year. Additional attractions will include free live music, and street food stalls. A previously-announced gig by Deacon Blue as part of the Tall Ships event has already sold out. Tickets for Kaiser Chiefs - 'I Predict a Riot' is among their hits - and a Ministry of Sound Classical event are also sold out. Getty Images
Deacon Blue have already sold out a Tall Ships gig
Aside from the main names, other acts include Tide Lines, Calum Bowie, Glasvegas, Brooke Combe, Little Kicks, Capollos and Look Busy Collective. The event organisers revealed there would be a "vibrant" line-up of live music, including Scottish trad, jazz, Afrobeat, hip hop, and Latin soul. The line-up also features local choirs and youth ensembles. Young children will be catered for with attractions at a family zone at Blaikie's Quay including a giant sandpit and entertainment. People can also get their picture taken with Tall Ships Aberdeen mascot, Dorry the Dolphin, during the festival. Children can meet Dorry the dolphin
Four days of events are planned Emma Wadee, Aberdeen City Council's Tall Ships Project Manager, said: "We know how much the people of Aberdeen love to party - we saw that during the Dons' Scottish Cup victory parade. "We hope people will turn out in their thousands again to enjoy everything on offer at The Tall Ships Races and help turn the Granite City into Party City from morning to night."
Emma Wadee predicted people would turn out in their thousands The races are designed to encourage international friendship and training for young people in the art of sailing. Vessels from Oman, Uruguay and Peru will be among those taking part. Aberdeen previously hosted the prestigious event in 1991 and 1997. Greenock and Lerwick are among other towns to have featured in the event's history, which dates back to the 1970s. |
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