Glen-Sannox

The technical issue with the 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon- Brodick, has been finally resolved on April 8 at midday. In order to provide additional capacity, the following timetable was operated: Departure Troon - 1:00 p.m.; Arrival Brodick - 2:15 p.m.; Departure Brodick - 3:10 p.m. Arrival Troon - 4:25 p.m. The 'Glen Sannox' will operate the normal summer timetable.

The Arran islanders have been left without a ferry service for a third day after the 'Alfred', which was due to replace the 'Glen Sannox', arrived too late to operate sailings on April 8 as the latest setback to passengers who were suffering extensive disruption across the operator’s west coast network. The chartered catamaran was scheduled to take over the Troon to Brodick route in Arran from the 'Glen Sannox' after completing its annual overhaul, but returned to the Clyde from Birkenhead in Merseyside later than planned. The vessel’s crew had to stay on duty as there was no night watch, which meant that the 'Alfred' could not sail because they were legally required to rest. The 11.50 a.m. sailing from Brodick and the 2 p.m. service from Troon had to be cancelled, and there would be no sailings on the route for the rest of the day. Passengers were again redirected or transferred by bus to Ardrossan for sailings to Brodick, which were operating normally. The 'Alfred' has been chartered by CalMac from the Orkney-based Pentland Ferries for the last three years to cover gaps in its increasingly unreliable fleet. The operator was unable to say whether the 'Alfred' would resume sailings on April 9, since it was reviewing its entire fleet deployment due to the scale of disruption caused by having many ferries out of action at the same time because of breakdowns and scheduled overhauls. An update over services across its network was expected on the afternoon.of April 7.

On March 26, spare parts have arrived at the 'Glen Sannox', operating on the route Troon - Brodick, and repairs were carried out. The ferry departed Troon at approximately 3:00 p.m. and resumed its service. However, due to the reoccurrance of issue with the port side main engine, the scheduled departure at 7:20 p.m. from Brodick had to be cancelled. The vessel proceeded to Troon at slow speed and was sidelined for further repairs. The ferry had also developed a problem with a flexible coupling in its exhaust system. The quick repair allowed it to return for one sailing but after the problem re-occurred so it has now been withdrawn until March 31 for a permanent fix and checks to ensure it would be available for the Easter weekend. A separate recurring issue with an engine warning light which began shortly after its return from annual maintenance in Merseyside was believed to have been remedied. CalMac suspected it was due to incorrect oil levels and an electrical fault, which have now been addressed. Due to the main engine issue, all sailings were cancelled for the time being. On April 2, the 'Glen Sannox' was to carry out further trials, and if successful, the vessel would resume service with the 1:05 p.m. sailing from Troon.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon - Brodick, suffered a technical issue with the port side main engine and was pulled from service again early on March 20. The cancellation was due to ‘an issue with the oil mist detector going off in the port main engine space. As a consequence,, the scheduled departures from Troon at 06.30 p.m. and 10.20 a.m. had to be cancelled as well as the 07:15 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. sailings departing from Brodick. The capacity on the Ardrossan - Brodick route was extremely limited. Customers were advised to travel as foot passengers or travel via Claonaig - Loch Ranza. Though the issue was successfully resolved on March 21, the 03:50 p.m.sailing from Troon and the 06:00 p.m. sailing from Brodick remained at risk of cancellation due to fog conditions at both ports.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon - Brodick, suffered a technical issue with the engine on March 16, which required the need of further investigations. As a consequence, the scheduled departures from Troon at 10:20 a.m. and at 12:30 p.m. from Brodick had to be cancelled, while engineers were continuing to work to resolve the issue, followed by sea trials of the 'Glen Sannox'. Due to the ferry being out of position, on March 17, the departure scheduled for 07:15 a.m. from Brodick was cancelled too. The sailings departing from Troon at 10:20 a,m. and from Brodick at 12:30 p.m. were cancelled too, while the and 3:50 p.m. crossing from Troon and the 6:00 p.m. departure from Brodick were initially at a heightened risk of cancellation or disruption at short notice, before the ferry service between Troon and Brodick was suspended for a second day. The most recent fault came after a spare part was fitted. As the 'Glen Sannox' approached Troon, the oil mist detector alarm for the port main engine came on again. Following sea trials, the technical issue with the port side main engine remained unresolved. The ship was sidelined again in Troon on March 18. The ferry started sea trials at approximately 4:45 pm. and then returned to Troon for overnight berthing. To allow foot passengers affected by the technical issues, with both the 'Glen Sannox' and the 'Caledonia Isles', to travel via Ardorssan or Brodick the following shuttle buses were operated: Departure Ardrossan - 3:10 p.m., 5:50 p.m., 8:30 p.m.; Departure Troon - 5:05 p.m.

Ferguson Marine has detailed the cause of hull cracking on the 'Glen Sannox' and the engineering changes being implemented to prevent the issue recurring, while applying the same lessons to the sister vessel 'Glen Rosa' (IM:O 9794525). The problem had been traced to propeller cavitation, and both structural reinforcement and redesigned propellers would address the issue. The crack that was identified was a 20 mm one that manifested itself through vibration through the hull, which was caused by cavitation when the ship went astern. Propeller cavitation occurs when bubbles form around the blades and collapse as they move through the water, creating vibration and pressure on the surrounding structure. The yard moved quickly to repair the vessel and investigate the root cause. As soon as that was identified, the vessel was dry docked to repair the crack in the first instance. Subsequent analysis identified excessive cavitation as the underlying problem and led to a two-part solution.The first step of the solution was to add additional steel to offset the vibration issue in order to prevent any further cracks in the hull. The work had already been carried out when the vessel entered dry dock over Christmas. The second step involves redesigning the propellers themselves to reduce cavitation. The new design has already been independently validated and tested. The revised propellers were tested in a model basin in Austria to confirm the changes would reduce cavitation during astern operations. The redesigned propellers were now expected to take several months to manufacture. At the moment, it looked like approximately six months. While the replacement propellers were being produced, the structural reinforcement already installed were intended to allow the ship to operate safely. The additional steel has taken away the vibration in the hull, which should negate any recurrence of the crack that was seen previously. The lessons learnt from the 'Glen Sannox' cracking were also being incorporated into work on the 'Glen Rosa', which was still under construction at the Ferguson Marine. That steel work was fitted on the 'Glen Rosa' as well, in preparation for the mitigation of the steel and to give the opportunity to get the propellers installed when they were availabl. The cost of the recent repair work on the 'Glen Sannox' exceeded £1 million. Despite the additional work, the investigation had produced a clear understanding of the issue and a validated technical fix. The Ferguson Marine shipyard now expected the combined approach of structural reinforcement and redesigned propellers to eliminate the cavitation-related vibration that caused the original crack.

The return of the 'Glen Sannox' on the route Troon-Brodick, had to be delayed another time until March 5, due to additional warranty works during the overhaul works.. The vessel will now require additional technical inspections, before returning to service on March 6. The ferry 'Alfred' was operating an amended timetable on the route Troon – Brodick up to Feb 28, and the 'Caledonian Isles' was to operate services from Ardrossan. A two-vessel service to and from Arran was expected to operate with the return to service of the 'Glen Sannox' and the 'Caledonian Isles' serving Ardrossan-Brodick.

The 'Glen Sannox’s annual refit took three weeks but the extra repairs at Birkenhead have extended its absence to four months. The ferry wa now not expected back on the Troon to Brodick route, until March 2. New steelwork was being added in order to temporarily fix vibrations, which had caused a crack in the hull, while the cooling system has been laboriously cleaned of contaminants. Anchor equipment was also being replaced after a fault was found during testing. The ferry’s propellers are expected to be replaced as a permanent fix for the vibration problem in the annual overhaul 2017. The 'Glen Sannox' was completed by the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Nov 2024, six-and-a-half years late and some four times over budget. There were also worries about its still-incomplete sister vessel 'Glen Rosa', which is due to be finished by the end of 2026 to join rhe 'Glen Sannox' on the Troon route.

Due to a technical issue with a generator aboard the 'Glen Sannox', which was being investigated, the scheduled departure from Brodick on Oct 28 at 3.30 p.m. was delayed. After troubleshoting. the ferry was being loaded and due to depart as soon as possible. The 'Glen Sannox' departed for the annual overhaul on Nov 5. The vessel operated the following sailings before departing: Departure  Troon - 06:45 a.m.; Departure  Brodick - 08:55 a.m. On Nov 7 the ferry was degassed at Inchgreen in Greenock. To allow safe access to the system, this process involved a visible flame which was closely managed and did not pose a risk. A complex scope of work has been scheduled. Therefore the previously published overhaul duration for the vessel could be extended. The 'Alfred' will operate an amended Troon-Brodick timetable from Nov 6. If the 'Glen Sannox' completes the overhauls before Dec 28, she will return to service on the route Troon-Brodick.

The overhaul of the 'Glen Sannox' was scheduled to begin on Nov 10. The vessel will leave the Arran service on Nov 5 to allow for preparations at the Inchgreen dock before the transit to Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. While there, a programme of maintenance and improvement work will take place, including measures to reduce the effects of vibration identified during operation. The scope of work is complex, and although every effort will be made to complete it as quickly as possible, the vessel may remain out of service for longer than the planned three-and-a-half-week window and return date of Dec 10. For planning purposes, services on the main Arran route will assume operation of the 'Caledonian Isles' operating from Ardrossan and MV Alfred operating from Troon until Dec 28, however, this is likely to change once there is a clearer picture of how long the work will take. If the 'Glen Sannox' completes overhaul before Dec 28, she will return to service on Troon-Brodick. The 'Caledonian Isles' is scheduled to go for her own annual maintenance from Jan 4, 2026, and vessel deployment across the network will be reviewed again nearer to that time.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered a hull crack on Oct 5, with a previous repair that required investigating. The departures from Brodick at 2:50 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. and from Troon at 5 p.m. were cancelled. On Oct 6, the previously advised timetable was further amended, and additional sailings werel offered by the 'Caledonian Isles', which was still operating a phased return to service. Due to the ongoing technical issue affecting the Glen Sannox', which proceeded to the Ingreen Dock in Greenock for emergency repairs on Oct 6, Shore based engineers and a surveyor attended the ship. The ferry 'Alfred' operated an amended timetable since Oct 7, with departures from Brodick at 07:45 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and from Troon at 10:00 a.m., 1:35 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Passengers were also offered sail via 'Ardrossan' after the return of the 'Caledonian Isle' to service after 20 months repairs. While the welding had to cool down, the 'Alfred' continued tol operate a single vessel timetable until Oct 13 with the repairs still ongoing and the vessel remaiing out of service. Departures from Brodick were at 07:45 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and from Troon at 10:00 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. CalMac conducted discussions with engineering experts regarding an adequate solution to the identified issues. The ferry completed repairs successfully on Oct13 and operated a single vessel service on the Troon-Brodick route. The new defect had appeared to be in way of the weld repair, which was completed in March. The repairs were estimated to take 24 hours once the work started. The repair completed in March was agreed as a temporary repair, which was subject to a planned full and permanent repair in the scheduled 2025-26 annual overhaul maintenance period. An investigation will be completed to establish the root cause of this defect recurrence. The ferry was out of service for two days in March after a 13 centimetres defect was found in its hull close to the waterline. This included a 2.5 centimetres section that had let in a small amount of water.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered a technical issue on Oct 5, with a previous repair that required investigating. The departures from Brodick at 2:50 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. and from Troon at 5 p.m. were cancelled. On Oct 6, the previously advised timetable was further amended, and additional sailings werel offered by the 'Caledonian Isles', which was still operating a phased return to service with the following sailings: http://calm.ac/05

The Calmac ferries 'Glen Sannox' and Loch Shira' assisted the HM Coastguard, responding to the 10-m-fishing vessel 'Spitfire - LH 107' (MMSI: 232003712) in distress, on Sep 10 at 11.35 a.m. Also the Troon RNLI all weather lifeboat, Largs RNLI inshore lifeboat and the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 were mobilized to the scene just north of Little Cumbrae Island. Coastguard rescue teams from Cumbrae, Greenock and Largs were also sent to assist. The helicopter winched the two people on board from the sinking trawler and flew them to Largs Yacht Haven, where they were checked over by ambulance crew and released. The ferry was stood down by the Coastguard and resumed service with the 1:30 p.m. departure from Cumbrae. The RNLI lifeboat 'R.A. Wilson', with a four member volunteer crew on board, capsized during the response in the Firth of Clyde.. The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat overturned on its way to the accident site, sending the rescue volunteers into the water. The crew was able to quickly right the lifeboat and get back onboard. They were then escorted back to the lifeboat station by other crews attending the emergency. The four RNLI volunteers were assessed paramedics and no injuries were reported, however the lifeboat was damaged. The RNLI has sent a relief lifeboat to the area while the original undergoes repairs. The RNLI started carrying out an investigation in conjunction with the MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch) into the incident. A notice to mariners (NTM 26/2025) has been issued by Peel Ports, advising vessels not to anchor or fish in the area until the wreck’s exact location has been confirmed. Although it’s not yet known what caused the 'Spitfire' to sink, it was feared one of its wooden planks may have given way, leading to water ingress. The 'Spitfire' was launched in 1974 at Dunbar in East Lothian, and was the second last boat to be built at the town’s boatyard, Weatherhead and Blackie, before it closed two years later. The trawler remained at the harbour for 50 years until being sold in 2024 and then sailed north and through the Caledonian Canal on its way to new owners on the west coast. It was trawling for prawns in waters north of Little Cumbrae island on its last voyage.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered a technical issue impacting the gyro compass system early on Sep 16. As a consequence, the scheduled 06:30 a.m. departure from Troon departed at 07:15 a.m., 45 minutes late, with an ETA in Brodick as of 08:30 a.m.. This also resulted in a delay to the 08:40 a.m. departure from Brodick. Passengers were, hjowever, asked to check in as normal.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered an issue with the clam doors on Sepe 2. As a consequence, the scheduled 1:00 p.m. sailing departing Brodick was delayed. A further update was to be provided as soon as more information becomes available.

Due to a technical issue on the 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, the passenger gangway was unavailable on Aug 20. As a result, foot passengers have been required to embark and disembark via the car deck at Troon until further notice.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodic, suffered an electrical issue impacting the ship's firefighting system on the morning of July 1. As a consqeuence, the scheduled departures frrom Troon at 06:30 a.m. and from Brodick at 08:40 a.m. were cancelled. While the issue could be resolved., in order to allow sufficient crew compensatory rest following overnight repairs, the ship returned to service with the 10:50 a.m. sailing from Troon.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, reported a medical emergency on board on June 30. As a consequence, the ferry, which had left Troon as scheduled at 3:10 p.m., returned to the port to disembark the patient. The ferry departed Troon again at 3:50 p.m. and was due to arrive in Brodick at 5:10 p.m.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered a technical issue with the passenger gangway on June 5, which was currently unavailable. As a result foot passengers were required to embark and disembark via the car deck at Troon. This meant a delay for foot passengers disembarking the vessel. Bus connections in Troon have been made aware and were awaiting passengers. Contractors will be attending on June 9, after service, to look at carrying out a temporary repair to the gangway, with plans for a permanent fix made a priority. Due to an issue with the 'Glen Sannox' starboard main engine the sane foremidday, the vessel had to operate at reduced speed. The issue has since been resolved, and the vessel was operating at full speed again, but arrival in to Brodick was at risk to be delayed. On June 8, the issue has been resolved, and traffic was loaded for the 12:40 p.m. sailing departing Troon.