Isle-Of-Islay

The 'Isle of islay', the first of four new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey has arrived in Greenock on Feb 22 after a four-week voyage delayed by stormy weather.The ship sailed up the Clyde and berthed at the Inchgreen quay just before 10:00 a.m., after crossing the Bay of Biscay in recent days. Underway, the crew was involved in the rescue of a man off the coast of Morocco who was spotted in the water while the ship was waiting for storms to pass. The final fit-out of the ferry was expected to take two weeks, followed by crew familiarisation and berthing trials before it was expected to enter service in late March. Report with photo: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g5e4z4d1ro

The 'Isle of Islay' was involved in a dramatic rescue off the coast of Morocco last week.The vessel had to leave its berth at Gibraltar and take to sea, as conditions were too dangerous to remain alongside amid the Storm Leonard, which reached the Iberian Peninsula on Feb 3, 2026, with wind gusts exceeding 90 kilometers per hour. the crew noticed a drowning man in the turbulent waves, and the decision was immediately made to launch a fast rescue boat, which was able to retrieve the man from the water within minutes. Although the sea was very rough, the operation was successful. The rescued man subsequently remained on board for several days for medical checkups and care, after which he was handed over to the Moroccan authorities. After the incident, the ferry temporarily sought shelter on the Moroccan east coast before setting course for the port of Almeria. The ferry remained in Almeria until Feb 7, when an anticipated weather window allowed itto sail to A Coruña. As soon as conditions permitte, the 'Isle of Islay' would continue its route towards the Bay of Biscay, eventually reaching Greenock. Report with photos: https://www.hebrides-news.com/calmac-mv-isle-of-islay-dramatic-sea-rescue-morocco-91226.html?fbclid=Iwb21leAP21LRjbGNrA_bUfWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHttqU-dgXvK2Bow6dVKJG64h5dA5IMop55RPR4JOBEZaPlHjtDF1Plc8_etz_aem_2K_Rf97MShBCXKsYgp5PGQ

On Jan 15, CalMac has formally taken ownership of 'Isle of Islay'following a handover ceremony at Cemre Shipyard in Yalova, where the vessel was built. ISLE OF ISLAY, the first of four ferries being constructed at the yard, will serve Islay and Jura when she enters service, and will be joined by her sister vessel 'Loch indaal' later this year. The vessel has received Maritime and Coastguard Agency approval and passenger certification, and will now be prepared for the repositioning voyage from the Sea of Marmara back to Scotland. This will be undertaken by operators CalMac Ferries Limited and is expected to take around two weeks. Once the ferry arrives in Scotland, she will undergo a period of crew familiarisation and local operational trials before entering service. Report with photo: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4g0p7nr8xo

While the 'Isle of Islay' was remaining at the quayside by the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova,.it was hoped that the ferry would finally be delivered in December, but it may be February 2026, before she fully picks up the Kennacraig - Islay service. However, that entry into service timescale may be trimmed if plans for port berthing trials got reappraised. Following the delivery, familiarisation trials by the CalMac crew were expected to take place in the Marmara Sea, before the ship commences a two week repositioning voyage to Scotland including a refuelling stop in Gibraltar. Upon arrival on the west coast, a further period of familiarisation and testing of the vessel will be required before picking up the service. The ferry was originally due to be delivered in Oct 2024, but a series of hold-ups slowed down construction work. Full finalisation of the vessel, including significant compliance checks, is required before the Red Ensign flag is hoisted and the MCA accepts her onto the UK Ship Register. nspectors from the UK shipping regulator, Marine Coastguard Agency (MCA) are in attendance with their main role a major focus of recent weeks as they surveyed all sections of the ship including ballast and fuel tanks, compartments, and spaces. Stern and bow doors plus mezzanine decks have been commissioned and were to be load tested earlier in the autumn. Lifts were also being completed. The 'Isle of Islay' is one of four new ferries being built in Turkey for Scotland's west coast routes to be deployed on the CalMac network. War in Ukraine impacting steel supplies, Houthi terrorist attacks on vessels heading for the Suez Canal through the Red Sea, and the devastating earthquake in Turkey all contributed to delays. The other CalMac ferries which are being built at the same yard - the 'Loch Indaal', 'Lochmor' and 'Claymore', were anticipated to follow a delivery schedule of six-month intervals from the handover of the 'Isle of Islay'. Meanwhile, the 'Lochmor', which is planned to operate the Harris - Skye route, was undertaking further outfitting activities whilst afloat after her launch on Aug 23. The 'Loch Indaal' remained afloat with continuous outfitting activities ongoing. Outfitting work was also being undertaken with the new North Uist vessel, 'Claymore', as she remained on the slip awaiting a launch date. Pipe work systems and cabling were being installed.

The first Turkish-built Calmac ferry, the 'Isle of Islay', which was due to be delivered on Sep 30 for operation on the Kennacraig-Islay route, will be handed to its new owners only in November. She one of four new ferries being built for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) for Scotland's west coast routes by the Cemre shipyard in Yalova. Its initial delivery date of Oct 024 was pushed back by a series of delays, the latest of which had been the failure to complete sea trials. The Cemre yard has informed the Scottish government that the trials have now been completed. The ship will be followed by the 'Loch Indaal', 'Lochmor' and 'Claymore' at six-month intervals after its delivery. After the ferry is handed over to CalMac, it will undergo several weeks of crew familiarisation and berthing trials, so it is unlikely to enter service before 2026.

A further delay has been confirmed for the 'Isle of Islay ', the first of four ferries being built in Turkey. Ther ship will now not be delivered by the end of September, a letter sent on Sep 1 confirmed. The ferry’s internal lifts as well as stern and bow doors, and mezzanine decks, have yet to be fully commissioned. The letter sent to the Scottish Parliament’s net zero, energy and transport committee confirmed while the ferry had undergone two sets of builders’ sea trials in the Sea of Marmara, it was yet to start a series of acceptance trials where every aspect of the vessel is tested, marking another blow for long-suffering islanders, with the 'Isle of Islay' already nearly a year late before the latest setback. The other three ferries being built in Turkey for CalMac routes are due to be delivered at six-monthly intervals after the 'Isle of Islay', which is due to sail between Kennacraig on Kintyre and Port Ellen and Port Askaig on Islay.

A second set of sea trials for the 'Isle of Islay' have been carried out by Cemre Marin Endustri n the Sea of Marmara from July 16 to 20, and were attended by staff from CMAL and CalMac. Included in the trials were the set-up and testing of the battery energy storage system (BESS), as well as the testing and optimisation of the power management system (PMS) and the energy management system (EMS). The successful testing of the hybrid system marked a significant step forward in completing the vessel for the service Islay and Jura. The vessel has returned to the Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, where it was undergoing further outfitting work. The vessel is due to be delivered in Q3 of 2025.

The 'Isle of Islay' has reached an advance state of completion and on course to be finished by the Cemre shipyard before the end of September, provided all goes well with installing her battery system, the last haul of installation and most importantly endurance testing activities. The other three ships being built at the same yard, the 'Loch Indaal', 'Lochmor' and 'Claymore', were anticipated to follow a delivery schedule of six-month intervals from the handover of the 'Isle of Islay', which was due to be delivered in October 2024 and is running about nine months behind schedule. The Russian war in Ukraine impacting steel supplies, Houthi terrorist attacks on vessels heading for the Suez Canal through the Red Sea, and the earthquake in Turkey have contributed to the delay. Last minute hitches cannot be ruled out and engineering, mechanical and performance issues may emerge during a second series of endurance sea trials in a few weeks, which will take place a few miles off Yalova in the southern waters of the inland Marmara Sea, The first set of sea trials - called builders’ trials - over nine days at the end of May were successful. The vessel is still owned by the shipyard but representatives from CMAL and CalMac attended. This involved the set-up of the propulsion systems, generators, thrusters, stabilisers and associated electrical systems. These were then tested, trialled and measured with Lloyd’s Register and the Marine Coastguard Agency (MCA) in attendance. The vessel’s performance at full load was evaluated, including speed, stability, manoeuvrability, anchor deployment/recovery and endurance. The ship achieved the specified speed requirements. The trials also established the effectiveness of the vessel’s propulsion plant, automation and navigational systems.

The delivery date or the 'Isle of Islay' has been pushed back again due to problems with labour shortages at Yalova, particularly the availability of specialist commissioning sub-contractors. The ferry will not be finished until the end of June at the earliest when it was originally expected in October 2024. The delay has been caused by global issues outwith the yard's control. The problems with the delivery of the ferry from the Cemre yard was confirmed in a letter from CMAL to the net zero, energy and transport committee on Feb 28, 2025. While the yard builds the vessel and installs machinery, manufacturers need their own specialists to commission the systems to ensure warranties are secured. Snow and cold weather had also delayed the docking of the 'Isle of Islay' to check underwater parts and complete painting. The ferry was launched a year ago. The second ship, the 'Loch Indaal', was launched three months later and will not be completed until the end of the year at the earliest, when it was due for June.