Isle-Of-Islay

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.