New CalMac ferry makes maiden voyage one day earlier than scheduled

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The long-awaited ferry Glen Sannox has formally entered service with CalMac, after completing its first voyage with passengers a day earlier than scheduled.

The crew officially welcomed passengers on board as the vessel began its service to the island of Arran at around 7am on Monday.Originally due for delivery in 2018, the ferry and sister ship Glen Rosa have endured a saga of costly delays and technical problems at shipyard Ferguson Marine.But after completing the first voyage on Sunday, CalMac said it has 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.There are also questions around 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.The Glen Sannox's first voyages are nevertheless an important milestone in the procurement of the two ferries.The cost of the two vessels is expected to be more than triple the original price tag of £97 million.Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.We also treat our