CMAL’s new ship MV Finlaggan, intended for Calmac’s Kennacraig-Islay routes, was formally handed over to CMAL by the Remontowa shipyard at Gdansk last Wednesday,11th May 2011.
She is now expected to leave Gdansk sometime after noon on today (18th May 2011). The Pilot is booked for ’2011-05-18 pm’”, from berth SP CN100 (wherever that may be), to guide her to sea.
Between the handover and her planned departure today, she has been undergoing crew familiarisation routines and has been having some minor changes made to the power management system and software, before sailing to Scotland.
Guy Platten, Chief Executive of CMAL says: ‘We are delighted to see this project reach fruition on time and on budget, which has been down to excellent teamwork between CMAL as the owners and project managers, CFL as operator and the shipyard in Gdansk.’
The ship has three passenger decks, an observation lounge, reclining seats and quiet lounge, restaurant, shop and children’s play area. Then there are two decks of external panoramic seating and two disabled lifts accessing all decks, including the outside upper deck.
Finlaggan will sail between Kennacraig on West Loch Tarbert, the main mainland port for Islay – and Port Askaig on the north east coast of the island until infrastructural revisions are completed at Port Ellen on the south west coast.
She is to have a celebratory naming ceremony on 25th May, sailing from Kennacraig into Port Askaig and then taking folk on a short sea cruise. For Argyll will be covering that event.
Hugh McFarlane
Very nice. And so far so good, but not as far as Jura, where the ferry position continues to deteriorate.
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Stephen: It’s a mystery to me why the Jura ferry service wasn’t absorbed into the Calmac network years ago, to ensure robust management with the right skills and back-up in the event of technical problems – and that’s no criticism of the crew of the council run ferry.
I suppose I’d have to say the same about the Corran – Ardgour ferry, but the ‘ferry position’ there is not, as far as I know, deteriorating. I don’t know whether this is anything to do with the fact that it’s the responsibilty of Highland Council rather than Argyll and Bute Council.
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Finlaggan has now left Gdansk (Thursday 19 May). AIS indicates her immediate destination as Oban, ETA 18:00 (UK time) on 22 May (Sunday).
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Andrew Macgregor from Colonsay also emailed in to say that Finlaggan had left Gdansk with an ETA for Oban of 18.00 on Sunday.
And Callum Satchel from Dunoon spotted her on AIS as she left Gdansk.
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