Fixing Scotland's ferries? Catamarans, smaller crews and shorter routes

His ferries have been chosen by countries all over the world with different sea and weather conditions.

They are used on European routes, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Far East, Asia and Australasia. A standard, medium-speed, 100-car-capacity catamaran ferry design would cost around £15 million.

There are many designs available many of which would be ideal for Scottish routes. They would be a fraction of the cost of the current ferries being built which are projected to cost £150 million each by the time they are finished.

READ MORE: Scottish ferries row misses real issue – vessels unsuited to the islands they serve

What expertise did UK civil servants at the Scottish Government have in the choice of ferry design? Why are the RMT determined to keep to the existing monohull designs which are heavier, costlier and more expensive to run? Why is CalMac ignoring the experience of hundreds of ferry operators across the world who have chosen the more flexible and cost efficient ferries offered by the Sea Transport Corporation?

It seems that Dr Ballantyne has offered to meet with the Scottish Government to discuss the ferry situation but his offer has been rejected. Why? £15 million for a proven ferry design as against an initial £50 million design (which has turned into a £150 million ferry design fraught with difficulties) makes me question the basic common sense, never mind business or economic sense of those involved in the planning.

Sandra Durning

Glasgow

THERE is another important point that Lesley Riddoch did not mention in her column and that is about routes. Studies have shown (Pedersen) that the quickest and most energy efficient ferry routes are those where the shortest route is chosen for the ferry, even if this requires a new road to the ferry. Sounds counterintuitive, but it is not.

Driving cars 10 miles further is far more energy efficient than sailing all these cars plus an entire ferry an extra 10 miles.

Longer routes are also take longer and that means that with the same vessel you can do fewer sailings, so you either need larger vessels or more vessels to do the same crossing.

The above is exactly the reason why Pentland Ferries in Orkney wanted the shortest possible route. It now sails from Gills Bay to St Margaret’s Hope but I understand that originally they wanted a much shorter route to Burwick, but Orkney Island Council objected to this (in the summer there is a foot passenger ferry only going from John o’ Groats to Burwick).

That route would have made the crossing a third shorter still, more energy efficient and cheaper for the passengers.

The Northlink Ferry goes from Scrabster to Stromness which is an absurdly long route.

Maarten de Vries

via thenational.scot

THE other player in this fiasco that hasn’t been mentioned is the RMT union. Reports I read of the Pentalina trials last summer to Arran and to Mull were that they were successful, albeit with a few modifications required.

However, the RMT realised much less crew are needed with these types of vessels and started to shout off about every minor health and safety issue they could think up. The Government ducked the issue of taking them on, so we continue to suffer the mess we are in today.

To the public it is just not believable that these ferries successfully operate across the Pentland Firth, one of the worst stretches of water in the world but are unsuitable for the Clyde or indeed for Mull. It hurts me to say it, but it is a mess of the Government’s own making with no end in sight.

John Macneill

via thenational.scot

HAVING used both the new and old Pentalinas on trips to Orkney, I can say that they provide an excellent customer experience. They are fast and cheap. The catering is basic but with such a fast crossing nothing more is required. I have not experienced them in a winter storm, so I cannot comment on that, but in average weather they do a fine job.

Martin Kirk

via thenational.scot