Ferries fiasco ship Glen Sannox finally delivered by shipyard
The first of the two late and over-budget ferries at the centre of a long-running political saga has finally been handed over by Ferguson Marine shipyard.
MV Glen Sannox, which is destined for CalMac's Arran route, has been delivered to state-owned ferries agency CMAL after being given the green light by regulators earlier this week.
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Hide AdThe vessel and its sister ship the Glen Rosa were due to enter service in 2018 but have been beset by problems which have also quadrupled the £97 million initial cost.
Bosses confirmed the paperwork for Glen Sannox was signed on Wednesday night. More than six weeks of checks will be carried out before it carries its first passengers in January.


Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “This is an important milestone for Ferguson Marine as it delivers the first LNG dual-fuel ferry to be built in the UK.
“The Glen Sannox will provide resilience to the fleet delivering vital lifeline services to islanders and I am encouraged that the Scottish Government’s wider programme to procure six new ferries by 2026 has taken another major step forward.”
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Hide AdIn 2019, the Scottish Government rescued Ferguson Marine from administration, discovering issues with the design and build of the ships which pushed their delivery dates back repeatedly.
It ignited a political firestorm which sparked two parliamentary inquiries and one of the longest running scandals since devolution.
The delivery comes seven years to the day since then first minister Nicola Sturgeon visited the yard to launch the Glen Sannox – which was far from finished at the time and had had its windows painted on.
It is the first vessel in the UK to have a dual-fuel propulsion system which can use both conventional marine gas oil (MGO) - similar to diesel - or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
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Hide AdJohn Petticrew, interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine, said it was “a day to look forward”, adding: “Glen Sannox is a fine vessel, well capable of providing decades of service for islanders and visitors.
“However, there is no doubt it’s been a long haul getting to this point, and we sympathise with ferry users who have waited so long to see this day.
“Looking to the future, our ability to adapt, learn from, and successfully overcome considerable challenges demonstrates the resilience and skills of our workforce, and will provide huge value as we tender for future contracts.”
Kevin Hobbs, chief executive officer at CMAL, said: "I’m sure many people will join us in celebrating this milestone today. It has been a long time coming, but we have now taken ownership of the MV Glen Sannox, and are just weeks away from her entering service.
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Hide Ad“This is the first of six major vessels being replaced in our fleet, with the other five well underway. We are working hard to rejuvenate the Scottish ferry fleet and infrastructure, on behalf of communities across Scotland."
Duncan Mackison, CalMac's interim CEO, said: "MV Glen Sannox is a welcome addition to the CalMac fleet. Her arrival will benefit communities across the whole west coast ferry network, as new tonnage gives us more flexibility in how we deploy vessels.
“Our crew are excited to sail her and will now get to work to complete operational trials and familiarisation work in the next few weeks before she enters service for Arran."
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