The scandal-hit Glen Sannox ferry is due to return to service today after engineers welded a crack that had been discovered in the new ship’s hull.
The damage had seen the vessel tied up in Brodick Harbour in Arran on Friday – just weeks after its first sailing.
Ferry operator CalMac last night said it should return to service today after the repairs were completed last night.
However, the Glen Sannox’s first sailing of the day to Troon in Ayrshire has been cancelled to allow the ship to undergo a final test. If all goes well, it shall set sail with passengers at 2.50pm.
While news that the ferry should be operational again will be a relief for islanders, critics have hit out at the fact such a new ship suffered such an issue at all.
Tory MSP Jamie Greene said: ‘This latest fault has marked yet another unforgivable chapter in this shambolic ferry fiasco.
‘While it’s welcome that services are to resume, passengers will wonder why problems arose just weeks after it began sailings after a seven-year delay.
‘Long-suffering islanders deserve better and will rightly be appalled by this latest failure which left passengers stranded.
‘It is an absolute disgrace that not a single SNP minister has been held to account for their part in this national scandal which continues to unravel.
‘Urgent clarity must be given on why a crack in the ship’s hull occurred in the first place and assurances must be given that its sister ship the Glen Rosa will not suffer a similar fate.’
The Glen Sannox, which was delivered almost seven years late and at more than four times the original cost, only began operating in January.
But on Friday it emerged a crack had been spotted on a ‘weld seam’ close to the waterline, forcing CalMac to cancel sailings while specialist divers assessed the issue yesterday.
The ferry was tied up at Brodick as engineers carried out repairs to the hull. To provide cover, the MV Alfred was brought in to offer a return sailing which CalMac said had allowed ‘the vast majority’ of customers originally booked on the Glen Sannox to travel.
Last night, a CalMac spokesman confirmed a dive inspection had ‘identified a hairline crack on a weld seam on the hull’ which had resulted in repairs being carried out.
They added: ‘A preliminary test indicates the welding has been successful but a second test will be carried out in the morning when the welded area has completely cooled.
‘If this test is successful, MV Glen Sannox will resume service at 2.50pm from Brodick.
‘This means the first morning return sailing is cancelled, but all booked customers can be accommodated on other sailings with space available.
‘The MV Alfred was due to operate from Brodick at 12.40, but this will be brought forward to 11.20.’
Yesterday, angry passengers vented their fury at the latest issue to plague the ferry.
One couple told BBC Scotland: ‘We had to stay in a hotel overnight because we couldn’t come back.
‘We were booked to come over on Friday so we had to stay in a hotel.’ Another man described the situation as ‘a disaster’.
The development marks the latest chapter in the sorry saga surrounding the beleaguered vessel and its sister ship, the Glen Rosa.
Controversy has surrounded the vessels since the £97million contact for the two boats was signed with Ferguson Marine in 2015.
The shipyard was nationalised by the SNP government in 2019.
Both ferries were scheduled to have been in service by then, but the delays only mounted while the costs spiralled to £400million.
The Glen Rosa is still not operational while the Glen Sannox only began sailing between Troon and Brodick on January 13.
However, last month it was back out of service for snagging repairs. A Transport Scotland spokesman said it was waiting on updates from CalMac and understand the operator was ‘working as quickly as possible to restore full services’.
The latest twist in the ferry farce comes just days after Ferguson Marine’s boss quit his role. John Petticrew, who was the interim chief executive at the Port Glasgow yard, is said to have resigned for ‘personal reasons’ and will now return home to Canada.