CalMac have told us that the inflatable emergency evacuation slides fitted to the Isle of Mull have failed annual inspection. The manufacturer has deemed that “an issue with the glue” (almost certainly degradation as a result of age) has rendered the slides unusable and un-repairable.
CalMac have not been able to find like-for-like replacements for these obsolete units anywhere in the World (known as a Marine Evacuation System, or MES). The only solution is to have new system fitted. This will require structural changes to the ship and “could take several months to complete”.
In the meantime the ship has to rely only on its lifeboats, and consequently the maximum number of passengers she can carry is between 45 and 47.
The ship has just left dry-dock in Aberdeen, and we have a brief period of two vessel service with her and Frisa due from December 31st to January 4th. There is not yet detailed information on the CalMac website regarding this issue, but there should be soon. If you have been contacted to have your booking changed or cancelled during this period, it is most likely due to the passenger limit. You may find that if you take a Loch Frisa sailing instead, you may be able to travel.
During this period of disruption, it is likely that space kept back for the deck space reservation pilot will either be unavailable or used to accommodate displaced passengers.
In March, we are due to have several weeks of IOM-only service whilst the Loch Frisa is having her own annual service. It is almost certain that the issue will not be fixed by then. We have asked CalMac that if that is the case they need to work up contingencies urgently. Based on carrying figures from 2023, nearly 8,000 passenger journeys would be denied if the IOM still has a passenger limit of only 45 at that time. Alternatively she could be deployed to a route where such a low passenger limit is a better match. The most suitable would likely be the Oban-Lochboisdale service, which during March 2023 carried more than 45 people on only 4 of its 72 sailings. The Isle of Mull is due to be serving Lochboisdale and Castlebay between Jan 5th and March 7th, when average carryings are around 29 per sailing, so luckily there should be few passengers affected.
The subsequent concern is that the Isle of Mull may not be restored to full capacity (962 people) before the summer timetable starts and she is due to serve Mull full-time. Among several questions we have posed, we have asked what CalMac’s confidence levels are that this will be fixed by then. We’ll keep you posted as we learn anything more.