The Kintyre Forum

I've recently returned from holiday and I was pleased to read on the forum that four companies have been invited to tender for the Irish ferry contract. I was also surprised at how little response there has been to this on the forum, perhaps the names of the companies do not inspire confidence.
On making a cursory Google check on the four I found that only the Isle of Man Steam Packet actually operates large ferries and until recently were a subsidiary of Sea Containers Ltd, remember them! Western Ferries of course provide an excellent service on the Clyde on their Dunoon - Gourock service but their boats could hardly run the waters past the Mull. From what I could gather Serco - Denholm operate tugs at the naval dockyard at Devonport and until recently operated the small Islay - Jura ferry and Harrison's (Clyde) appear to be a ship management company based in Glasgow and have no vessels of their own.
Does LO or anyone at DBAG have any further info on the prospects or ambitions of these companies?
Surely the spectre of the Claymore (in its case RO/RO meant reverse on, reverse off) is not steaming over the horizon!

oorly

Hi,

All four companies are more than capable of operating this service. They would not have been invited to the full tender if the government hadn't been happy with each of their rigorous PQQ submissions.

With regard to size of ferry, Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd., will NOT be using any of their Upper Clyde tonnage on the route as they are a totally different class of ship. The MCA will require a Class IIa ship for Campbeltown-Ballycastle. To give you an example, the mv Claymore is a Class IIa as are the mv Isle of Arran and the mv Hebridean Isles. It is also worth remembering that Western Ferries (Argyll) Ltd., were the original innovators for the Campbeltown-Red Bay car ferry some thirty years ago with the mv Sound of Islay, so Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd., are more than able to run the service.

Both Serco-Denholm and Harrison's (Clyde) Ltd., are big shipping companies, and it is irrelevant to make the point whether shipping companies own ships. The majority of ships are owned by seperate entities to the managing company. It is a bit like leased cars. A very tax efficient way of operating a large asset.

As for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, this was sold via an MBO a short while ago, and the management there are, and basically were an independently minded operation with a very long and proud history. So in fairness they should be given a reasonable crack of the whip on this and not tarred with the problems that beset the Sea Containers operation.

What has raised a few eyebrows is the absense of Pentland Ferries Ltd., from the short list. They currently own the mv Claymore and are more than capable of running the service, and before our Oorlay makes any further disparaging comments about the Claymore, please be a little more thoughtful, for you may have to go cap-in-hand and ask nicely of the Claymore owners, because getting hold of a Class IIa ship ain't like buying a Ford Mondeo. There are very few ships able to run our Campbeltown-Ballycastle route. If one of the four companies that eventually gets the tender cannot source a suitable ship, then the whole thing is off.

Hope the above information helps.

Very best regards,

Russ.

Hi Oorly,

Thanks for the post, Can I start by putting the tendering process into a bit of historical perspective.

Since last ferry sailed between Campbeltown and Ballycastle many people have been involved in a large number of different ways in looking to reinstating the route. It’s a credit to Kintyre that people saw the opportunity and refused to sit back and accept that it should not be revisited.

In terms of tendering ferry services the failed tender of 2002 had many shortcomings which have been identified in consultation with various ferry companies, and communities on both sides of the route and Scottish & Northern Ireland Executive these have been, where feasible, been adapted for the new tendering process.

As a result, this time, 4 companies have emerged from the pre qualification questions part of the tendering process to be invited to tender, we know that there were several others who did not reach this stage.

While I am no expert in the ferry industry, I don't feel uncomfortable with the companies I see in the list. Indeed I would feel a deal more uncomfortable if only one or two big name ferry operators appeared.

All these companies have the skills and the infrastructure to operate a ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle. Sourcing suitable boats and operating the service is the easy bit, attracting people to use the service will be the challenge and this is where we, as a community, have a part to play.

The last time the service ran, I think we were all a bit hesitant in grasping the opportunities it offered, happy to watch the boat come in and disappointed that not many visitors came off or stayed around. This time it is really up to us to use the service to help ourselves, and be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities offered.

While I would not want to single out any company before the tendering process is complete, I would urge caution in criticising, Isle of Mann Steam Packet who previously operated the route as you rightly say they were part of Sea Containers, which they are no longer. The circumstances with this new service are chalk and cheese compared to the last service.

My feeling is that the ideal ferry company to operate this route would be a small to medium size company with a modest presence shipping, looking to expand and grow new business preparing itself for the Calmac tendering process. I think all of these companies are in that league.

Three very interesting and informative postings.

I know nothing about it but I do hope things are moving behind the scenes, seems to me time is getting very short for getting the service up and running for next summer. ...is it too late already to get the route included in brochures and leaflets etc etc?
Maybe a big "splash" advertising campaign after New Year would do the trick.

Of course all us locals should use the service but for it to be a rip roaring success we need more than that......even if folk do sail from Ireland to here and then head off up country that would be a start. Then it would be up to us to get them to stay in Kintyre........a challenge but there is plenty to keep them.........sure yi know.

Hi 4th Gen,

It is true that if we wanted to get the route on the holiday map for next year then we would have needed to know who the operator was and what the schedule and prices were by now at least.

Operators will no doubt take this into account when making there submissions to the Scottish Executive, Starting a full summer service in April 06 with little in the way of marketing done will mean the successful company, visit Scotland, Irish Tourist board, and the councils on both sides having to make a significant effort to promote the route in a fairly short space of time if the route is to run profitably in its first summer. This will mean spending money, and while the everyone is keen to see the service run as soon as possible next year, will they be prepared to financially support a high profile marketing campaign to ensure this happens?

The service is an 11-month service with a summer and winter schedule, one sailing a day minimum in the summer, one sailing a week minimum in the winter.

The Tender document does not specify a start date, but allows the operator to choose, the tender document even allows for a 2007 start.

Each bidding company will suggest a timescale to suit there own circumstances, it will be up to the executive to choose the successful bidder based on this and a host of other criteria.

My concern would be that the actual start date of the service is probably not the most important criteria on the list, the vessel suitability, the potential for other routes, the experience of the company, the commitment shown to working with the business communities on both sides, the tariff, the schedule these for me are much more important than when the service starts.

Many thanks to Enough and John S, the tender process and invitees makes much more sense to me.
I did not intend to disparage the mv Claymore, a fine vessel that I often travelled to Islay on on days when others were storm bound in port, but I always thought from day one of the inception of the ferry service that she was the wrong boat. Why invest millions in linkspans to take Ro/Ro vessels then use a boat that has to reverse into the link? How many wee wifies almost had heart failure when they had to manoeuvre their vehicles around the deck? I would have thought that a vessel similar to the Isle of Arran would have been a much better option.
I am confident that, with the previous failure, both the Executives will get it right this time.

4th Gen. I doubt if there will be any advance advertising following the STB's major gaffe three years ago when they had a full page advert in the tourist guide for a non-existant service to Ballycastle.

oorly