Cheeky Girl
Member
Just heard on Radio that the deal to rent the fastcat has fallen throough 
Summer Sailing on the West Coast
- Thread starter ctva
- Start date
penfold
Well-known member
I suspect CalMac were never in control of the spec and it's pretty obvious the competition was rigged when the most expensive option from the most expensive and least experienced bidder wins.
That's a very benign way of looking at it; they've failed to recruit enough so the 5 year late delivery slips a further 4 months. There's nothing about this situation which isn't stupid, wasteful and embarrassing.
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
There are lots of ways at looking at it. However, so called experts on ship supply and building have made an utter mess of it. If a government believes that experts can deliver, then why would it not award the contract. The loss of the yard, supporting activities and opportunities, by not awarding the contract, I understand was included in the CB calculations.
If it is obvious that it was rigged, then make your case to the police so that the relevant parties can be held to account. I am not trying to argue that SNP are ship building g experts, just that there are protocols for spending tax payers money that are audited. I am sure if it was obvious, the opposition would be having a field day. I agree it is a mess.
penfold
Well-known member
Testimony from CalMac executives to more than one parliamentary committee of enquiry explicitly stated that Fergusons were the most expensive bidder. That they had no experience building a dual-LNG/MGO-powered craft is a matter of public record and the yard hadn't built a vessel of similar size and complexity since the Hebrides 20 years and two changes of management ago.
SaltIre
Well-known member
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
You claimed it was rigged, rigging suggests illegal activity, or uncompetitive practices. Loss of the yard was factored into the costs, which can be a part of bid evaluation for public spending.
penfold
Well-known member
It's perfectly feasible to rig a contest to get a desired outcome, it's all about setting the criteria and weighting; it's feasible to do it accidentally if those setting the criteria are inexperienced. The biggest boatyard near to me has gone into liquidation twice since 2007, it was easily the biggest local employer yet the government shifted themselves not one iota to help. If Scotland is to have an interventionist industrial policy it must be written down and applied consistently, not subject to the whim of ministers.
The estimated costs for the two hulls are past a quarter of a billion pounds, maybe beyond 300m by the time they're delivered; Seaforth was built in a high-cost economy like ours for £42m, delivered in 2014. The difference is enough to have given each of the workers at Fergusons in 2015 £1m to go away and find new work and still be millions cheaper than the current debacle. More prosaically if keeping Fergusons going was a political objective then man of the CalMac small ferries are in need of replacement due to age, building a dozen of those would have been well within their abilities.
The estimated costs for the two hulls are past a quarter of a billion pounds, maybe beyond 300m by the time they're delivered; Seaforth was built in a high-cost economy like ours for £42m, delivered in 2014. The difference is enough to have given each of the workers at Fergusons in 2015 £1m to go away and find new work and still be millions cheaper than the current debacle. More prosaically if keeping Fergusons going was a political objective then man of the CalMac small ferries are in need of replacement due to age, building a dozen of those would have been well within their abilities.
SaltIre
Well-known member
Does anybody have any sailing piccies they could post to get this thread back on track?
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
Loch Scavaig, one evening. It's amazing what you can do with an iPhone and a monocular compass.
SaltIre
Well-known member
Was it dear?Loch Scavaig, one evening. It's amazing what you can do with an iPhone and a monocular compass.
boomerangben
Well-known member
Off Jura on Saturday. Normal weather service resumed (apart from lack of wind). If I didn’t live in the Outer Hebrides I would have been disappointed but my “good weather” threshold has been washed and blown away ?
penfold
Well-known member
Dufflecoat conditions remain stable on the inner firth, two toggles are undone.
Herald; Pentland Ferries withdraw from charter discussions
That would seem true; rather disappointing, but hopefully for the islanders' sake it will be revisited.Just heard on Radio that the deal to rent the fastcat has fallen throough
Herald; Pentland Ferries withdraw from charter discussions
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
It seems that the RMT blew the whistle on some unapproved mods and the MCA agreed, removing the ship's passenger certificate until things are sorted. Now PF have withdrawn from charter negotiations ... in a huff?
SaltIre
Well-known member
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ctva
Well-known member
Happy to oblige as we were out of civilisation yesterday at Eilean Thinngarstaigh, Terrible spot after leaving Tarbert…
Apart from the bad weather and views, there were three sea otters playing about in the evening and again in the morning fishing. Not bad from an iPhone at 2230 with not much light!
As you and I have swapped location, here is a local from sunny Stornaway just now…
boomerangben
Well-known member
Looks like you got the polite one. One of them demands feeding by splashing water at you.
penfold
Well-known member
The RMT whined about a mod that's existed for a while and was passed along with the rest of the vessel during the MCA re-cert survey in March, so it's not a significant safety hazard; they have it in for Banks as he doesn't have a lot of time for them and presumably the MCA surveyor sent to have a look was different from the one who did the job in March, it's not unusual for different surveyors to interpret rules slightly differently. From the description it could be made compliant in a day. I don't know what to make of the withdrawal from the charter discussion. CalMac are the party with a tonnage crisis, not Pentland Ferries.
westhinder
Well-known member
Won’t be allowed this year, hoping for the next.
ctva
Well-known member
We’ll save some nice weather and anchorages for you. ?
ctva
Well-known member
Stornoway looking unusually sunny (wasn’t like this yesterday when we arrived). Town is a bit shabby but we really like the place, well worth a visit. Cycled out to the eye peninsula today. Strong head wind but fast run back. Off to the west coast tomorrow, probably Loch Torridon so look out for the forum burgee and come on board for a drink if you are in the area.
