Scottish ferry sails after costly delay

The new Pentland Firth ferry Pentalina set sail from the Philippines recently after considerable delays in her construction which has cost Pentland Ferries boss Andrew Banks some of his lucrative summer season trade. The multi-million-pound catamaran had been due to come into service on the Gills Bay/St Margaret’s Hope run in June, but it won’t now take over from the Claymore until next month.

The Cebu-based shipbuilder FBMA Marine was due to deliver the new ferry in the middle of April but the completion date was pushed back to the end of May, when the Pentalina was still not ready. When Banks returned to Cebu with a crew to bring the ferry home, they discovered the work wasn’t complete.

The shipyard has blamed the hold-ups on delays in the delivery of materials from suppliers. Banks said that, in light of the financial impact he had incurred through the ferry’s late delivery, he would be consulting solicitors about a possible claim against the shipbuilding firm. The Pentalina is not now expected to go into service until the latter half of August. She will be able to carry up to nine trucks, 32 cars and 250 passengers and clip 15 minutes off the current crossing time of one hour. The vessel has the latest in fuel-saving technology which will reduce emissions and operating costs.