A Scottish-owned passenger vessel that has been criticised for numerous delays and technical issues will require new propellers to ensure its continued safe operation, a local shipyard executive said recently.
The planned purchase of replacement propellers for the Ro-Pax ferry Glen Sannox was proposed by Graeme Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of Ferguson Marine, which built the vessel and its sister ship Glen Rosa.
Both ferries were originally scheduled for delivery to government-owned operator CalMAc in 2018. However, Glen Sannox was handed over only in late 2024 while Glen Rosa is expected to be "substantially complete" by April 2026, Ferguson Marine said last year.
Speaking to the Scottish Parliament last week, Thomson said that new propellers are necessary to ensure that the technical problems that had resulted in Glen Sannox's hull suffering a hairline crack near the waterline would not manifest.
Thomson assured MSPs that the ferry's hull has been reinforced with additional steel. However, the Ferguson Marine CEO remarked that new propellers would adequately address the root cause of the cracking.
The repairs have been estimated to cost £3.2 million (US$4.2 million), Thomson added.
Glen Sannox was pulled from service twice since entering operations in January 2025. CalMac said that, in March of that year, a crack had caused a "very small amount of water" to enter the vessel's stern near its steering gear, thus necessitating that it be stood down to permit repairs.
The following October, a crack was discovered in the same area near the waterline where the earlier crack was found, and the ferry was again removed from service. Local newspaper The Herald reported that the cracks had been caused by excessive vibration issues with the vessel's propulsion system.