A new Ro-Pax ferry recently delivered to Scottish operator Caledonian MacBrayne has finally sailed on its first ever operational voyage, nearly seven years after its originally scheduled service entry date.
Glen Sannox sailed out of Troon with a final destination of Arran on Scotland's west coast in the early morning (local time) of Monday, January 13. The ferry transported 32 vehicles and 104 passengers, some of whom were reporters, photographers and camera crew covering the event.
Following its delivery last November, the ferry was slated to begin operational sailings in the first week of January 2025. However, the maiden voyage needed to be postponed due to issues with the vessel's sewage system and some of its onboard electronics.
Glen Sannox belongs to a series of two dual-fuel ferries built by Scottish shipyard Ferguson Marine for CalMac for operation on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services on the west coast. The vessels' twin 3,000kW engines are configured to be capable of running on either low-sulphur MGO or LNG to deliver a service speed of 16.5 knots.
Glen Sannox's procurement and construction have been marred by issues such as cost overruns and the vessel's failure to satisfy design requirements, thus resulting in delays.
The ferry was originally scheduled to enter service with CalMac in 2018 but was only delivered in late 2024.