Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Agreement has been reached with the Remontowa yard in Gdansk, Poland to build an 89.90m long vehicle/passenger ferry. Delivery of the new ferry is expected in Spring 2011.
The overall cost of procuring the vessel and bringing her into service will be £24.5 million and is being financed by a loan from the Scottish Government. All interest and capital repayments will be met by CMAL.
CMAL’s Managing Director, Guy Platten said:
“The Remontowa tender was one of 4 received and represented extremely good value in a very challenging shipbuilding market. The delivery of the vessel in spring 2011 reflects the huge demand for new shipping worldwide and the scarcity of vital components including engines. CMAL and CFL have been working very closely together on this project and are convinced that the ship will be cost-effective, provide value for money, and will meet all of our technical requirements. This new vessel demonstrates the commitment to continue to modernise and improve CMAL’s assets and to maintain reliable and affordable lifeline links to island communities. Once delivered it will provide the operator with the resources needed on the routes from Kennacraig to Islay to offer a first-class service.”
Welcoming the news the contract has been signed, the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP said,
“We are absolutely committed to delivering first class ferry services for our remote and island communities. That is why we recently announced a study into a road equivalent tariff, and that is why we are today giving a firm commitment to a new vessel for Islay. This service is a lifeline for the community on Islay. Once delivered, the new vessel will provide much needed additional capacity, as well as bringing service improvements to local residents, businesses and tourists. Our commitment to ferry improvements does not stop there. We want to deliver a fairer deal for ferry passengers across Scotland."
The new vessel will be a modern Ro-Ro Euro Class B passenger vessel designed to carry 550 passengers, up to 88 cars, as well as coaches and commercial vehicles. The ship will also be capable of carrying dangerous goods.
Passengers will be accommodated on two well-appointed decks, with access gained at the lower of the two from an enclosed passenger gangway. There will be two lifts, one on each side of the ship, to all decks. The ship will also be built in line with DPTAC guidance on facilities for customers with mobility impairments.
