Age not the only factor in ferry function

Professor Alf Baird (Platform, 3 August) confuses some issues.

Recent Hebridean ferry service difficulties were not caused by CalMac's "ageing fleet", or somehow by "tendering" but by a very serious breakdown, and a second less serious malfunction, involving the Clansman (built as recently as 1998).

Other, much older, fleet units and their crews were deployed on revised schedules, and performed admirably in the circumstances.

Prof Baird links CalMac with the previous (2007) tendering process, as if it were the villain of the piece. In fact, CalMac Ferries is in many respects the unfortunate victim of an extremely time-consuming, expensive and ultimately self-defeating exercise.

As costs, companies and consultations multiply, and the fleet ages still further, no long-term overall replacement strategy for the CalMac fleet has yet emerged.

Prof Baird favours private operators. They may be able to maintain relatively short crossings, but are unlikely to meet the needs of the longer crossings.

Private companies in the Hebrides prior to 1950 (principally McCallum, Orme and Company Limited) depended on wealthy and benevolent shareholders, who believed that a "lifeline" service was more important than a profit.

In effect, they provided a huge long-term "subsidy", eventually taken up by government.

Private companies are often niche operators, benefiting from the irk factor created by the larger company.

If they were given the entire ferry network to themselves, with its immense range of accountabilities, what would happen? Interestingly, two members of CalMac's "ageing fleet" were utilised until recently by Pentland Ferries. The Claymore (1978) and the Iona (1970, later Pentalina-B) continue in service elsewhere, the former as a state-of-the-art oil pipe-laying vessel.

Capacity and capability to meet demand are apparently more important than age when maintaining services.

That too is what the Clansman's troubles teach us.

DONALD E MEEK

Cricket Place

Falkirk