It is imperative that Caledonian MacBryane avoids a situation where the Isle of Cumbrae is cut off for days.

That is the clear message from Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson who relayed the concerns of islanders to the ferry service in relation to the severe disruption earlier this month.

There was dismay from islanders that advanced cancellations were coming into place, when previously sailings during bad weather were judged on a ferry by ferry basis, and the matter was compounded when the MV Loch Shira was out of service for over 24 hours due to a technical fault.

A proposal to set up a new ferry users group to allow direct communication between Cal Mac and ferry users has been welcomed by Cal Mac.

The company state that their foremost priority is to ensure the safety of all of passengers and crews, and to protect vessels and ports infrastructure from potential harm.

In response to Mr Gibson’s concerns, Area Operations Manager for Cal Mac, Simon Richmond said: “Every decision on whether or not to cancel the service to or from Cumbrae or indeed any service is based on this safety principle. If the risks involved in sailing are deemed unacceptable by the vessel’s master then he will not sail; indeed he has a legal responsibility not to do so in these circumstances.

“The Loch Shira is more than capable of operating in all but the severest of sea states experienced off Largs, she is designed specifically for this route.” However, Mr Richmond pointed out that high winds have a detrimental effect due to the relatively exposed slips at Cumbrae, and in particular Largs, where wave and swell can prevent safe operations and overnight berthing.

Mr Richmond added: “The decision to berth the Loch Shira at Greenock in the event of bad weather is taken purely on safety grounds and is a decision taken by the ship’s master. With regard to the technical breakdown experienced by the vessel on January 11, once the fault was identified (which potentially, could have led to the loss of an engine) the ship’s master had no choice but to return to Greenock for repairs.” Failure to do so would have been in breach of safety legislation as would taking on a crossing to Cumbrae before heading for Greenock, it was also pointed out.

The option of bringing the MV Loch Riddon into service was discounted as the Loch Shira would have been able to resume before the Loch Riddon could have been prepared.

Mr Richmond continued: “We try to give our customers maximum notice of any cancellation to enable them to make alternative arrangements where possible. Improvements in forecasting have enabled us to do this with much greater accuracy than previously possible.

“However, forecasting is not an exact science and on occasion weather has cleared suitably for a service to resume where possibly the vessel has been berthed at Greenock and is out of position and unable to quickly resume the service. We realise this is an issue. It is of course possible that anecdotally things may feel worse because of the severe weather we have been experiencing over the past few weeks which has impacted our sailing up and down the west coast. However, this is not backed up by the route’s reliability statistics.

“I would be happy to channel discussions through a Ferry User Group. I would suggest however that it might be appropriate, similar to Arran, if there are one or two ‘independent’ travellers in the group representing the regular commuters.” Speaking to the ‘News’, Mr Gibson said: “Clearly CalMac needs to review its contingency plans for Cumbrae. Clearly we must try to avoid a situation in which the island could be cut off for days at a time and if it is, there needs to be a way of ensuring medical and other essential support can be provided.

“I am pleased CalMac are willing to meet with islanders and me to discuss such matters.”