A FAILING CalMac ferry service which has racked up thousands of cancelled sailings will have gone nearly half-a-year without a boat by the time the vessel is finally repaired next month.

The national ferry operator's passenger-only craft MV Argyll Flyer — which is supposed to ply the Gourock-Dunoon route — has been without a working propeller since April 6.

She will not be repaired until September 20 at the earliest, according to the latest information released by CalMac, meaning that nearly 2,000 sailings will have been lost this year as a result.

Meanwhile, the company is having to plod on with an hourly one-vessel service operated by its MV Ali Cat boat while the Flyer, pictured, awaits repair at Dales Marine in Greenock.

A Telegraph investigation earlier this year revealed that both lightweight boats had suffered more than 11,000 cancelled sailings since replacing more robust car ferries on the route in June 2011.

CalMac announced that 'essential work' on the Argyll Flyer is now under way.

The company said: "Contractors are currently building and fitting a new propeller onto the vessel and 20 September is the earliest date she will return to service.

"Various charter options to cover until the Argyll Flyer is available are being explored but the Gourock-Dunoon service will continue to run with one vessel, the Ali Cat, until the Argyll Flyer is back.

"The vessel is currently in dry dock at Dales shipyard, where the new propeller is being built and fitted."

Ali Cat's operations are restricted under Maritime & Coastguard Agency rules which permit her to sail only in clear and calm conditions and in a sea state which causes only moderate rolling and/or pitching.

The loss of the Argyll Flyer will have resulted a further 1,859 cancelled sailings by September 20.

CalMac says that the Gourock-Dunoon service 'traditionally only hits about an absolute maximum of 13 per cent capacity each month and sometimes as low as just seven per cent'.

The company added: "During Covid this has been even smaller as many people are not travelling for work.

"We have been seeing a maximum of just six per cent of capacity and as low as one per cent.

"We have not short-shipped any passengers due to the one vessel service being in place.

"The main disruption is not that people cannot travel as proven by the figures but that the travel is hourly as opposed to half hourly."

CalMac managing director Robbie Drummond said: "We apologise for any disruption that the temporary loss of the Argyll Flyer is causing to passengers."