Ferguson Marine sheds light on Glen Sannox 'blackout'

The Tele exclusively revealed last week that tugs had been called to assist after the vessel encountered technical problems near Loch Fyne on October 2.

The ferry limped back to its berth at Inchgreen where the incident could be fully investigated.

Nearly a week later, owner's trials resumed on Tuesday ahead of the scheduled handover of the ship from Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) to CMAL later this month.

The Glen Sannox's sea trials resumed on Tuesday, nearly a week after a 'blackout' caused an emergency shutdown. (Image: George Munro) As this article was published the sea trials were continuing in roughly the same area where the 'blackout' happened.

FMPL bosses say that while there was no damage caused in the incident, and the safety systems worked as planned, it highlighted an issue with the vessel's fire detection system.

A company spokesperson said:  “The safety systems onboard Glen Sannox are stringent.

"The immediate response of the fire detection system was to shut down the ventilation system and close dampers in the ventilation lines.

READ MORE: Glen Sannox sea trials suspended after 'blackout' incident

"However, the engines were not getting the required air and this led to a pressure differential which forced an emergency shut down. The safety system worked as it should have.

"There was no damage and power was restored following all safety protocols. It did, however, highlight an issue with the logic of the fire detection. which has now been resolved and approved.”

In a letter to the Scottish Parliament's net zero, energy and transport committee following the incident, the yard's interim boss, John Petticrew, also revealed that one of the ship's anchors had failed 'acceptance tests' on September 30, and that Ferguson Marine were in discussions with subcontractors to try and resolve the issue, though it was decided at that point that the trials should continue.

An update on the delivery of the vessel to CMAL is expected later this week.