Claim that passenger-only ferry would be 'a disaster'
27 July-
The AliCat passenger catamaran
The ferry debate rumbles on with an interesting piece in the Dunoon Observer which claims that replacing the Dunoon to Gourock ferry with a passenger-only service would be "a disaster in the winter".
The article argues that a passenger-only service, like the one provided by the AliCat, might lack a follow-on service leaving commuters stranded.
It points out that the AliCat's cancellation record is ten times that of the Jupiter - the AliCat cancelled 3.4 per cent of its scheduled sailings while the Jupiter cancelled only 0.3 per cent.
This is because smaller passenger craft lack the tonnage of the larger car ferries and can't travel in such heavy seas.
A statement from the Ferry Policy and Procurement department adds to the worry by saying that whatever the specification for the service, it should be capable of travelling in Category C waters - that means wave heights up to 1.2m. But the report says that Dunoon's new ferry route is Category D (waves up to 2m) in winter.
You can read the full report on the Dunoon Observer's website here.
What are your feelings over the ferry issue? Do you commute regularly and worry about being stranded in Gourock? Have your say on s1dunoon.
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