Arguments over placing catamarans on Scottish ferry routes will finally be put to the test.
Interestingly, CalMac's charter of MV Alfred has not involved the Scottish government-owned ferries procurement agency CMAL.
Mr Hobbs says catamarans are not a common choice for ferry services with weather conditions similar to the west of Scotland. People I have spoken to in the ferry industry who are not firmly entrenched in either camp have told me the sensible option would be to charter a catamaran for a season and see how it performs.If MV Alfred struggles with the routes, CMAL will be vindicated - but if it performs well, CMAL's procurement strategy over the past 16 years faces further questions.
Some island representatives have also suggested that crews living on shore would be more family-friendly for mariners, and encourage younger families to settle in the islands. And then there is the RMT. The union does what unions are meant to do - it champions the rights of seafarers, advancing their working conditions and wages. Anything perceived as undermining those would be resisted.
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