Rathlin Ferry Replacement Project

DRD PRESS RELEASE - JULY 7, 2014 

The Department is currently engaged in a project to replace the existing roll on roll off ferry, the MV Canna, and once the new vessel is in service it will further secure this vital service for the people living on Northern Ireland’s only inhabited off shore island.

The new ferry for use on the Ballycastle/Rathlin route is expected to be ready for operation in the later part of 2016.

DRD Leaflet - 5 June 2014

Proposed new Rathlin Harbour layout - Options C and D

The new berthing layout for Rathlin doesn't appear in the DRD leaflet but it did appear in the display in the ferry terminal beside Ballycastle harbour. I was a bit surprised to read that Option B with its 1.5m draft could use the present harbour as I'm told the MV Canna with its 1.4m draft has been known to scrape its way into the inner harbour, depending on the state of the tide.

DRD has provided the following clarification:

The estimated cruising speeds for all options is the same as the existing vessel to meet the existing timetable (approx 9 knots).

The current view is that Option B would require new berthing arrangements.  The intentions are that Options A,B & C would be designed to use the existing facilities in Ballycastle,  Option D may require alterations.

DRD also stated:

A new contract, which will start on 1st July 2014 has recently been awarded to Rathlin Island Ferry Ltd and will run for two years but with options to extend beyond this.  This contract was secured by way of an open procurement process facilitated by Central Procurement Directorate.

Is this not at odds with the OJEU documentation which refers not to an open procedure but to the following:

IV.1.1)

Type of procedure

Award of a contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (in the cases listed in Section 2 of Annex D1)

Justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU):

Directive 2004/18/EC

1) Justification for the choice of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice in the OJEU in accordance with Directive 2004/18/EC

2) Other justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the OJEU

The contract has as its object services listed in Annex II B to the Directive.

The OJEU documentation for the Torbay ferry contract, on the other hand, does refer to an open procedure.

Rathlin Island Ferry Limited and the Reticent Minister

RIFL director and Minister

Danny Kennedy, the Minister for Regional Development, has just announced [July 7] the extension of the Rathlin Ferry contract yet the award was made on May 16. Why has there been such a delay?

“I congratulate Rathlin Island Ferry Limited on their successful bid" .. Minister

Was the contract extension advertised? There was just one bid:

“The local company has provided an excellent service to Islanders and visitors for over six years" .. Minister

This locally registered company, however, had to be pressurised to admit its responsibility for failing to make proper provision for a death in service benefit:

10. On 11 June 2012 Stewarts Solicitors belatedly told my office that there was no scheme in place at the time of Mr McCurdy’s death.  They accepted that Rathlin Island Ferry Ltd were liable for four times Mr McCurdy’s FPS, being a total sum of £101,668.  
However, they said:
”I regret that my clients are unable to discharge this sum at this time and my instructions are to raise discussions with the deceased’s solicitors in an effort to agree terms of payment." [Ombudsman's report 1 August 2012]

The company also got into other financial difficulties so DRD varied its clawback agreement:

RIFL's abbreviated accounts for the year ending 31 March 2012 refer to a variation to the DRD-RIFL contract which reduced the DRD clawback and returned £91,682 to the RIFL accounts for 2010/11 and an unspecified amount for 2011/12 which enabled the company to make a profit of £34,123.

The new annual subsidy is £800,000 whereas the previous one was about £660,000. No details on clawback arrangements are provided.

If the belated Ministerial press release followed a query from a concerned taxpayer then perhaps my reference on Facebook to the absence of AIS data for the Rathlin Express was also noted:

Within a few days the AIS system was back in action:

I also noted that the previously disappointing speeds of 13-14 kts had significantly improved to around 20 kts:

I received the following reply from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency [MCA] HQ when I queried the use of AIS when fitted to modern vessels:

I can also confirm that the ferries are required to have AIS in operation.

Has the local MCA office not been monitoring such a requirement?

RIFL directors have recently been awarded a contract to provide a ferry service between Torquay and Brixham by Torbay Council using a vessel similar to the Rathlin Express. This award was made using the open OJEU procedure [cf Rathlin - 'negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice']

Added July 15

Old workhorse MV Canna transporting passengers and vehicles while the Rathlin Express catamaran is afflicted by mechanical break-down and the MV St Sorney doesn't appear to be doing relief duties. Did the higher speeds - around 20 kts in comparison to the earlier 13 kts - put too much stress on the catamaran's drive?

Bushmills & Great War Centenary Exhibition - July 1 for two weeks

Invite from Robert Thompson: "Hope to see you on Tuesday at the opening of the Bushmills and the Great War exhibition in Bushmills Community Centre. There are lots of items never before seen in the exhibition. Dundarave House have been very good with lots of things never seen before outside the immediate family. There are lots of medals and plaques and a few surprises that I cannot divulge at present. Everyone welcome on Tuesday, July 1, for the opening and for the following fortnight."

The Lennon-Wylie website contains links to a series of books written by Robert about those who didn't survive the war. These were published on a district basis and extend from Ballycastle in Co Antrim to Inishowen in Donegal.. He's recently published a book about those from Bushmills who served and survived.

Index part 1 :: Index part 2

Ballycastle Marina Safety Barrier - Red for Danger

There are two gates stopping small children running

 from the popular sand-pit onto the marina quay.

The keeper is missing ..

.. and the spring closure isn't working

I reported the problem to the harbour master's office and 

a piece of cord effected a temporary safety measure.

Two weeks later the cord has gone 

so I reported the problem a second time.

Added July 15

The gate was lying open today as no repairs had been carried out. On the basis that it's better to be safe than sorry, perhaps the responsible council official should get the problem resolved, even if only on a temporary basis.

Added July 21

Chain and padlock

Why did it take so long to effect this temporary safety measure?