ISLANDERS are claiming that the unreliability of a lifeline ferry has reached crisis point due to the escalating number of cancelled sailings.

Locals on Mull say they are being left high and dry as CalMac's Oban to Craignure ferry is failing to sail when weather conditions do not warrant cancellations.

Neal Goldsmith, chairman of the Mull and Iona Ferry Users Committee, said: "The users who rely on the ferry as a lifeline service are constantly inconvenienced and have to play ferry-roulette every time a winter trip is planned."

Mr Goldsmith has now written to Martin Dorchester, managing director of CalMac, on behalf of the community, seeking an urgent explanation for the "collapse of service reliability".

Although the number of cancellations increased from 1999 to 2010, the average number of cancelled sailings on the route was 16.7 a year.

But Mr Goldsmith said in the winter of 2013/2014 there were 62 cancellations and in 2014/2015 there were 160 cancellations due to bad weather.

"This is a tenfold increase in the cancellation rate," he said. "As a proportion of total sailings during winter, cancellations have gone from around one per cent to 10.8 per cent."

He said that November and December had seen cancellations "far above" what would be expected for the weather conditions.

He said: "Not only has the number of cancellations reached crisis proportions, but the manner in which the company communicates service status to passengers has compounded the problem. It seems the service status is placed on amber when weather conditions are far from extreme."

He said experienced boat operators were amazed at the moderate weather conditions that result in cancellations, which are affecting the island's economy. One group of foot passengers recently hired a private boat after being stranded in Oban when the Mull ferry failed to sail.

Boat operator Cameron Smith, of Coastal Connection, who did the trip, said: "We went and there wasn't much wind, there was a bit of wind, but nothing exciting."

Mr Goldsmitih added: "The poor reliability of the service we are currently being provided with on the Oban to Craignure route is now at crisis levels. Any moderate breeze seems to result in cancellation."

Responding to Mr Goldsmith, Mr Dorchester said weather patterns were scientifically proven to be changing for the worse and pointed out that there had been eight notable storms since mid November.

He added: "It is a source of some surprise and frustration that our critics do not make the connection between TV coverage of extreme

weather conditions which are now a standard feature of winter news bulletins and the conditions in their local area which are preventing a

ferry from sailing.

"Mull is by no means unique is having to deal with these changes. In addition to an increase in the severity of weather, it has been noted that

the wind direction is also changing, bringing significant challenges to ports and harbours that were simply not designed to cope with these

conditions."

CalMac's contract to run the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services comes to an end in September and a tendering process began last year. It is expected that the contract will be awarded in May.

Mr Dorchester added: "We share everyone’s frustration that we are unable to provide services at these times but you will appreciate, I am sure,

that the safety of our passengers, crews and ships must be everyone’s number one priority and our highly skilled and qualified Masters are

entrusted with making the decisions on whether to sail or not.

"Our Masters are highly trained professionals with many years behind them, as are the majority of CalMac crews. They have mine and the

company's full support for any decision they take and they also have the backing of the law which prevents me or anyone else at CalMac

from forcing them to sail against their professional judgement.

"We take our responsibility to operate lifeline ferry services very seriously indeed and the decision to cancel in times of extreme weather is

never taken lightly."