Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Foreword Professor Alfred Baird xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xv
List of Abbreviations xvii
Introduction xix
Chapter 1 The Scene 1
The Regulator System 5
The Operators 7
The Subsidy Mountain 11
Chapter 2 Evolution 15
Muscle and Wind 15
Steam 19
Internal Combustion 22
The Second World War and Its Aftermath 27
New Ideas 32
Roll-on/Roll-off 42
Chapter 3 The High Cost of the Public Sector 62
Ship Shapes 62
Fuming Ferries 69
Crewing Excesses 75
Short Crossing Theory 78
Fair Fares 80
Ferry Mafia 82
High Hopes Dashed 89
The Ferries Plan 92
Chapter 4 Some Lessons from Around the World 97
The Norse Way 98
Beautiful British Columbia 106
Antipodean Catamarans 113
Chapter 5 A Better Future 123
Some Key Principles 123
Shortest Feasible Crossings 125
Efficient Vessel Procurement 126
Cost-Effective Operation 128
A Better Tendering System 129
Route Alternatives 131
A Way Forward 153
Appendices
Appendix 1 Ferry Crossings and Traffic 2010 155
Appendix 2 Fleet Lists 2013 161
Appendix 3 Caledonian MacBrayne Losses by Route 2006 168
Appendix 4 Subsidy Estimates Per Head of Population for Selected Islands 170
Appendix 5 Fixed Links 171
Bibliography 173
Index 179
