The damaged MV Hebrides plans to head off for dry dock when a westerly gales eases on Thursday.
Repairs following a crash in Lochmaddy harbour only be undertaken out of the water.
The vessel -
She damaged her starboard propeller shaft after chewing up heavy metal chains on pontoons on the way in.
The Hebrides is out of service and presently laid up at Lochmaddy. She is booked in for repairs at a yard in Greenock this weekend.
A "mechanical failure" meant she failed to slow down as she approached the berth on Sunday.
The ferry was already on reduced speed but apparently one engine did not respond when the controls were activated for less speed during the final approach to the pier.
Evasive action which avoided much more devastating damage seems to have been taken immediately.
Images from the scene show the ship's wheel was turned hard to port, hitting some pontoons but avoiding ploughing through the whole of Lochmaddy marina.Neither did the vessel ram fast aground in the narrow, shallow inlet straight ahead.
Instead, she steered towards deeper water with her starboard bottom coming to rest on the sloping shoreline of a small islet.
Her slowly swinging stern got entangled in anchor chains securing the outward pontoons resulting in the damage.
Complex manoeuvres were successfully implemented to free her without assistance and the ship berthed under her own power.
Damaged ferry heading off for repairs
28 September 2016
