Boats trapped by jammed pontoons 14/9/14
Some twenty or so boats risked sinking when they were trapped by jammed pontoons on the extreme high tides in Stornoway harbour.
The fleet of leisure craft, compromising motor boats, small yachts, RIBs and open boats were in a section of the marina used by local owners.
Each was tied alongside floating pontoons in the port’s inner harbour.
As the tide lowered, so did the boats.
But the pontoons jammed towards the bottom and were stuck -
The pontoons failed to rise with the incoming high tide and began to drag the boats down.
Stornoway Port Authority chief executive Jane MacIver said it was a “close call” though no vessel sunk.
However, one source said some boats had flooded or taken on water to some extent and required to be pumped out though the harbour board could not confirm the situation.
Ms Maciver said an engineer had been summoned from the mainland because of the incident.
Service points and ladders on the pontoons were damaged on Wednesday, she said.
The pontoons were being monitored during the tides.