Ferry cancelled on first day back 21/2/14
Sailings of the Stornoway ferry MV Isle of Lewis have been cancelled on her first day back from an extended refit.
Ferry operator Caledonian Macbrayne blamed “technical reasons.”
It is understood the problem is connected with her rudder which controls the ship’s steering.
It means she is stuck in Ullapool until the issue is fixed.
Divers are believed to have been summoned to carry out an underwater check.
The ferry will not move until Saturday morning at the earliest.
Tomorrow morning’s outward run from Stornoway has also been cancelled.
The ship’s timetable was already disrupted by strong winds and rough seas but she had intended to sail from the mainland at 5.35pm tonight (Fri).
The MV Isle of Lewis is about a week late in returning from her overhaul in a Liverpool drydock after a last minute decision to get her turbo chargers replaced. The manufacturer advised the upgrades for safety reasons.
It followed engine problems believed to have emerged during tests in the middle of last week and the ship had to stay on the Mersey for the extra repairs.
Meanwhile, the MV Clipper Ranger is also back on her freight run across the Minch after an absence of nearly three weeks. A sudden fuel supply problem resulted in her engines being starved of oil as well as a power blackout. She hit a pier in Stornoway harbour and required repairs to the extensive damage to her hull.