Suilven's sinking

Broken lashings on cargo containers are suspected for causing the former Stornoway ferry, MV Suilven, to list and then sink.

The vessel - which plied the Minch for 20 years - capsized while carrying a containerised cargo of tuna fish as she navigated towards harbour in Fiji in the South Pacific last Tuesday.

Some 34 people - including four passengers who were lorry drivers - were rescued from the sinking ship.

The Fiji government suggested the lashings which should have held the containers fast to the deck did not operate properly.

Fijian transport secretary, Francis Kean, said: "Initial reports from the owners, Venu Shipping, indicated that container cargo lashing failure contributed to the listing of this ro-ro ship."

Mr Kean said the 41-year-old vessel was carrying 25 refrigerated containers - each 20 feet long - plus four lorries on her cardeck.

It is understood they contained tinned and frozen tuna as well as fish oil amongst other goods.

The Suilven's fuel tanks have not been breached with no oil pollution reported.

The Suilven was the biggest ship in the Caledonian Macbrayne fleet when introduced in 1975 to replace the old MV Clansman. At the time, Ullapool also superseded Kyle as the mainland destination port for Lewis passengers.

She was sold to New Zealand in 1995 before being sold as a passenger ferry by a Fiji shipping firm. In 2012, a rival company saved her from the scrap heap and deployed her on freight duties.

Failed cargo lashings contributed to Suilven's sinking

30 November 2015