New freight vessel breaks down on journey north

NorthLink’s new freight and livestock vessel Hildasay broke down 20 miles off Orkney at the weekend – just two weeks after an official ceremony was held to mark her introduction as cargo ship for the isles.

The boat suffered a problem with her electrical generator while en route from Aberdeen to Lerwick shortly after 6am on Saturday, leading to a loss in propulsion for approximately 90 minutes.

On board were 18 crew and five passengers, along with 13 freight trailers, eight empty trailers and two cars. Power was restored and the vessel made it into Lerwick approximately four hours late at 4pm.

A NorthLink spokesman said there was no risk to passengers or crew, although he apologised to freight customers and passengers for the delay. Normal service resumed once the fault was cured and there were no further mishaps.

Meanwhile, a fishing boat lost engine power near Unst at the weekend. The 73-foot Buckie-registered Ocean Sovereign broke down at around 11.30pm, and had to rely on another large fishing boat, the Farnella, to tow her to safety. They arrived at Lerwick Harbour on Monday morning.