The need for an emergency towing tug (ETV) has been highlighted when the largest ferry in the CalMac network lost power in the Minch, according to Isles MP Angus MacNeil.
Mr MacNeil is calling on the UK Government to once again look at the situation which has left the west coast without an ETV based in Stornoway and is currently serviced by a vessel which also covers the Northern Isles.
The MV Ievoli Black is the sole Scottish emergency tug. She is based in Kirkwall but undertakes regular patrols off the Western Isles.
She was in Skye yesterday and on hand to assist the MV Loch Seaforth if required. However, the Seaforth’s engineers got the ship moving within a relatively short period of time.
The MP said: “It is lucky that the ETV, the only boat that could have assisted MV Loch Seaforth in the worst case scenario, was also on the west coast.
“However this shows that for now we need to have an ETV based in Stornoway in case of a similar incident in future.
“We do not know at this stage what went wrong with MV Loch Seaforth but the point is that the tug is for unforeseen circumstances.
He said the UK Department of Transport is dodging “their responsibilities here and crossing their fingers which is not good enough.”
Mr MacNeil has also contacted CalMac for an update on the status of MV Loch Seaforth following the incident.
The Stornoway tug was removed in 2012 as a cost cutting exercise by the UK Government.
Call for dedicated Minch tug
9 August 2018
