Cal Mac's new £43 million flagship, the MV Loch Seaforth, is broken down in Ullapool.
Officially, it is the first out-
Her predecessor, the MV Isle of Lewis, was urgently summoned to the Wester Ross port to pick up delayed passengers.
They were due to eventually arrive in Stornoway around 2am this morning (Fri).
Disrupted passengers said they got food vouchers as compensation. They received meals onboard the Seaforth berthed in Ullapool while waiting for the relief ship to arrive.
Stuck passengers said they were told a cooling fan had broken and the ship could
not sail.
A Cal Mac spokesman said: “There is a problem with an engine room ventilation fan.
“It is not a major problem but it is tricky to access.”
Confined access around the ship’s twin main engines means very engineers have very restricted working room to repair faults.
It is understood the problem became apparent on Thursday afternoon after the MV Loch Seaforth departed Stornoway.
The MV Isle of Lewis departed Stornoway in the evening to collect the disrupted Seaforth passengers.
Meanwhile, high winds and wild seas mean all Stornoway ferry sailings are cancelled
on Friday.
New £43 million ferry breaks down
6 March 2015