A LOOSE screw and a lack of instructions led to a CalMac ferry losing control and running aground off North Uist last year, an investigation has concluded.
The MV Hebrides ro-ro ferry, with 45 passengers, 32 crew and 14 vehicles on board, was attempting to dock at Lochmaddy in gale force winds and rough seas on the morning of September 25, 2016, when it missed the pier and overturned moorings before coming to a stop on the rocks. No-one was hurt in the incident, but the ferry was damaged and was taken out of service for repairs.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which published its findings on Wednesday last week, said control was lost in the ferry’s port controllable pitch propeller (CPP), which was ‘stuck ahead’.