News / Hildasay breaks down off Orkney
THE NEW freighter serving the northern isles broke down 20 miles east of Orkney at the weekend, just a week after she started working on the route.
The newly christened Hildasay operated by NorthLink was on her way from Aberdeen to Lerwick when she lost propulsion for an hour and a half due to an electrical failure at around 6.30am on Saturday.
The vessel had 18 crew and five passengers on board at the time, with two cars and 21 trailers, eight of which were empty. Hildasay arrived around four hours late in Lerwick at 4pm.
A NorthLink spokesman said that although the vessel had come to a halt without power, there was no risk to passengers, crew or the vessel itself and that, once the fault had been identified, normal service had resumed efficiently and without further mishap.
“Nevertheless, NorthLink takes this opportunity to apologise to passengers and freight customers for the delay,” the spokesman said.
Become a supporter of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.
Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 630 supporters who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.
Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -
- Bring you the headlines as they happen;
- Stay editorially independent;
- Give a voice to the community;
- Grow site traffic further;
- Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.
Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.