News / Hrossey finally makes it into port
AROUND 140 passengers were stranded for several hours on board the NorthLink ferry Hrossey as Aberdeen harbour was closed most of Tuesday as a result of strong easterly gales.
By the time the ferry made it into port at 3.30pm passengers had been on the vessel for almost 24 hours.
The Hrossey had left Lerwick at 5.30pm on Monday evening, cancelled its scheduled call at Kirkwall, and sailed straight for Aberdeen due to the stormy weather forecast overnight.
However, when she arrived off Aberdeen the port was closed as a result of the huge swell outside its entrance. The harbour only reopened at around 3pm.
A spokesperson for NorthLink said: “All 140 passengers onboard were well looked after and have received complimentary tea and coffee, a movie and a soup and sandwich lunch.”
“The sailing to Kirkwall and Lerwick, scheduled to depart Aberdeen at 5pm, will leave Aberdeen as soon as the vessel has been unloaded, refuelled and made ready for its return journey. “
A spokes woman for Aberdeen harbour would only say that the port had been closed due to the easterly gales with the situation being monitored throughout the day.
For years, travellers from the northern isles have suffered delays due to Aberdeen harbour being inaccessible in easterly gales.
In July this year, Aberdeen Harbour awarded a £5.2 million contract to widen and deepen the navigation channel into the city’s harbour.
Westminster Dredging Company hope to complete the work by early October. They will deepen the first third of the entrance channel to eight metres, after which it will slope up to the existing six metres. They are also widening the narrow part of the entrance from 34 to 60 metres.
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