Independent probe into steam ship slipping hitch
THE owners of a 65-year-old paddle steamer say an independent inquiry will be held into how the operation to lift the vessel out of the water went wrong.
The 191-foot vessel slid back into Loch Lomond last Thursday during an operation to haul her on to the slipway for a survey, as part of a £1million refurbishment.
Supports for the 555-tonne vessel are believed to have snapped as the historic ship was winched on to the slipway at Balloch Pier.
Pictures showed broken wooden planks beneath the ship before it slid back into Loch Lomond.
No-one was injured during the incident, although one volunteer had to be pulled out of the water.
John Beveridge, chairman of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company (LLSC), the charity which owns the Maid, said shortly after the incident that a probe would be carried out to find out how the incident happened.
But the charity now says it is to conduct an independent inquiry to establish the full circumstances of what it’s describing as a “setback” in the Maid’s restoration.
In a series of messages posted on Twitter, the company said: “We know you are all keen to find out when we will attempt to slip the ship again and please know this sits high on our agenda.
“We have however decided to conduct an independent inquiry into the incident on Thursday, and this will take some time.”
Built by A. & J. Inglis in Glasgow, the steamer has laid out of service on the banks of Loch Lomond in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire since 1981.
Work commenced before the new year in preparation for the complicated manoeuvre, with The Maid being emptied of all furniture and fittings.
The campaign to restore the Maid was last month boosted after a £950,000 capital grant was awarded by the Scottish Government.