Storm-battered tugboat moved to port

BY ANDREW WHITAKER

ATUGBOAT that disconnected from the Transocean Winner oil rig during a severe storm in the Western Isles has been left at Stornoway port a week after it was battered off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis.

The Sunday Herald has learned the towline has been left in the port at the same time as Marine Accident Inves- tigation Branch (MAIB) officials are conducting a probe into the grounding.

Last night, a port works keeper at Stornoway who asked not to be identified, said: “It’s been in the harbour here for days and it’s a small harbour.”

The Transocean Winner was carrying 280 tonnes of diesel – more than 300,000 litres – when it was blown ashore early on Monday after its towline detached from the tug Alp Forward. The rig was being towed from Norway to Malta, and was subsequently due to be scrapped in Turkey.

It is now thought to have leaked more than 50,000 litres of diesel.

However, a spokesman for the Dutch-based tug owners ALP Maritime refused to speak about the potential cause of the grounding, and said it was not appropriate to speculate about any investigations the firm may be subject to, the reasons for the accident or any financial losses the firm might face.

They said: “So far as we know the towline broke during a severe storm and the severe weather conditions did not allow for a new towline to be reconnected to the Transocean Winner.

“With the MAIB investigations currently under way we believe it’s not appropriate to make any firm statements on the root cause.

“As we’re still in an assessment phase it’s also too early to say anything about potential losses.”