Pilot boat assists after ferry breaks free of moorings in Orkney

Pilot boat assists after ferry breaks free of moorings in Orkney

PILOTAGE WEEK
Kirkwall Bay (Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Christopher R Irvine)

The crew of a pilot boat came to the aid of a passenger ferry after a strong wind caused the latter vessel to break free of its moorings at Hatston Pier in Orkney, Scotland, on Wednesday, November 18.

Local media reports that the 70-metre Ro-Pax ferry Pentalina had already started to drift from its assigned berth by the time the pilot boat Kirkwall Bay arrived on-scene upon the request of operator Pentland Ferries.

Pentland Ferries director Kathryn Scollie said mooring lines were then deployed from Kirkwall Bay to secure the ferry to the pier before it could drift further away and cause damage to nearby vessels or other areas of the port.

Pentalina was once again tied to the pier by the morning of Thursday, November 19. No injuries or damages have been reported, though local authorities have since closed off the area around the ferry as a safety precaution.

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