Professor John Robertson OBA
Thanks to Dottie again for alerting us to this:
Off Stromness, wind speeds this morning varied between 24.5 and 40.1 mph with gusts up to 42.4 mph1according to the Inverness Courier:
‘Devastating’ damage to vehicles aboard Scrabster ferry after ‘cargo shift’ – A “full review” is under way after vehicles were damaged while the ferry Hamnavoe was crossing the Pentland Firth [from Stromness] this morning. The ferry operator, Serco NorthLink Ferries, said there had been a “cargo shift” as the vessel was on its way from Stromness to Scrabster. No-one was injured. Managing director Stuart Garrett said: “At 8am this morning [Wednesday] we experienced a cargo shift aboard the MV Hamnavoe as it made its way from Stromness to Scrabster, damaging some vehicles.2
Some will be hoping this kind of fiasco has taken place on a CalMac ferry. They’re going to be disappointed.
There’s one case. 20 years ago in November 2025, the Scotsman had:
It is normally one of Scotland’s most spectacular ferry journeys, inching through the Summer Isles and allowing passengers views of the spiky peaks of Stac Pollaidh and Suilven. But for those on board the MV Muirneag last Friday, the CalMac route between Ullapool and Stornoway became memorable for very different reasons after the 3.5 hour journey took 15 hours to complete in 80mph winds. Cars slammed about the deck, crashing into other vehicles and smashing deck lights. Lorries were also damaged, freight was catapulted off trailers and oil and cargoes of fish farm food were spilled.3
80mph winds, twice that faced by the Finnish built, only 20 year-old Hamnavoe? Damage? No pictures in the Scotsman report so nothing much, I’m guessing.
Sources:
- https://windy.app/forecast2/spot/2649631/Stromness+Marina#:~:text=Wind%20direction%20is%20Southwest%2C%20wind%20speed%20varies%20between,information%20about%20local%20wind%20speed%2C%20direction%2C%20and%20gusts.
- https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/pictures-devastating-damage-to-vehicles-aboard-scrabster-417356/
- https://www.scotsman.com/news/ferry-passengers-petrified-in-15-hour-storm-nightmare-2508732
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Photographs on Facebook suggest that the truck carrying the excavator was well tied down by the crew. The excavator appears to have toppled from the truck. Tying down the excavator to the truck is the driver’s responsibility. Also possible is the truck’s equipment to tie down the excavator failed. Appears to be that there is no evidence that anything other than the excavator moved.
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Nice to get an accurate report seumascoll.
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