HOPES THAT a cargo ship with two former Aran Island ferries would leave Galway harbour yesterday were dashed as the luckless project ran into new difficulties.
It was expected that the second of the ferries, Clan Eagle 1, would be lifted alongside its sister ferry Clan na nOileáinon board the Thor Gittacargo ship yesterday morning. However, problems organising the port rotation of cargo caused yet another delay.
The Thor Gittahas been in Galway harbour for more than two weeks now, and according to Galway harbour master Capt Brian Sheridan, it will not be ready for the seas until this evening at the earliest.
“This is not an exact science; lifts of this magnitude take time and need to be done right. It is important that port rotation for its next stop is correct to avoid further organising of cargo when the ship reaches her destination.”
The project initially ran into difficulty when the Pantanalcargo ship, which had been due to pick up the ferries, ran aground in late March off Galway. This was followed by a series of delays and problems, including the replacement cargo vessel being placed under harbour arrest.
The first attempt more than two weeks ago at lifting the ferries was abandoned when one of the ferries crashed back into the water.