CalMac's new £42m ferry built for the Stornoway to Ullapool route, has been repaired and is ready to resume it service once the weather improves.
The Loch Seaforth, which was supposed to have been designed to avoid breakdowns, had to be replaced by the car ferry which previously operated on the route, after the new vessel suffered mechanical problems.
A CalMac spoksesman stressed Loch Seaforth was still going through a commissioning phase and was not in full service.
"This period is being used to put the ship through her paces and iron out any teething problems which may arise."
He said the Isle of Lewis, its predecessor, had been retained to provide cover in the event that these teething issues require her to be withdrawn from the route.
He continued: "Yesterday evening an issue arose with an engine room ventilation fan which required attention and an operational decision was taken to remove her from the route while it was fixed and the MV Isle of Lewis was deployed to maintain the service. While passengers were delayed, and we regret any inconvenience to them, no-one was 'stranded.' This was not a major issue but it required around five hours of work as the fan was in a difficult to reach location. Repairs were concluded by 11 p.m. and she sailed from Ullapool about an hour later."
He said CalMac would not consider this to be a 'breakdown' as it was an operational decision not to sail, rather than one forced upon us by a mechanical issue which prevented her sailing.
"She is now back in Stornoway. Along with a number of other routes on the west coast, services between Stornoway and Ullapool have been cancelled today due to extreme weather conditions. This is entirely unconnected with the technical issue," he said.
The Loch Seaforth, which was built in Germany, only made its first passenger sailing on in the middle of last month. It has capacity for 700 passengers, 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles.
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