The Buccoo Reef inter-island ferry had to be towed back to Port-of-Spain by a tug boat after experiencing an issue while travelling from Tobago, yesterday morning.
Guardian Media understands that the ferry left Scarborough around 9.30 am with 553 passengers and 155 vehicles on board and began experiencing an issue with the blow-out value on one of its engines, outside the Port of Port-of-Spain.
Contacted yesterday afternoon, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the T&T Inter-Island Transportation Company Vilma Lewis-Cockburn confirmed that a tug boat was dispatched after receiving a distress call from the crew of the vessel.
However, she noted that the vessel could not be immediately towed to the Port-of-Spain Ferry Terminal until the Cabo Star departed its berth around 1 pm.
“Only one vessel at a time can enter/leave the channel so the Buccoo Reef had to wait a bit,” Lewis-Cockburn said, as she noted that the Buccoo Reef eventually docked around 1.44 pm.
The vessel was initially scheduled to arrive in Trinidad at 12.30 pm.
The Buccoo Reef is one of two vessels recently procured by the Government from Australia to service the route.
On Thursday, the other vessel, the A.P.T. James, went into routine dry docking in compliance with its shipbuilder’s warranty.
Until the vessel returns to service on December 1, the route will continue to be serviced by the Buccoo Reef, the Galleons Passage, the T&T Spirit, and the Cabo Star.
