Trident V hull damaged in collision
TRIDENT V was damaged in a collision with an object below the waterline, it has been confirmed.
The vessel has been out of service since the incident on Friday.
The Trident Charter Company had previously thought mechanical failure had caused the problem, but now that Marine & General Engineers has had time to assess it, managing director Peter Wilcox confirmed an impact had taken place.
'The vessel has clipped something beneath the waterline but we can't say for certain what that might have been,' he said.
'This has only been proven now that the vessel has been taken out of the water – the initial reaction from the crew was that it was an engine problem.'
The incident occurred in thick fog on Friday afternoon.
No passengers or crew were injured and the journey was completed after passengers transferred to Trident VI, which had been acting as a cruise ship tender.
Trident V has sustained damage on its starboard side. The rudder, propeller shaft and the propeller itself are visibly damaged.
