The crew of the Malaviya Seven have been told they can go home.
But they have warned they won’t get their wages until the vessel is sold.
The Press and Journal has learned there is progress on the sale of the vessel, where more than a dozen Indian sailors have spent the last 15 months in Aberdeen Harbour.
And it is expected the boat will be sold in the next few weeks, though the clock is ticking on whether the sailors will be home before Christmas.
It is understood there have been several offers on the boat since the unsuccessful auction last month.
A spokesman said: “They have been well looked after during their time in Aberdeen, but it’s totally unacceptable they have been put in this situation in the first place.
“They have been deprived the chance to go home and see their loved ones and that is clearly unacceptable. This is a situation which should never have happened.”
There was no response from the company.
